The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) - English, Colour, 14x21 & Pocket Size

The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) by Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri is the most widely read biography of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in English, and this is Darussalam's full colour edition: a 17x24 cm hardcover of over 650 pages, printed on glossy paper with maps, battle diagrams, timelines and family trees throughout. The text is the complete, prize-winning seerah. What changes is how easy it is to follow. When the book describes the route of the Hijrah or the lines at Uhud, the map or diagram is right there on the page. It costs 87.98 SAR, dispatched from Riyadh.

Also searched as: Sealed Nectar book, Ar Raheeq Al Makhtum, Ar Rahiq al Makhtum, Raheequl Makhtum, Sealed Nector, Sealed Necter, Seerah of the Prophet in English.

Official Darussalam edition · First Prize, Muslim World League · Free shipping on orders over 300 SAR

The Sealed Nectar book: why readers still start here

The original Arabic, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, won first prize in the Muslim World League's international seerah competition, announced in 1976. Scholars submitted 171 manuscripts in five languages, and the award was presented in Makkah in 1979, as the back cover of this edition records. The judges favoured it because it keeps to authentic material from the Quran, the hadith collections and the early seerah writers, and leaves out the popular stories that have no sound basis.

Decades later, The Sealed Nectar is still the book most Islamic schools, masjid libraries and study circles recommend as the first full seerah to read in English. It is long enough to give the Prophet's life its proper detail, but it reads as one continuous story rather than an academic reference work.

What the full colour edition adds

Darussalam first published this revised colour edition in 2011. It keeps the full text and adds visual material that the standard printings of The Sealed Nectar don't have:

• Maps of the Arabian Peninsula and its tribal territories, the route of the Hijrah from Makkah to Madinah, and the Prophet's expeditions.

• Battle diagrams showing the positions of the armies at Badr, Uhud, the Trench (Al-Ahzab) and Hunain, which makes the turning points of each battle much easier to understand.

• Timelines that put the events of the Makkan and Madinan periods in order at a glance.

• Family trees of the Quraysh clans and the Prophet's household, so the many names and relationships stay clear.

• Photographs of the landscape of the Hijaz and the historical sites where the events took place.

For visual learners, teenagers and anyone who has found a text-only seerah hard to keep track of, these additions are the main reason to choose this edition.

Inside the biography: from pre-Islamic Arabia to the Farewell Hajj

The Sealed Nectar moves through the Prophet's life in chronological order:

Arabia and the Prophet's early life

The book opens with the geography, peoples, rulers and religions of Arabia before Islam, then turns to the Prophet's lineage in Quraysh, his birth in Makkah, his years as an orphan, his work as a trader and his marriage to Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her).

Prophethood and the struggle in Makkah

The first revelation in the Cave of Hira, the early private call, the public call to Islam and the hostility of Quraysh, the migrations to Abyssinia, the social boycott, the Year of Sorrow, Ta'if, the Night Journey and Ascension, and the pledges at Aqabah.

The Hijrah and the Madinan state

The migration to Madinah, the Prophet's Mosque, the brotherhood of the Muhajirin and Ansar, and the agreements with the tribes of Madinah.

Expeditions, treaties and victory

Badr, Uhud, the Trench, the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, the letters to kings, Khaibar, the conquest of Makkah, Hunain and Tabuk.

The final years

The delegations that came to accept Islam, the Farewell Hajj and its sermon, and the Prophet's last illness and death, followed by chapters on his household, his character and his manners.

About Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri

Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (1942-2006) was born near Mubarakpur in Uttar Pradesh, India. He spent many years teaching, including at Jamiah Salafiyah in Banaras, before joining the seerah and Sunnah research centre at the Islamic University of Madinah. From 1998 he worked with Darussalam in Riyadh, where he supervised the abridged English Tafsir Ibn Kathir. His other books on Darussalam Store include When the Moon Split, his shorter seerah, and his histories of the two holy cities, Holy Makkah and History of Madinah Munawwarah.

Edition details

Title: The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum), full colour edition

Author: Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri

Publisher: Darussalam

Language: English

Pages: Over 650

Size: 17x24 cm

Binding: Hardcover

Print: Full colour on glossy paper, with maps, diagrams, timelines and photographs

ISBN: 9786035001106

Choosing your copy of The Sealed Nectar

All three English editions are available on this page. Choose yours from the Size options:

• Deluxe Colored Edition (17x24) is the one to buy as a gift, for a family bookshelf, or if you want the maps and diagrams.

• 14x21 is the standard edition, with the same text in a lighter two-colour hardcover at a lower price.

• 8x12 (Pocket Size) is small enough for a travel bag or Umrah.

• Arabic and Urdu readers can choose Ar Raheeq ul Makhtum in Arabic or Ar Raheeq Al Makhtoom in Urdu.

After The Sealed Nectar, many readers go on to the lives of the Companions, such as The Ministers Around the Prophet. Browse more in the Prophet's Seerah, Companions of Prophet and Biography collections.

Who this edition is for

This edition suits readers who want to understand the Prophet's life properly and see where it happened: families reading the seerah together, students and teachers of Islamic studies, new Muslims, and anyone looking for one of the best books about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read in English. It is also a thoughtful gift for Ramadan, Eid, a new Muslim or a graduation.

The Sealed Nectar: frequently asked questions

What is special about this full colour edition of The Sealed Nectar?

It carries the complete text of the award-winning seerah, printed in full colour on glossy paper and expanded with visual material: maps of the Hijrah route and the expeditions, battle diagrams for Badr, Uhud, the Trench and Hunain, timelines of the Makkan and Madinan periods, family trees of Quraysh and the Prophet's household, and photographs of the places where the events happened. That is why it runs to over 650 pages against 588 in the standard edition.

How many pages is The Sealed Nectar, and what size is this book?

The Deluxe Colored Edition is a 17x24 cm hardcover of over 650 pages (ISBN 9786035001106). The standard two-colour edition is 588 pages at 14x21 cm, and there is also an 8x12 pocket-size edition for travel. All three are available from the Size options on this page.

Who is the author of The Sealed Nectar?

Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri (1942-2006), an Indian scholar who taught at Jamiah Salafiyah in Banaras, later worked as a researcher at the Islamic University of Madinah, and from 1998 worked with Darussalam in Riyadh. He wrote the original Arabic, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, for a Muslim World League competition and won first prize.

What does Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum mean?

It is Arabic for "the sealed nectar", a phrase taken from Surah Al-Mutaffifin (83:25), which describes the pure, sealed drink of the people of Paradise. The author chose it as the title of his biography of the Prophet ﷺ.

Is The Sealed Nectar a reliable biography of the Prophet?

Yes. The book is built on the Quran, authentic hadith and the classical seerah sources, and the Muslim World League chose it for first prize out of 171 manuscripts, awarded in Makkah in 1979, largely because of how carefully it selects its narrations. It is one of the most widely recommended seerah books in English.

Should I buy the colour edition or the standard 14x21 edition?

Both contain the same biography. Choose the Deluxe Colored Edition if you want larger print, maps and diagrams to follow the events, or a gift copy. Choose the standard 14x21 hardcover if you want a lighter, lower-priced reading copy with the same text, or the 8x12 pocket size for travel. All three are on this page under Size.

Is this edition a good gift?

It is the best choice in the range for gifting. The larger format, colour printing and illustrated maps make it a book people keep on display and return to, and it suits new Muslims, students, families and anyone who wants to learn the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ properly.

Is The Sealed Nectar available in Arabic and Urdu?

Yes. Darussalam Store also stocks Ar Raheeq ul Makhtum in Arabic and Ar Raheeq Al Makhtoom in Urdu.

What is the price of The Sealed Nectar in Saudi Arabia?

The Deluxe Colored Edition costs 87.98 SAR on Darussalam Store. The 14x21 and 8x12 pocket-size editions are lower priced, and you can see each price by choosing the size on this page.

Do you deliver The Sealed Nectar across Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Orders are dispatched from Riyadh to all regions of Saudi Arabia, and orders over 300 SAR qualify for free shipping.