When The Moon Split A Biography of the Prophet Muhammad By Shaikh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri

The Seerah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not optional study — it is the lens through which the Qur'an and Sunnah are understood in context, and the most vivid demonstration available to any Muslim of what complete submission to Allah looks like in practice. When the Moon Split by Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri is the most widely read biography of the Prophet in the English-speaking world — comprehensive, rigorously sourced, and written with a clarity that makes the life of the Prophet accessible to every reader.

What This Book Covers

The Prophet Before Prophethood — Mecca and the Pre-Islamic Context

The biography begins with the state of Arabia and the world before the arrival of Islam — the moral, social, and spiritual darkness that made the Prophet's mission necessary — and then covers his (peace and blessings be upon him) lineage, birth, childhood, youth, and early adult life. These chapters establish who the man was before he became the Messenger, and why the Quraysh themselves, his enemies, acknowledged him as al-Amin — the Trustworthy.

The Mission — Revelation, Hardship, and the Making of the Muslim Community

The book covers the thirteen years of the Meccan period in depth: the first revelation, the early converts, the persecution of the believers, the boycott, the deaths of Khadijah and Abu Talib, the Night Journey and Ascension, the migration to Abyssinia, and finally the Hijra to Madinah. These chapters are the story of how Islam survived its most dangerous years — through the steadfastness of the Prophet and his Companions under conditions that would have destroyed any human movement.

Madinah — The Establishment of the Islamic State

The Medinan period covers the building of the mosque, the Brotherhood of the Muhajirun and Ansar, the major battles — Badr, Uhud, the Trench, Khaybar — the treaties, the dawah letters to kings and rulers, and the eventual conquest of Mecca. Each event is narrated from the authenticated sources with the Shaykh's careful attention to what is established and what is not.

The Final Years and the Prophet's Legacy

The Farewell Pilgrimage, the final illness, and the passing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are covered with the gravity they deserve — and the biography closes with a comprehensive portrait of his character, his daily life, and his appearance as described by those who knew him. Reading this section moves the heart in a way that few other Islamic texts can.

About the Author

Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (1943–2006) was a scholar and author from India who won the World Muslim League's first prize for biography of the Prophet with this work. Published by Darussalam Publishers.

Who This Book Is For

Every Muslim. If you have not read a biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in full, start here. If you have read others, this remains an essential reference. For new Muslims wanting to know who the Prophet was, for Muslim teenagers studying the Seerah, for adults who want the most comprehensive single-volume biography available in English — this is the one.