The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 40
Seal of the Prophets - Volume I 40 see many companions of the Holy Prophet sa and to listen to their discourses. He was trustworthy and possessed a wide span of knowledge. However, regrettably, his book has been lost. Nonetheless, references to his work appear in various books and the verbal narrations of Imām Zuhrī also appear in many books and they are deemed tremendously reputable. 2 Al-Maghāzī Mūsā bin ‘Aqabah (Died in 141 A. H. ) Mūsā bin ‘Aqabah was among the righteous pupils of Imām Zuhrī and also met with many companions of the Holy Prophet sa. He was an exceptionally vigilant writer who would verify and evaluate every reference before accepting it. In Ḥadīth , Imām Mālik was his pupil; however, unfortunately, his book has also been lost. 3 Sīrat Ibni Isḥāq Muḥammad bin Isḥāq (Died in 151 A. H. ) Ibni Isḥāq was also one of the disciples of Imām Zuhrī and holds great esteem in the field of Sīrat. His book has been deemed a foundation in the field of Sīrat and Maghāzī. A majority of the historians after him have benefited from his foundation. Some have doubted his trustworthiness; however, this notion is incorrect. Since, his natural inclination was towards Sīrat , he does not fulfill the rigorous standard of Ḥadīth. It is for this very reason that Imām Bukharī did not accept his narrations in Ḥadīth , but did accept them in Sīrat without hesitation. His book is not readily available. Nonetheless, a better part of his work has been included in Sīrat Ibni Hishām, thus the original book is not required.