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Muhammad
A definitive and fascinating introduction to the life, ideas, and impact of the founder of Islam. Maxime Robinson's Muhammad has long been regarded as one of the touchstones of scholarship on the founder of Islam. Thirty years after first being published in English, it remains the definitive introduction to the Prophet's life. Drawing on wide-ranging scholarship and imaginative insight into the Prophet's personality, family, background, and wider society, Rodinson's Muhammad offers a vivid account of how he spread the word of Islam, created a sect and state, and defeated his enemies, establishing the first great Muslim military power—a power which was soon to control territory stretching all the way from the Pyrenees to the borders of China. For anyone who wants to understand the historical roots of one of the world's great religions, Rodinson's Muhammad provides the ideal guide to a fascinating and timely subject.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
About the author
Maxime Rodinson
37 books46 followersMarxist historian, sociologist and orientalist. He was the son of a Russian-Polish clothing trader and his wife who both died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. After studying oriental languages, he became a professor of Ethiopian (Amharic) at EPHE (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France). He was the author of a rich body of work, including the book Muhammad, a biography of the prophet of Islam.
Rodinson joined the French Communist Party in 1937 for "moral reasons", but later turned away after the party's Stalinist drift. He was expelled from the party in 1958. He became well known in France when he expressed sharp criticism of Israel, particularly opposing the settlement policies of the Jewish state. Some credit him with coining the term "Islamic fascism" (le fascisme islamique) in 1979, which he used to describe the Iranian revolution.
Rodinson joined the French Communist Party in 1937 for "moral reasons", but later turned away after the party's Stalinist drift. He was expelled from the party in 1958. He became well known in France when he expressed sharp criticism of Israel, particularly opposing the settlement policies of the Jewish state. Some credit him with coining the term "Islamic fascism" (le fascisme islamique) in 1979, which he used to describe the Iranian revolution.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 26, 2018
This is a clear-sighted, lucid, well-written biography which provides both background and day-to-day descriptions of its subject´s life. It is revealing, shocking and thrilling in places and well recommended to anyone who would simply like to know what went on back then and how it has affected our world.
This story of how a religion was built, an empire founded and a world changed makes for fascinating reading and Rodinson leaves himself just far enough out of the telling that it should appeal to the devout and the doubters alike. Be warned, though: he is an unbeliever and the more sociological aspects of the story are those which fascinate him. He watches as though observing a foreign race, something which happened on an alien planet. He cannot quite believe it ever happened at all; the fact it did is what seems miraculous to him and he wants to know how and why.
This book was written in 1961 although it could have been written yesterday. Rodinson was a Frenchman whose parents both died at Auschwitz. He spoke Arabic and Hebrew, was a student of Islam and a member of the Communist Party. During the Second World War he worked at the French Institute in Damascus, thus avoiding the same fate as befell his parents. Later he became a librarian at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, in charge of the Muslim section.
This story of how a religion was built, an empire founded and a world changed makes for fascinating reading and Rodinson leaves himself just far enough out of the telling that it should appeal to the devout and the doubters alike. Be warned, though: he is an unbeliever and the more sociological aspects of the story are those which fascinate him. He watches as though observing a foreign race, something which happened on an alien planet. He cannot quite believe it ever happened at all; the fact it did is what seems miraculous to him and he wants to know how and why.
This book was written in 1961 although it could have been written yesterday. Rodinson was a Frenchman whose parents both died at Auschwitz. He spoke Arabic and Hebrew, was a student of Islam and a member of the Communist Party. During the Second World War he worked at the French Institute in Damascus, thus avoiding the same fate as befell his parents. Later he became a librarian at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, in charge of the Muslim section.
August 27, 2009
I learnt that those who try to prove the Qur'aan as a mere writing of man actually prove in itself that the Qur'aan is the word of God.
I also re-understood that man is ever argumentative. Deaf, dumb and blind!
I also re-understood that man is ever argumentative. Deaf, dumb and blind!
September 29, 2022
A very unbiased look at the life of the prophet of Islam from a secular perspective. A must-read for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
May 1, 2020
Maxime Rodinson offers the clearest look at the lives of one of the men who made history in Muhammad.
As a Marxist historian, Rodinson eschews the common trap of debating Muhammad's authenticity as a Prophet. Instead, Rodinson analyzes Muhammad as a synthesis of the material conditions in Mecca at the time, situated within the broader conflict between the Byzantines and Sassanids. Rodinson advances a convincing case that Muhammad himself believed that he was the recipient of divine revelation - and that belief fueled a man who went from being a poor shepherd to the pre-eminent statesman, warlord, politician, and prophet of Arabia.
It is important to approach this book with an open mind. If you are a devout Muslim who believes that the Qur'an is the Word of God, turn away now, as this book will not confirm divinity as such. However, if you, like myself, are interested in history from a materialist perspective, this book is for you. If Napoleon was history riding a horse, then Muhammad is history riding a camel.
My one criticism of this book is its avoidance of tackling the seeds of the Sunni/Shi'a schism that began during Muhammad's life. There is no mention of the declaration of Ghadeer, and Rodinson skims over most of the conflict between Ali on the one hand and the Abu Bakr/Umar/Uthman triumvirate on the other - especially in the last chapter describing the effects of Muhammad's death. However, this book is first and foremost a biography of Muhammad - and in that it is the foundational text for anyone interested in the man who started a movement followed by 2 billion people today.
As a Marxist historian, Rodinson eschews the common trap of debating Muhammad's authenticity as a Prophet. Instead, Rodinson analyzes Muhammad as a synthesis of the material conditions in Mecca at the time, situated within the broader conflict between the Byzantines and Sassanids. Rodinson advances a convincing case that Muhammad himself believed that he was the recipient of divine revelation - and that belief fueled a man who went from being a poor shepherd to the pre-eminent statesman, warlord, politician, and prophet of Arabia.
It is important to approach this book with an open mind. If you are a devout Muslim who believes that the Qur'an is the Word of God, turn away now, as this book will not confirm divinity as such. However, if you, like myself, are interested in history from a materialist perspective, this book is for you. If Napoleon was history riding a horse, then Muhammad is history riding a camel.
My one criticism of this book is its avoidance of tackling the seeds of the Sunni/Shi'a schism that began during Muhammad's life. There is no mention of the declaration of Ghadeer, and Rodinson skims over most of the conflict between Ali on the one hand and the Abu Bakr/Umar/Uthman triumvirate on the other - especially in the last chapter describing the effects of Muhammad's death. However, this book is first and foremost a biography of Muhammad - and in that it is the foundational text for anyone interested in the man who started a movement followed by 2 billion people today.
June 23, 2022
It's an atheist / marxist biography of Muhammad, seeking to explain his rise within a wider context, while also explaining his own actions through some tools of psychology. It treats Muhammad respectfully, however it is explicitly atheist & analyses him from that position.
Rodinson writes quite well, making the first half for me quite a breeze. He imo nicely contextualises Muhammad within his context, showing him to be a particular context and that if he didn't arise, Islam wouldn't have arisen - showing the particular role of individuals, while nonetheless emphasising the wider context.
Nonetheless, this is likely because I know myself not enough - the second half became quite complicated as it mentioned a lot of people without properly introducing them. Nonetheless, it was quite interesting and makes me want to learn more about the person himself and the wider faith.
Rodinson writes quite well, making the first half for me quite a breeze. He imo nicely contextualises Muhammad within his context, showing him to be a particular context and that if he didn't arise, Islam wouldn't have arisen - showing the particular role of individuals, while nonetheless emphasising the wider context.
Nonetheless, this is likely because I know myself not enough - the second half became quite complicated as it mentioned a lot of people without properly introducing them. Nonetheless, it was quite interesting and makes me want to learn more about the person himself and the wider faith.
December 7, 2023
Lucid and tells the story well, most importantly within the larger geopolitical context of the time. The author is a French Marxist, not a Muslim, so the casual treatment of things like the prophet's sex life causes the faithful some discomfort. I understand why he does it (French), but it's clearly intentionally provocative and self-indulgent at times. It doesn't really help the book either, because it's often just speculation about desires and intents. That isn't to say of course that he disrespects Muhammad as a figure: if anything he doesn't hide his disdain for the prophet's enemies and for pre-Islamic Arab society, and he sees the movement clearly as the revolutionary force that it was.
October 17, 2021
I would not recommend this book if you are looking for an accurate depiction void of editorial content.
I admit several aspects of this book are intriguing, alluring, from its physicality to the time it was written in, the name of the author and such....I read the negative reviews and decided to inspect it myself and found similar issues. The author attempts to feel for the subject. I decided to stop reading around pg. 56 (so I did not read all of it but did skim after this page) when the author stated that the Prophet surely felt feelings of adultery for a woman of her age and must have contracted to not marry anyone else, with some small disclaimers afterwards. When I began to skim after this I found similar flagrant remarks and not being well skilled in history I concluded that my inability to distinguish truth from falsehood was not sufficient to properly read this book.
* I decided to read this book because it was what was free from my local public library.
I admit several aspects of this book are intriguing, alluring, from its physicality to the time it was written in, the name of the author and such....I read the negative reviews and decided to inspect it myself and found similar issues. The author attempts to feel for the subject. I decided to stop reading around pg. 56 (so I did not read all of it but did skim after this page) when the author stated that the Prophet surely felt feelings of adultery for a woman of her age and must have contracted to not marry anyone else, with some small disclaimers afterwards. When I began to skim after this I found similar flagrant remarks and not being well skilled in history I concluded that my inability to distinguish truth from falsehood was not sufficient to properly read this book.
* I decided to read this book because it was what was free from my local public library.
December 27, 2021
This book is a psycho-physiological study of the Prophet of Islam. It explains all the possibilities that might have happened through the lens of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and theology - particularly, Christian theologists, apologists, and philosophers like Voltaire and Hubert Grimme. The writer, Maxime Rodinson, was a Marxist historian, an atheist. He went beyond the traditional historiography and studied the life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH scientifically, sociologically and psychologically. This book doesn't tell you about the dates and years or wars or any other event related to the Prophet of Islam; it rather tells you how the personality of the Prophet developed and, that too, with critical examination of the circumstances in which all that happened and with counter analyses of the philosophers who reprimanded him or considered his teachings as lies or magic tricks.
June 4, 2021
This book as awful . It was full of misquoted verses from the Qur’an as well as made up Hadiths . The verses he did get right were taken out of context . He also presumed to know what the prophet was thinking and feeling throughout his life . There was very little truth to the book in general . A big disappointment. If I could give it negative stars , I would
April 23, 2022
Recommended to me by an atheist friend, this book by mazime rodinson is the height of misinterpretation, misquoting and illogical referencing leading to far fetched deductions. To me, this explains why Europe and the Western world have historically and wonderfully failed to understand the Islamic history and making a balanced argument towards dialogue with the Muslim world, because of writers and books like these, there is even more division and the rising phenomena of Islamophobia and worsening differences.
The book is full of unclear traditions and references regarding the Prophet. Most of the citations are from European writers and that to mostly German who have given most the repulsive translations and picked up the most negative interpretations of events. The original historians referred to, such as Tabari and Al Waqidi are misquoted and Koranic versions are quoted out of reference.
In the end, the writer is exposed, a french marxist, who believes in propaganda and violent struggle to overthrow the yolk of the rich. Calls the prophet a primordial marxist in the year 16th century as ode to Karl Marx. The writer views every event of the prophet through the lens of "religion is an opium" and that too with negative references and quotes. He deduces wars imposed on him as wars initiated by him. He deduces justice as violence. He argues self-defense and offense. A good lie runs parallel to the truth.
The writer also fails to understand the events after the life of the prophet and that no biography was written for 150 years and for 90 years of Banu umayyad rule, traditions and biographical details were subverted to bring a bad name to the House of Prophet, Ahle Bait and Hashmites. Many of these references are misquoted. For starters, the writer does is not even aware of the fact that the Prophet had only one daughter, the remaining came with Hazrat Khadija and were under her care. Explains his competence that carries through-out the book.
Also, he applies Freudian theories to the Holy Prophet pbuh. Again, with a sketchy picture, his gives voice to the "Us versus them" argument between Europe and the Middle East. The writer cherry-picks events that caused confusion and twists them against the Prophet. The Prophet was called a kahin, a magician, a poet, a copier all his life and he proved all of them wrong when he laid the foundations of a civilizations that became larger than the roman empire at its zenith. Maybe in the deluded mind of Rodinson whose own parents were killed in a concentration camp, some sort of inborn hatred reflects into his writing. A style copied from Phillip k Hitti.
It is because of books like these and hatred they cover, that the world continues to be divided, but no one can change the fact that Muhammad(PBUH) was and is the greatest man who ever lived, a law giver, a prophet of God from Arab, a saint, a savior and a man who changed the future of mankind, who transformed the barbarians of Arab into men who bowed before God and cleaned themselves five times a day, who paid the poor due, who respected their parents, who made efforts to pardon and protected widows and wives from abandon and shunned female infanticidal acts. Over 1 Billion people believe in him and the prediction he made 1400 years ago, as providence is coming true as Islam is set to become the majority religion of the world, for practical purposes if not religious ones. Peace be Upon the Prophet Muhammad and his pure Family(ahle Bait). May the Creator of the world guide us in understanding the true Message of Muhammad, the same message that was given by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and thousands others.
The book is full of unclear traditions and references regarding the Prophet. Most of the citations are from European writers and that to mostly German who have given most the repulsive translations and picked up the most negative interpretations of events. The original historians referred to, such as Tabari and Al Waqidi are misquoted and Koranic versions are quoted out of reference.
In the end, the writer is exposed, a french marxist, who believes in propaganda and violent struggle to overthrow the yolk of the rich. Calls the prophet a primordial marxist in the year 16th century as ode to Karl Marx. The writer views every event of the prophet through the lens of "religion is an opium" and that too with negative references and quotes. He deduces wars imposed on him as wars initiated by him. He deduces justice as violence. He argues self-defense and offense. A good lie runs parallel to the truth.
The writer also fails to understand the events after the life of the prophet and that no biography was written for 150 years and for 90 years of Banu umayyad rule, traditions and biographical details were subverted to bring a bad name to the House of Prophet, Ahle Bait and Hashmites. Many of these references are misquoted. For starters, the writer does is not even aware of the fact that the Prophet had only one daughter, the remaining came with Hazrat Khadija and were under her care. Explains his competence that carries through-out the book.
Also, he applies Freudian theories to the Holy Prophet pbuh. Again, with a sketchy picture, his gives voice to the "Us versus them" argument between Europe and the Middle East. The writer cherry-picks events that caused confusion and twists them against the Prophet. The Prophet was called a kahin, a magician, a poet, a copier all his life and he proved all of them wrong when he laid the foundations of a civilizations that became larger than the roman empire at its zenith. Maybe in the deluded mind of Rodinson whose own parents were killed in a concentration camp, some sort of inborn hatred reflects into his writing. A style copied from Phillip k Hitti.
It is because of books like these and hatred they cover, that the world continues to be divided, but no one can change the fact that Muhammad(PBUH) was and is the greatest man who ever lived, a law giver, a prophet of God from Arab, a saint, a savior and a man who changed the future of mankind, who transformed the barbarians of Arab into men who bowed before God and cleaned themselves five times a day, who paid the poor due, who respected their parents, who made efforts to pardon and protected widows and wives from abandon and shunned female infanticidal acts. Over 1 Billion people believe in him and the prediction he made 1400 years ago, as providence is coming true as Islam is set to become the majority religion of the world, for practical purposes if not religious ones. Peace be Upon the Prophet Muhammad and his pure Family(ahle Bait). May the Creator of the world guide us in understanding the true Message of Muhammad, the same message that was given by Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and thousands others.
July 11, 2020
'everyone, in fact, has sought in him a reflection of their own doubts and anxieties and those of their time. Everyone has ignored what they have not understood. Everyone has shaped him after their own passions, ideas of fantasies. I do not claim to be immune from this general rule'
as i had said earlier, my idea of the prophet was constantly fighting with the history of the prophet as man and therefore this read was challenging for me. i still think it is essential to read about him this way too.
as i had said earlier, my idea of the prophet was constantly fighting with the history of the prophet as man and therefore this read was challenging for me. i still think it is essential to read about him this way too.
April 22, 2021
Biography of Muhammad, crippled by how very little is known about him from primary sources. Emphasis is on places, names, and battles, with very little about theology. To understand Islam, look elsewhere.
Want to read
December 13, 2022BP75 R613 1971a Memorial Library
May 21, 2023
Now I am ready to see Dune II
October 30, 2020
A very learned biography of the Prophet of Islam, erudite and thoughtful in equal measure, intelligently placing Muhammad within a roiling Arabian culture in the late sixth/early seventh centuries, ere the irruption of faith outwards in great, inexorable waves. Rodinson is a secularist Marxist historian, and the book particularly shines within this structure—analyzing and detailing the onset of the (supposedly) divine visitations and messages within their contingent historical context; the political creation hewn out of arid Arabian materials; the interplay of ideology and politics within Muhammad's life; how he was able to overcome so many obstacles, realize a version of himself that had been frustrated and stunted by earlier events deriving from his stature in the Meccan community; and the way in which the Islamic adherents rallied after his sudden and unforeseen death and channeled all of the energy the originator had harnessed, unleashing it outwards upon a world primed for conquest—politically and spiritually—even as the seeds of a future, enduring split amongst the faithful was sown in the events immediate upon the Prophet's passing.
However, I find myself in agreement with Karen Armstrong, in that Rodinson, though an excellent writer and well-informed regarding his subject, does subsume the religious element of Muhammad's life within the biographical-societal, and, seeing as this was the vital, impassioned, enduring kernel of the new faith, its relegation to secondary status is problematic. The reader of Rodinson's book will come away educated about the factual events—in as much as they can be so determined—of this singularly important life, but with only vague intimations of how the faith the man espoused took such firm hold amongst his followers, and many millions more in the decades after his death. Merely classifying this potent religious element as ideology and treating it as such—academically, clinically—is to miss out on a full-fleshing of the life of a man who continues to have enduring influence upon the historical unfolding of our world.
However, I find myself in agreement with Karen Armstrong, in that Rodinson, though an excellent writer and well-informed regarding his subject, does subsume the religious element of Muhammad's life within the biographical-societal, and, seeing as this was the vital, impassioned, enduring kernel of the new faith, its relegation to secondary status is problematic. The reader of Rodinson's book will come away educated about the factual events—in as much as they can be so determined—of this singularly important life, but with only vague intimations of how the faith the man espoused took such firm hold amongst his followers, and many millions more in the decades after his death. Merely classifying this potent religious element as ideology and treating it as such—academically, clinically—is to miss out on a full-fleshing of the life of a man who continues to have enduring influence upon the historical unfolding of our world.
June 21, 2021
Muhammad is clearly one of the great figures of history. I was prompted to read this to get an insight into what political and ideological context gave rise to a person who rose from having a mere handful of followers in the early 600's to uniting the Arab peoples into a powerful religious/political movement that was to rapidly conquer much of the Sassanid Persian & Byzantine empires. This is an informative scholarly biography of Muhammad by a French Jewish historian who is respectful of Islam while a non-believer. The book carefully takes into account the difficulties with reliable sources for someone who lived 1400 years ago.
March 10, 2021
An essential history of Muhammad. Well devised and succinct. The author is a Marxist well versed in historical method and objective reasoning. The faithful will tire, however, of his apparent aloofness at times. His conclusion should satisfy the needs of the devil’s advocate and his work as a whole is invaluable to a western reader. I’ve read other versions of the story of Muhammad’s life and can attest that he is writing in good faith.
Read
August 8, 2014The book harbours the same orientalist basic ideas about Islam. It is a reflection of a desire to see the Prophet as one more gifted politician and reformer. The book is as well full of false assumptions: it assumes a rich Christian atmosphere before the Prophet's message in Arabia which is not reflected in the cultural situation in Arabia at the time.
August 23, 2020
The author - a self proclaimed atheist - has given a detailed, well researched and objective storyline of the life of Muhammad. The ancient Arab way of life and its implications on the development of Islam (Koran) has been explained quite nicely.
Highly recommended for anyone who seriously wants to understand Muslim people or the Islam faith!
Highly recommended for anyone who seriously wants to understand Muslim people or the Islam faith!
August 31, 2021
A very human portrait of a prophet. Doesn’t paint him as overtly good or a unreasonably cruel, and emphasizes the shaping nature of the time and place he lived in, but acknowledges how his powerful personality shaped the circumstances in which he lived. But damn, for a prophet he sure did kill a lot of people!
December 23, 2007
I've got 2 biographies of Muhammad on the list. Both are good and fairly balanced. This one has a slightly negative view of Muhammad and one (the Karen Armstrong one) a positive view, but both are good and fairly balanced.
May 15, 2010
This is a not-very-complimentary yet not condemnatory study of a man who is arguably the most influential person who ever lived. Rodinson's Muhammad is state-builder and ideologist at once, yet he is placed in the specific and highly contingent circumstances of his own society.
January 29, 2013
i great book,i found it Rodinson very objectif
April 26, 2013
Boring as batshit.
September 18, 2015
brilliantly written.... gives a complete picture of an amazing human being in complete historical context. certainly a benchmark for biographies..
August 7, 2022
2.5 * Maxime is not overtly hostile to Islam (or so he claims) and I find that for the most part the book he does seem to express some admiration for the prophet saw. However while reading I found that some of his statements were merely supposition, or heresay and he wouldn't include any citations for it. Or some of his citations were incorrect, like he'd say something the prophet did and then his citation would say it was from Al tabari and I would try to find that piece of info in Al tabari's works and he never stated that. Also many of his stories were based on weak hadith that Muslim scholars do not see as authentic. He criticizes Hadith for this very problem but then discounts the fact that Muslim scholars have long recognized this issue and have a system for categorizing a hadith as strong or weak.
Thus I find the book intellectually weak and riddled with systemic errors. Of course I am also biased because I am Muslim, but another non Muslim commenter also underlined some of these points. As someone who reads a lot of historical books I was surprised with the amount of commentary and opinions Maxime included in his book and I was hoping for a less unbiased view of that time. He seems to also hold some Eurocentric views that Muslims ( of his time and the past) are a somewhat primitive lot and that their excesses in religion should be forgiven. It came off as a bit paternalistic.
Nonetheless his writing was extremely engaging and really made the whole book worthwhile to finish. I think if he wrote something else I'd read it because he quite literally sucks you into the world you're reading about, and for a dry topic like history this is always a plus.
Thus I find the book intellectually weak and riddled with systemic errors. Of course I am also biased because I am Muslim, but another non Muslim commenter also underlined some of these points. As someone who reads a lot of historical books I was surprised with the amount of commentary and opinions Maxime included in his book and I was hoping for a less unbiased view of that time. He seems to also hold some Eurocentric views that Muslims ( of his time and the past) are a somewhat primitive lot and that their excesses in religion should be forgiven. It came off as a bit paternalistic.
Nonetheless his writing was extremely engaging and really made the whole book worthwhile to finish. I think if he wrote something else I'd read it because he quite literally sucks you into the world you're reading about, and for a dry topic like history this is always a plus.
March 23, 2024
A really awesome book that is as complex and seemingly contradictory as the man who it attempts to chronicle. I spent a decent amount of my childhood going to Quran school on weekends despite both my parents being relatively irreligious. I was instructed in the Quran by men and women with little to no formal education. Taught to memorise and repeat the mythologies of a tradition dating back 1400 years. To read a materialist history of the faith I was raised in felt like fighting a war of liberation. It’s a challenging book. Listening to a nonbeliever speak about a man who figured so heavily in your spiritual world is not easy. But you have to concede that Rodinson, who escaped the concentration camps in World War 2, who dedicated his whole life to a study of Muhammad PBUH and Islam, has engaged with the history of our faith with more fervour and intellectual honesty than many of its adherents. His work places the Prophet Muhammad PBUH inside a realistic historical period. He presents the prophet as the prophet chose to present himself, as a man with two feet planted firmly on the same earth we walk ourselves. Without diminishing the role of faith, which Rodinson deems sincere, the Prophet PBUH in this work is not only a mouthpiece for God, but a political animal, a human, and a man who irrevocably shifted history forwards for centuries to come. Napoleon riding a camel and not a horse, a fusion of “Jesus and Charlemagne”. A beautiful piece of historical literature and a pleasure to read.
November 18, 2023
Rodinson’s biographical assessment of the Islamic prophet proved thoroughly illustrative and illuminative. An abundance of anecdotal and supplementary info ensure transcendence of the trite as Muhammad’s life is exhaustively contextualized and recounted. While there is clear admiration for the prophet’s human and theological feats, this is a reasonably critical perspective of the varied conditions which resulted in Muhammad and Islam’s Abrahamic ascension. I’d recommend it for anyone interested in the genesis of Islam, though there are undoubtedly texts which better communicate its intended ethos.
July 29, 2024
It is very enlightening to read a biography of Muhammad where he is seen as a political and humanistic figure. Written by a Marxist Orientalist, Muhammad's character is described in a desacralized manner, and in this book, the politics of early Islam are discussed in more detail, including all the intricate power struggles. His domestic life is intertwined with his highly complicated political life. Muhammad is presented here as a complex and contradictory figure. No wonder this book is controversial among Muslims. Nonetheless, it might be one of the most critical biographies of Muhammad, examining the evolution of early Islam.
June 28, 2022
Not being very knowledgeable of Islam or Muhammad, I can only judge this book based on the amount of reading pleasure it gave me. And unfortunately, it did not give me as much as I had hoped when I first picked it up. In fact, a couple of moments in the book made me very uncomfortable (for a variety of reasons, which I won't go into here).
An important book, and one I would wholeheartedly recommend to those interested in learning more about the Prophet. Not necessarily one I would recommend for casual readers, however.
An important book, and one I would wholeheartedly recommend to those interested in learning more about the Prophet. Not necessarily one I would recommend for casual readers, however.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews