دلائل النبوۃ لأبی نعیم اصفہانی کے منہج و اسلوب کا تحقیقی جائزہ

A Research Review of the Methodology and Style of Abu Na'im Isfahani's Dalail-Ul-Nubuwwah

Abstract

Imam Abu Nu'aym Ahmad ibn 'Abdullah al-Isfahani (d. 430 AH) was a prominent scholar of the fifth century Hijrah, known for his expertise in tafsir, hadith, and fiqh. Among his numerous scholarly contributions, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah occupies a central place in the genre of prophetic biography (sīrah), wherein he systematically compiles evidences of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in a traditional hadith-based framework. This article aims to explore the methodological framework and scholarly approach adopted by Imam Abu Nu'aym in this work. Through a thematic analysis of the text, the study outlines seven core principles that characterize his method, reflecting both his scholarly precision and commitment to traditional hadith sciences. Given the wide scholarly acceptance of Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, this research seeks to underscore its significance within early Islamic historiography and its continued relevance for contemporary studies in hadith and sīrah literature.