Reshaping the Biographical Image of Muḥammad: a Translation of Sayyid Aḥmad Ḳhān’s Jilāʾ ul-Qulūb bi-Żikr il-Maḥbūb (1842)
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Abstract
During the nineteenth century, biographical writing about Muḥammad was an unsettled matter. In 1842, Sayyid Aḥmad Ḳhān (later knighted and eventually remembered as Sir Syed) published his Urdu maulid work, Jilāʾ ul-Qulūb bi-Żikr il-Maḥbūb (Polishing of the Hearts by Remembering the Beloved). Since it was published in the first half of the nineteenth century, scholars have focused on the devotional nature of the text while overlooking the ways that the author was reworking the biographical image of the Prophet. In the article’s introduction, I illustrate ways that Sayyid Aḥmad had modified his text from traditional religious biography materials to produce, for example, a more rational, secularized image of Muḥammad. I accomplish this by providing the context of Sayyid Aḥmad’s publication activity proximate to the Jilāʾ, drawing on theory regarding biographical materials about the Prophet, performing a close reading of narratives in the Jilāʾ, and finally, by comparing the Jilāʾ to other sacred biography works about Muḥammad. In his later writings, Sayyid Aḥmad engaged in, and encouraged, a re-examination of Islamic theology that stirred up much controversy. This original English translation of the Jilāʾ provides an important context for Sayyid Aḥmad’s larger body of writings.
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Reshaping the Biographical Image of Muḥammad: a Translation of Sayyid Aḥmad Ḳhān’s Jilāʾ ul-Qulūb bi-Żikr il-Maḥbūb (1842)
In: Journal of Urdu StudiesSearch for other papers by Adil S. Mawani in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
During the nineteenth century, biographical writing about Muḥammad was an unsettled matter. In 1842, Sayyid Aḥmad Ḳhān (later knighted and eventually remembered as Sir Syed) published his Urdu maulid work, Jilāʾ ul-Qulūb bi-Żikr il-Maḥbūb (Polishing of the Hearts by Remembering the Beloved). Since it was published in the first half of the nineteenth century, scholars have focused on the devotional nature of the text while overlooking the ways that the author was reworking the biographical image of the Prophet. In the article’s introduction, I illustrate ways that Sayyid Aḥmad had modified his text from traditional religious biography materials to produce, for example, a more rational, secularized image of Muḥammad. I accomplish this by providing the context of Sayyid Aḥmad’s publication activity proximate to the Jilāʾ, drawing on theory regarding biographical materials about the Prophet, performing a close reading of narratives in the Jilāʾ, and finally, by comparing the Jilāʾ to other sacred biography works about Muḥammad. In his later writings, Sayyid Aḥmad engaged in, and encouraged, a re-examination of Islamic theology that stirred up much controversy. This original English translation of the Jilāʾ provides an important context for Sayyid Aḥmad’s larger body of writings.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 69 | 69 | 4 |
| Full Text Views | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 39 | 39 | 0 |