A Comparative Analysis of the Discourse of Sīrah Writing in Kurdish Literature: From Poetic Narrative to Prose Text

Document Type : Persian Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic History, Faculty of Quran and Hadith, International University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD Student in Islamic History, Faculty of Quran and Hadith, International University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Kurdish Sīra writing is a major expression of the indigenization of the Prophetic narrative within the cultural and religious setting of Sunni Kurdistan, playing a key role in sustaining religious memory and strengthening communal identity. Using historical, descriptive, and analytical methods, this study conducts a comparative examination of Kurdish poetic and prose Sīra traditions in the Sorani and Hawrami dialects to clarify how the Prophetic narrative is represented and reshaped across these two literary domains. The research covers both classical and contemporary Sīra texts and aims to illuminate the processes through which the Prophetic narrative has been adapted, transmitted, and reconstructed within the cultural and linguistic milieu of Kurdistan. The study shows that, despite their reliance on classical Arabic sources, Kurdish Sīra works—through both oral and written transmission—have produced a distinctive discourse rooted in sacred, ethical, and mystical elements, while also enabling a gradual shift from ritualized poetic narration to more historical and prose based forms. The findings of this essay indicate that poetic compositions, rather than being strictly narrative-driven, are primarily virtue-centered, musical, and shaped by illuminative themes such as the doctrine of Nūr Muḥammadī. In contrast, prose works tend toward historical reconstruction, social interpretation, and selective use of more authoritative reports, though they still lack comprehensive isnād criticism. Overall, the study concludes that Kurdish Sīra literature, while remaining aligned with Sunni narrative tradition, offers a localized portrait of the Prophet’s life that has played a foundational role in shaping Kurdish religious and cultural identity.

The study shows that, despite their reliance on classical Arabic sources, Kurdish Sīra works—through both oral and written transmission—have produced a distinctive discourse rooted in sacred, ethical, and mystical elements, while also enabling a gradual shift from ritualized poetic narration to more historical and prose‑based forms. The findings indicate that poetic compositions, rather than being strictly narrative-driven, are primarily virtue-centered, musical, and shaped by illuminative themes such as the doctrine of Nūr Muḥammadī. In contrast, prose works tend toward historical reconstruction, social interpretation, and selective use of more authoritative reports, though they still lack comprehensive isnād criticism. Overall, the study concludes that Kurdish Sīra literature, while remaining aligned with Sunni narrative tradition, offers a localized portrait of the Prophet’s life that has played a foundational role in shaping Kurdish religious and cultural identity.

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Main Subjects

References

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Literary Discourse Analysis
Volume 3, Issue 3 - Serial Number 10
September 2025
Pages 67-88

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 11 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 29 September 2025
  • Publish Date: 29 September 2025

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