منهج بنت الشاطئ في توظيف المصادر الإسلامية والتاريخية في كتاب تراجم سيدات بيت النبوة: دراسة تحليلية

The Methodology of Bint al-Shāṭiʾ in the Utilization of Islamic and Historical Sources in Tarājim Sayyidāt Bayt al-Nubuwwah: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the methodological approach of Dr. Aisha Abd al-Rahman (Bint al-Shatiʾ) in employing the sources of Prophetic biography (Sīrah) in her renowned work Tarājim Sayyidāt Bayt al-Nubuwwah. The research explores the scholarly foundations upon which she constructed her historical narratives and analyzes the manner in which she integrated classical Islamic sources with historical and literary analysis. Her work represents one of the most significant contemporary contributions to the study of the women of the Prophet's household, combining authenticity, critical analysis, and literary elegance.The significance of this study lies in highlighting Bint al-Shatiʾ's methodology in utilizing the Qur'an, the Prophetic Sunnah, classical Sīrah literature, Qur'anic exegesis, historical chronicles, biographical dictionaries, genealogical works, geographical sources, and other auxiliary references. It further examines her critical treatment of historical reports, her preference for authentic narrations, and her objective engagement with modern and Orientalist scholarship.The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology based on the close examination of the texts contained in Tarājim Sayyidāt Bayt al-Nubuwwah, together with an analytical evaluation of the author's methodological principles.The article is organized into three main sections. The first introduces the life, academic career, and scholarly contributions of Dr. Aisha Abd al-Rahman (Bint al-Shatiʾ). The second examines her reliance on primary Islamic sources, particularly the Qur'an, the Prophetic Sunnah, Sīrah literature, and Qur'anic exegesis. The third analyzes her use of supplementary historical, literary, genealogical, geographical, biographical, and Orientalist sources in reconstructing the historical narrative. The study concludes that Bint al-Shāṭiʾ developed a distinctive methodology in employing Islamic and historical sources, characterized by a clear hierarchy of sources, giving primary importance to the Qur’an and authentic Prophetic Sunnah, while benefiting from classical Sīrah, historical, biographical, genealogical, geographical, literary, and exegetical works. The analysis further demonstrates that she did not merely compile historical reports, but employed comparison, documentation, critical evaluation, and contextual interpretation in dealing with different narratives. Her methodology also reveals an integration of historical reconstruction with literary and analytical interpretation, enabling her to present the biographies of the women of the Prophet’s household within a coherent historical and intellectual framework. These findings demonstrate that *Tarājim Sayyidāt Bayt al-Nubuwwah* represents a significant contemporary contribution to Sīrah studies and provides a valuable methodological model for the critical study of Prophetic historical sources.