Comparing hadith methodology to history methodology (The example of the narratives of Hejira)

During the early period of Islamic sciences different fields were closely intertwined and unseparable from each other. In the course of time, each field emerged by forming its own methodology and seperated from the others. Here in this period, despite having common fields of interest and subject of studies, Hadith and History diverged and appeared as two separate fields with respect to the usage of the methodology. This paper investigates the migration (Hegira) of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina by comparing the methodologies of both fields. The main goal of this study is to determine how the narratives about the Hegira were evaluated with the methodologies of both fields and to identify how they took place in the hadith and historical literature. Of course both methodologies were compared during this determination. While one part of this paper discusses the outlines of the methodologies mentioned above, the other parts approach the transfered narratives in terms of either their imputations or texts by using those methodologies. As a result of the study, an overall evaluation of those methodologies and Hegira was done. The deficiencies and their reasons were sought to be identified and shown according to this evaluation. Certain new methodic suggestions were made to resolve the identified deficiencies thereby going beyond a mere study of narrative. Our paper investigated how the methodologies of both field approached the same subject from the viewpoint of the Hegira and the reflections of these two methodologies on transfer of narratives were investigated. Key Words: Tradition, History, Emigration/Hej(g)ira, Compare, Method,Prophetic Biography, the Military Campaigns of the Prophet