The Sealed Nectar (Ar Raheeq Al Makhtoum)

The Sealed Nectar by Shaykh Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri is the most widely read biography of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in English, and this is Darussalam's full color 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.

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. 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 color edition adds

Darussalam first published this revised color 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

Choosing your copy of The Sealed Nectar

• This full color 17x24 edition is the one to buy as a gift, for a family bookshelf, or if you want the maps and diagrams.
• The standard 14x21 Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) has the same text in a lighter two-color hardcover at a lower price.
• The pocket-size Sealed Nectar 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 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 color edition of The Sealed Nectar?

It carries the complete text of the award-winning seerah, printed in full color 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?

This colored edition is a 17x24 cm hardcover of over 650 pages (ISBN 9786035001106). The standard two-color edition is 588 pages at 14x21 cm, and there is also a pocket-size edition for travel.

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.

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.

Is this edition a good gift?

It is the best choice in the range for gifting. The larger format, color 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 (peace be upon him) properly.

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

Both contain the same biography. Choose this colored 17x24 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.

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.