THE BEGINNING OF MUSLIM HISTORICAL RESEARCH*

M USLLM HISTORICAL A L C H 5
to add a new dimension to this division by generation, i-e., the classification
according to regions. Consequently, Ibn Sa'd divided the transmitters
also according to the regions where they had lived.12
When the sciences began to develop and purely historical interest
was awakened, the biographical work was later initiated even by the re-
presentatives of other branches of science. There appeared numerous
biographical works on theologians, mystics, physicians, philologists, poets,
etc. Impressed by these facts Sprenger made the following apt remark:
"Self-respect is the noble fundamental principle of the Arabs and Islam.
Each individual is recognized for his greatness and, for this reason, the
Muslims have written morebiographies andgenealogical works than other
peoples both prior to and contemporary with the Muslims (taken to-
gether). 1 3
In the above-mentioned works the personality of the Prophet and
everything connected with him were the real objects of consideration.
The influence of the Prophet was still too strong and the magic of his
personality was so profound that no other question could attract attention
for its own sake. Mubarnmad was and remained )he Messenger of God,
whose instructions were regarded as laws.
It is on this religious character that the reliability of most accounts
of the oldest biographers of the Prophet is based. In contrast to the later
accounts of the life of Muhammad that were written with the object of
glorifying him and building up the faith of the believers, the authors of the
early period engaged themselves in writing the biography of the prophet(^)
in order to learn his way of life and his teachings, because they considered
his sayings and actions as fundamental dogmas (of Islam). They were
still too religiously overawed and conscientious to change the transmitted
texts or to invent false reports as often occurred later during the political
and religious debates or for the sake of polemics against the Jews and
Christians. Apart from the unverifiable reports about the youth of the
Prophet, his oldest biographers deserve recognition, even when they are
judged by the modem standard of historical criticism, in so far as the cor-
rectness of the reports rather than the objective validity of the descrip
tions is concerned. 14
These religiously inspired biographies deserve attention in the history
of historical sciences not only for this reason alone and also not only
because they have become the only authentic sources in the eyes of posterity