A READER RECENTLY asked me if I could recommend any reading material on the seerah of the Messenger ﷺ for his 8-year-old son.
I told him I didn’t have a specific recommendation for that age group. Instead, I shared what I believe is the most powerful way to convey the seerah—not through reading a book, but by telling it yourself. Narrate it from your own heart and understanding. Make it your story.
To do so, you need to deeply study the seerah yourself. Read widely. Reflect deeply. When we read the seerah, we must go beyond the surface. We should ask ourselves: What does this mean for me right now? And even more pointedly: If I had lived in the time of the Prophet ﷺ, who would I have been? Abu Bakr or Abu Lahab? One who submits or one who resists? One who sacrifices or one who hesitates?
These are not rhetorical questions—they are spiritual mirrors. They force us to confront what truly motivates us and what we are willing to stand for.
Only after this internal reckoning can we meaningfully share the seerah with our children. When we speak from a place of sincerity and personal transformation, our words resonate. When we tell these stories in our own language—stories we’ve internalized—they become real and alive for our children.
I’ve written before about the power of storytelling and how it strengthens our bond with our children. Stories engage their hearts and minds, allowing complex truths to be grasped in simple, memorable ways.
There are many reasons why we must know the seerah. First and foremost, iman requires us to love the Prophet ﷺ. But love begins with knowledge. And with love, obedience flows naturally.
Without understanding his ﷺ life, it’s impossible to understand the Qur’an clearly. I firmly believe that after the Qur’an, the seerah should be every believer’s top priority. It illuminates the Qur’an and contextualises the ahadith. Much of the confusion we see around Islam today would vanish if we studied the seerah with depth and seriousness. It shows us that Islam is not merely a set of spiritual beliefs—it’s a complete way of life, a mission, and a legacy.
The Messenger ﷺ is our ultimate example—the best any human being can hope to be. In his life, we find the best worshipper, the best teacher, father, husband, caller to Islam, judge, ruler, and warrior. His story shows us how one man, by Allah’s will, transformed the world, lifting humanity from darkness into light.
Unfortunately, this is an area often neglected or misunderstood in our Ummah today.
There are several valuable works in English, many of which are easy to read. These include Dr. Ali Sallabi’s The Noble Life of the Prophet, Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpuri’s Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Martin Lings’ Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, and Adil Salahi’s Muhammad: Man and Prophet. Each presents a unique perspective on the life of the Messenger ﷺ. Translations of earlier works, such as Ibn Ishaq’s and Ibn Kathir’s al-Sirah al Nabawiya are also worth looking at, although more difficult to read.
To study his ﷺ life is an act of worship. And the more I study it, the more I’m amazed. And the more I’m amazed, the more I realise how much I am in debt to this extraordinary man who brought us Islam and forever changed human history.
Living For Islam 