Date of Award
11-17-2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Religious Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Timothy Renick - Chair
Second Advisor
Dr. Kathryn McClymond
Third Advisor
Dr. Isa Blumi
Abstract
This thesis explores the meaning and significance of the form of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. It asks the questions: What are the possible reasons for Ibn Ishaq choosing a narrative form for this biography of Muhammad? What does a narrative format grant the text? Are there historical factors which could have influenced the decision? What other influences affected the text? Finally, what are the implications of Ibn Ishaq’s decision to use a narrative form? Taking into consideration narrative theory, the historical setting, and textual evidence, the thesis argues that Ibn Ishaq chose the format most likely to control the image of Muhammad, thus controlling the conversation of what Islam should be. The implications of this view affect how one understands the usages of the Sira as well as the historicity of the text.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1062078
Recommended Citation
Milby, Katherine Amanda, "The Making of an Image: The Narrative Form of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2008.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1062078