Al-Sira al Nabawiyya by Imam IBN KATHIR is a full examination, in chronological order of the background, life and the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Drawn from the earliest and most reliable Arabic sources, it offers, in this close English translation, the Fullest available account of the historical circumstances and personalities most important in the foundation of Islam. IBN KATHIR's work offers a fine example of the Islamic scholarship; the quotations and anecdotes that constitute its core are evaluated in terms of trustworthiness of the sources. Variant wordings that are related through differing lines of transmission are noted, and Ibn Kathir gives both his own assessments and those of the earliest Islamic authorities concerning the likely authenticity of these records. The comments and conversations, derived from ancient texts, that are quoted in this work constitute the basis of our knowledge of Islam during the life time Muhammad (saw).