Al-Tabari

[noraina]

Assalamu Alaykum,

So with much excitement I brought a book titled the 'Mothers of the Believers' by al-Tabari. I had the idea that as he has authored many authentic pieces of Islamic scholarship I was would get pretty much the mainstream, accurate view.

However, in this book it mentioned that the Prophet (SAW) had married 23 women in total, 12 of whom he either divorced who had passed away. I can write their names here if you would like. I have around 6 seerahs of the Prophet (SAW) all of which mentioned the most commonly-accepted number of 11 wives.

Allahu Al'am. I am guessing that as this is one of the 'original' seerahs, the early biographers of the Prophet (SAW) (such as ibn Ishaq or al-Tabari) perhaps included all of the narrations circulating at the time, regardless of authenticity or strength, for other, later scholars to sift through and condense into the most accurate accounts? That book utterly threw me off track.

Perhaps in the meantime someone could recommend to me a less confusing book about the Mothers believers? Jazakimullahu khayran.

 

[Hamza :)]

Islam belief and practices by Yasmin Malik is a good read. It says Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam had 13 wives

 

[noraina]

JazakAllah khayr, for the suggestions brothers, inshaAllah I might as well get both the books. Thank you!

 

[Misbah0411]

Assalamu Alaykum,

So with much excitement I brought a book titled the 'Mothers of the Believers' by al-Tabari. I had the idea that as he has authored many authentic pieces of Islamic scholarship I was would get pretty much the mainstream, accurate view.

However, in this book it mentioned that the Prophet (SAW) had married 23 women in total, 12 of whom he either divorced who had passed away. I can write their names here if you would like. I have around 6 seerahs of the Prophet (SAW) all of which mentioned the most commonly-accepted number of 11 wives.

Allahu Al'am. I am guessing that as this is one of the 'original' seerahs, the early biographers of the Prophet (SAW) (such as ibn Ishaq or al-Tabari) perhaps included all of the narrations circulating at the time, regardless of authenticity or strength, for other, later scholars to sift through and condense into the most accurate accounts? That book utterly threw me off track.

Perhaps in the meantime someone could recommend to me a less confusing book about the Mothers believers? Jazakimullahu khayran.

They did exactly that. Historians are more liberal with stating narrations than hadith scholars. The History of Tabari has strong, weak and fair narrations. The same with al-Waaqidi and his history of the battles. Ibn Taymiyah said: "We have not narrated anything from him except that which is also narrated by others."