Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
essentially a collection of "chronological" hadith. Without even a skeleton
of chronology provided by Islamic tradition: Muhammad's calling -
opposition - Hijra - raids - conquest, sorting out the chronology of
Muhammad's Sira would be purely guesswork.
[42] Schwally, GQ, vol. 2, p. 157 f, gives as examples:`A'isha - Qur'an
24:11f; Zaynab's marriage to Muhammad - Qur'an 37:33f and Muhammad
and the slave Mary (the Copt) being in Hafsa's apartment Qur'an 66:1f.
There are many other such passages also: e.g. without the aid of hadith, one
might think that Abu Lahab (Qur'an 111:1f) was actually Satan or some
other supernatural figure.
[43] Ibn Masud,Ali, Ibn Abbas, Abu Musa,Umar, `A'isha, etc. who
are sources for many traditions, are also said to have had Qur'an codices;
see Jeffery, Materials, p. 14.
[44] E.g., see n. 23, above, for general Islamic opinion on Waqidi as a
source.
[45] E.g., see Ibn Hisham's editorial remarks referred to in n. 10, above.