On the Margin of Biography - Taha Hussein

"Sirat Ibn Hisham" is considered the most prominent work in recording the history of Islam, and the primary and most comprehensive source for the biography of the Prophet, peace be upon him. It documented most events related to the Messenger and the Arabian Peninsula from the pre-Islamic era until the Messenger's death. The Prophet's biography remains a source of inspiration for many who explain, abridge, analyze, or simplify its meanings. The "Dean of Arabic Literature" was among those captivated by it; he recorded what he deemed important from it, wishing it to be a guiding light for many speakers of the Arabic language, emphasizing the necessity of referring to and benefiting from it. Taha Hussein admitted that he did not present anything new and that what he recorded was merely thoughts that occurred to him during reading, which he then articulated in his simple yet inimitable style.