""The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad" is among the most ancient biographies of the Prophet Muhammad to survive into the modern era. Its primary author, Ma'mar ibn Rashid (714-770),
was a prominent Muslim scholar who hailed from Basra in southern Iraq and who was revered for his learning in prophetic traditions, Islamic law, and the interpretation of the Qur'an. This
fascinating and seminal work contains traditions handed down by Ma'mar to his most prominent pupil, 'Abd al-Razzaq of San'a' (744-827), relating the stories of Muhammad's early life and
prophetic career as well as the adventures and tribulations of his earliest followers during their conquest of the Near East in the wake of his death. The Arabic text has been edited anew from
itssole surviving manuscript, offers numerous improved readings over those of previous editions, and includes detailed notes on the text's transmission and variants as found in quotations of
the text in later works. The translation renders the text into readable, modern English for the first time, and is accompanied by an extended introduction, glossary, and numerous annotations
elucidating the cultural, religious and historical context of the historical events and persons that feature within its pages. "The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad" represents a
important testimony to the earliest Muslims' memory of the lives of Muhammad and his companions, and is an indispensable text for gaining insight to the historical biography of Muhammad and the
rise of Islam and its empire"--
