Mahoma

by Karen Armstrong

Most people in the West know very little about the prophet Muhammad. The acclaimed religious writer Karen Armstrong has written a biography which will give us a more accurate and profound understanding of Islam and the people who adhere to it so strongly. Muhammad also offers challenging comparisons with the two religions most closely related to it ' Judaism and Christianity. 'Armstrong has a dazzling she can take a long and complex subject and reduce it to its fundamentals, without over-simplifying' Sister Wendy Beckett, Sunday Times

Genres: Religion, Islam, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Middle East, Spirituality

376 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1991

About the author

Karen Armstrong is a British author and commentator of Irish Catholic descent known for her books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic religious sister, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and mystical Christian faith. She attended St Anne's College, Oxford, while in the convent and graduated in English. She left the convent in 1969. Her work focuses on commonalities of the major religions, such as the importance of compassion and the Golden Rule.
Armstrong received the US$100,000 TED Prize in February 2008. She used that occasion to call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which was unveiled the following year.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on a quest to read more about Islam, (so I will not be an absolute ignoramus about it, as Americans are often accused of being.). I've read a few books on the topic, but this is the first one I can honestly recommend. Karen Armstrong has not written a page-turner with this biography of Muhammad - in fact, I brought it with me for a long plane-flight, figuring only total boredom would force me to read it. But she has written a powerful biography that not only details Muhammad's long and very interesting career, it also reveals his beating heart, his absolute sincerity, and his humanity in both its frailty and its spiritual strength. I was genuinely touched by what I learned of Muhammad's spiritual visions, his kindness, his integrity, and especially his relationships with women. And, oh yes, I definitely did improve my knowledge of Islam, which Armstrong is able to unpack with great skill.

It IS a bit tedious to plow through in places. But truly: if you want to understand the spiritual core of Islam - not the Islam that has been co-opted by terrorists - this is a great place to start.

[Rewgreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insight for us ignorant westerners brought up on purely Christian doctrine as to what makes the other half of the world tick. This book eases the reader through the violent landscape of tribal Arabia to help us appreciate just why Muhammad is important, not only as the Muslim prophet, but as a complex, political character who could unite nations.
Whether read on a secular or religious level the book entertains the reader with its exotic backdrops, entertaining cast and non-judgemental text. One is left to form ones own opinions on the merits of Muhammad's life as the author adeptly records events without ever making the error of sounding like a dry, dusty, critical historian.
All the details are in place, but in a format that reads like an adventure novel rather than a lecture, highly entertaining and fresh.
Current events are touched upon in a sensitive, restrained fashion but really they are the one unnecessary aspect of the book. The storyline alone provides many answers as to just why fanatical adherents are willing to go to such extremes in the name of their prophet.
One comes away from the book, if not fully understanding the Muslim mindset, then at least appreciating why the devotion is there.
A wonderful, entertaining read.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great biography of Muhammad (PBUH) that follows him throughout his life. If a person is used to some spellings of Arabic words, it will take time to learn other spellings. This book is a great companion to the Qur'an, and will allow the reader a greater understanding of the development of one of the world's greatest religions: Islam.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was doubtful at first -- Armstrong seemed to be biased too much in the other way (i.e. going out of her way to portray Islam in a good light to counteract what she perceives as centuries of Western ignorance and prejudice). She spent a good chapter at first excoriating the West for its reprehensible attitude toward Islam.

But then the biography got really good. You know, once it actually started. Armstrong's descriptions of life, traditions, and politics in 7th century Arabia are fascinating. Her narrative of the beginnings of Islam is quite compelling. And, of course, the characters are vivid: Muhammad, all of his wives (Khadija and Aisha were particularly interesting), Abu Bakr, Umar Uthman, Ali, and all of his enemies. It was an engrossing and informative read.

[David C. Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book about a Person Westerners need to know more about. The author has set an example of balanced scholarship and sensitivity that all religious scholars would be well served to emulate. In the book, the author not only chronicles the life of the Founder of Islam, but also documents the many false statements promulgated in the West for centuries about Muhammad and Islam. The author courageously explains such difficult subjects for Westerners such as the station of women in Muhammad's day (along with what He did to elevate their status) as well as the concept of jihad (which is revealed to the reader to be much more that just "holy war"). I found the author's insights into Muhammad's politics fascinating and these insights did not quell the great respect I have for this Divine Revelator, but rather increased my astonishment at His social creativity in the hostile environment He found himself in. Finally, the book is written with sensitivity to Muslims and helped me understand some of the special challenges Muslims living in the West have. As a delightful bonus, the book is quite readable for a religious scholar's work.

[مصطفي سليمان · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب حلو قوي
من كاتبة مستشرقة
وان كنت بكره اللفظ دا
بحسه مريب ومثير للشك
بس ما علينا الكتاب بيتحدث عن السيرة العطرة للنبي
وعن كل الاشاعات اللي بتقال
وبترد عليه بسهولة
كتاب تتعجب ان سيدة غربية
تتوصل لتلك المعاني بينما العرب
لامؤاخذة
بيقراءو الفهرست
وبس
ودا اخرهم ف الدين
والقنوات المريبة
اللي شاغله بالها بدخول الحمام
والخروج منه
بينما اصلا مفيش حمام
كتاب لابد ان تقرائه
:)

[Alanoud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting !!!

When I first started reading this book, I was sorta doubtful, putting in mind that; a book about the prophet or Islam written by a non-Muslim would be somehow biased, inaccurate or misleading. But to my surprise, this book was beyond my wildest expectations!

Karen Armstrong was concerned enough to write a book about the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to clarify some of the most controversial and debatable issues about him and Islam a whole. Especially after the wake of September 11 and all the Islamophobic attitudes which increasingly started to break out in the air. In her book, Armstrong does a very good job in introducing an analytical, well-written, decent biography about Muhammad (PBUH) with a cleverly clear emphasis on issues have been always subject to a great criticism by westerns such as the concept of jihad and war, his multi wives and hijab. She also portrays amazingly the ideology of Arabia in the 6th century before the Islam would be introduced and before the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH), in order to show the massive complex challenges faced the prophet when he began to reform the social, political and economic systems.

It was so interesting to read a biography about the prophet (PBUH) from a western and non-Muslim perspective. I loved the way her analysis went so profoundly to shed light on the different aspects of the prophet's life, and then relating them to today's misunderstood conceptions of Islam. For me, the most astonishing part was when she talked about the Qur'an. The way she talked about it was remarkably marvelous to the extent that I really couldn't believe that she is not a Muslim!!! She didn't only talk about the Qur'anic tolerable teachings but her deep analysis extended to consider the rich allusive language used and its spiritual effects on humans' consciousness.

Armstrong seeks through her book to encourage a new understanding towards Islam taking Muhammad (PBUH) as a starting point. It was crystal clear also that she is trying to advance understanding and appreciating one another religion. Finally, although her research and study are notably valid as she refers to people such as Ibn Ishaq and Tabari, some of the events and facts were incorrect and inaccurately addressed.

[Deborah Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comparative religions writer, Karen Armstrong's book, Mohammad, really helps us to understand the Prophet of Islam; I believe that this book is a must read for all Westerners who really care to know, in an unbiased way, the foundations of Islam. Because we often do NOT understand, in being "western" we can often cause more harm than good in the wrongful "opinions" that we believe and espouse.


In working to help Christian and Jews of the west to understand people of Islam, I have often used this as a reference, a recommendation for church groups, and for people helping refugees and immigrants from Islamic countries integrate here in the west. Unlike many writers from the East, Armstrong tries to show us exactly who Mohammad was, his strengths, his weaknesses, and his actual life. She gives us background in the area, especially where Mecca is, and its historical background so we can understand Mohammad's early life and the importance of what this religion brought to the area when it came forth.

Armstrong helps us to understand Mohammad's early life - His father dead before he was born, his mother dead by the time he was seven, being brought up as an orphan by his uncle, going to work for Kajika, a woman in her forties who had survived four husbands and was a major business person who employed and promoted many men in the trade business that she conducted - - - Kajika's marriage proposal to Mohammad, 16 years her junior and their 26 year marriage; Kajika's providing support for Mohammad's spiritual searching and then becoming the first convert to Islam after his remarkable interactions with the angel, Gabriel - - for the Islamics, Gibreal.

The book then goes on to give us and account of his mistakes, his struggles, the wars, Kajka's eventual death and his eventual marrying of many women and why this occured, why it was important for women of the time, and how we can fully understand it.

Armstrong then gives us a history of the rest of Mohammad's life and the after math after his death with the political and wars happening between his cousin, and named successor, Ali, married to Mohammad's daughter, Fatima - - and his youngest wife, Aisha that give us the present major factions of Islam, the Sunni and the Shi'ite.

Over all this book is one of the best, non biased books to help all of us understand Islam and how it relates to Judaism and Christianity. It points out the many wrong stereotypes that we have
came from the Roman Catholic church who felt so threatened by Islam's direct relationship with God, that even in Mohammad's time the Roman church was making up lies about Mohammad and Islam.

For understanding Islam and women for westerners, I highly recommend, Nine parts of Desire: the Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks who helps us to break down our sterotypes and see the problems of living within many cultures from the actual view point of the Islamic Women themselves who help us to understand where we do NOT understand them.

In understanding what is going on in Afghanistan and in part the middle east right now - I also recommend Holy War, Unholy Victory: Eyewitness to the Cia's Secret War in Afghanistan for a real understanding of the roots of where we are right now with the Afghan war. Although it only covers up to the early nineties, it helps us understand the Soviet invasion of 1979, our creation of the Tailiban, and what is really going on right now. It takes away many of the false premises that we have been given for the current war.

[Shadin Pranto · Rating 4 out of 5]

তুমুল আলোচিত-সমালোচিত একটি ঘটনার প্রেক্ষিতে আখেরি নবির জীবনী লেখার প্রয়াস পেয়েছিলেন কারেন আর্মস্ট্রং। ঘটনাটি হলো সালমান রুশদির বিতর্কিত গ্রন্থ 'স্যাটানিক ভার্সেস' এবং বইটিকে কেন্দ্র করে রুশদিকে একটি পক্ষের সমর্থনদান। পরিস্থিতি আরও জটিল হয়ে যায় ইরানের বিপ্লবী সরকার কর্তৃক রুশদিকে মৃত্যুদণ্ড ঘোষণাসহ তাকে হত্যা করতে পারলে বড়ো অঙ্কের পুরস্কার ঘোষণা। তখন পশ্চিমাসহ অনেকেই ইসলামকে 'উগ্রবাদী ধর্ম' বলে চিহ্নিত করতে ব্যাপক প্রচারণা চালান। এমনকি গণমাধ্যমগুলো ইসলামকে 'ভিলেন' হিসেবে জনতার কাছে পৌঁছে দিতে বিশেষভাবে সহায়তা করে। কারেন আর্মস্ট্রং এই বিষয়গুলি পর্যবেক্ষণ করেছেন গভীরভাবে। ইসলাম ও মুসলমানদের বিরুদ্ধে সর্বাত্মক প্রচারণার নিকৃষ্ট রূপের বিপরীত একটি চিত্রের কথা বইয়ের ভূমিকায় তিনি লিখেছেন। শিয়াপন্থি ইরানের রুশদিকে মৃত্যুদণ্ড ঘোষণা করলেও অনেক ইসলামি পণ্ডিত এটির বিরোধিতা করেন। আল আজহার বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের চল্লিশজনের বেশি মুফতি ইরানের ফতোয়াকে চ্যালেঞ্জ করে বিবৃতিতে দেন। কিন্তু সেইসব ঘটনা গণমাধ্যমে স্থান পায়নি, পশ্চিমা বুদ্ধিজীবিদের কর্ণ কুহরে তা প্রবেশ করেনি। এমন উত্তপ্ত পরিস্থিতিতে নবিকে বুঝার এবং তাঁর জীবন ও সময়কালকে জানার চেষ্টা করেন কারেন আর্মস্ট্রং।

অত্যন্ত চমৎকার একটি গ্রন্থ। ইসলামের সূচনা থেকে নবির মৃত্যুবরণ পর্যন্ত ঘটনাগুলোকে সুন্দরভাবে বর্ণনা করেছেন কারেন আর্মস্ট্রং। প্রথমদিকে লেখা নবির চারটি সিরাতগ্রন্থ,কুরআন ও হাদিসকে তিনি তথ্যসূত্র হিসেবে ব্যবহার করেছেন। যে ঘটনাগুলো নিয়ে অমুসলিমগণ প্রশ্ন তোলেন, এমনকি করেন বক্রোক্তি সেই ঘটনাগুলোর এত যৌক্তিক ব্যাখা দিয়েছেন একজন অমুসলিম তা বইটি না পড়লে জানা হতো না। পেতাম না মনে খচখচ করা কতিপয় কৌতূহলের জওয়াব। ঘটনার পরম্পরায় ভিত্তিতে লেখা কারেন আর্মস্ট্রংয়ের লেখা নবির জীবনী যে-কেউ পড়তে পারেন। কারণ ভক্তিবাদের রসে সিক্ত হয়ে কারেন আর্মস্ট্রং কেতাবটি লেখেননি বরং নবি মুহাম্মদ এবং ইসলামের উত্থানের চমকপ্রদ ইতিহাসের ইতিবাচক মনোভাব নিয়ে লিখেছেন।

[Osman Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

أولا وقبل أي شيء "إنك لا تهدي من أحببت ولكن الله يهدي من يشاء" فاسأل الله أن يرزق كارين ارمسترونج النطق بالشهادتين.

ببساطة لمن لا يعرفها هي مستشرقة بريطانية وراهبة سابقة ولكنها لا تتبع أي دين بالرغم من يقينها التام بوحدانية الله وتقديرها وتبجيلها لجميع أنبياءه ورسله ولاسيما خاتم الأنبياء والمرسلين صلى الله عليه وسلم والذي كتبت هذا الكتاب الرائع دفاعا عنه وعن سيرته العطرة بعد أزمة الرواية الشيطانية "آيات شيطانية" وبعد تجدد الأحقاد الغربية ضد الاسلام ونبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم والتي زكاها أيضا بعض الاصوات الحماسية الغير عقلانية لبعض المسلمين.
كتاب رائع وان كان به اخطاء بسيطة او روايات ضعيفة أوردتها كتب السير دون إسناد ولا تخلو منها كتب كثير من الدعاة والشيوخ المسلمين أيضا.

الكتاب يخاطب العقل الغربي بصورة رائعة ويسلط الضوء على كلا الجانبين المادي والروحاني من حياة رسول الله ويشرح جميع الشبهات والافتراءات التي يحملها الغرب عليه صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى الاسلام ككل وأيضا توضح اسباب تتطرف بعض المتحمسين من المسلمين والتي ترى أن الغرب سبب رئيسي فيما وصلوا اليه.

أيضا الكتاب رائع ككتاب في السيرة النبوية العطرة ومن أمتع كتب السيرة التي قرأتها وهو كتاب السيرة النبوية الثاني الذي قرأته للكاتبة - بالرغم من انه الأول من حيث النشر - أما الكتاب الآخر فهو محمد نبي لزماننا والذي كتبته أيضا دفعا عن الاسلام ونبيه الكريم عقب أحداث ١١ سبتمبر.
وأخيرا أقول جزى الله كارين خيرا ولا خير أعظم من الاسلام.

[ayesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always heard good things about Karen Armstrong’s books; however, I was extremely disappointed in this biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Of course, as an outsider to Islam, Armstrong’s writings do not confirm or support Islam as the religion of God. Rather, most of the book is dedicated to proving what a genius the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to create such a religion. She attempts to connect many of the Islamic traditions with the old Arab pagan traditions. From an Anthropological standpoint, I was disappointed in her treatment of the Arab society. Armstrong depicts Arab society as lacking in civilization and looking for religious enlightenment that the Christians had obtained. There are some positives to the book, not everything is negative. Armstrong does a decent job of detailing Christian abuse against the Muslims throughout history and points to Christianities blood soaked past. However, there are better biographies out there of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

[Ahmed Gatnash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several biographies of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, but this one was unique. Karen is respectful and yet not reverential, and although she uses orthodox Muslim historical sources (Ibn Ishaq, Tabari, Muhammad Ibn Sa'd and al-Waqidi) her outsider approach produced some surprises in what I thought was a familiar topic.

She tries to rationalize several incidents, sometimes ignoring the sources in the search for a more credible explanation. An early example is that the army of Abraha the Abyssinian governor of southern Arabia which attempted to destroy the ka'bah on the year of the prophet's birth, relating that "at the very gates of the city it seems that his army was stricken by plague and forced to beat an ignominious defeat". This isn't a weakness though, as it provides historical context and forces an evaluation of the source - whether they could be romanticised, tweaked or exaggerated in retelling. She also strongly contextualizes many incidents, providing significant political background to the conflict with the Jewish tribes of Medina.

One of the most interesting things about the narrative by far was the attention paid to the socioeconomic situation in Arabia through the time period, explaining it from several generations before the prophet's birth to his death in more detail than the original sources or any secondary ones I've yet come across. This brings an understanding of the power dynamics in the community, how various factors interplay with the newly founded religion of Islam and the complex motivations of different characters. She claims that the tribal solidarity ethic of nomadic Arabs was ill-suited to more cosmopolitan life when Quraysh settled in Mecca, and discussed the slow dissolution of society as the first generation to be born without the daily risk of desert life became mercantile and obsessed with financial profit, neglecting the weak and creating a rapidly-growing wealth and class divide which was new to Arabs. The youth, who felt growing malaise and a lack of belonging in this new Arabia, were naturally among the first to be attracted to Islam, given that social solidarity was one of the first messages preached.

The main weaknesses of the book are poor transliteration and several infuriating contradictions of itself or its sources ("there is no evidence that Muhammad saw Islam as a universal religion" being one of the worst). But if you are already familiar with the source material, that isn't significantly detrimental to its enjoyability.

Ultimately it ends on a positive note, balancing the just war theology with the strong evidence for a complementary paradigm of peace evidenced from the treaty of Hudaybiyah, the opening of Mecca and the subsequent reconciliation with and forgiveness of Quraysh. Written at the time of the Rushdie crisis, the opening chapter discusses the modern climate of fear and hatred towards Islam and Muslims together with historical trends in Eastern-Western relations, and calls for an attempt to come to mutual understanding and fight Western media and academic bias against Islam. I think she succeeded in presenting a sympathetic, accessible portrayal which is greatly relevant to our modern times, and therefore I happily recommend it.

[Vikrant Rana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like an apology coming from the west and particularly from the Christian world. Instead of reporting the Prophet's biography from an objective standpoint, an effort has been made at every page to compare the situation and resulting actions in the erstwhile Arabian peninsula with the ones that have been perpetrated by the Christian world over the course of history. I was hoping to get more insights into the current state of affairs in and around Islam and how they are rooted in the very beginnings. It does give a glimpse into the initial phase, and that is why two stars in my review, but it falls very short of an authoritative and genuine piece of work on Prophet's life and times.

[Lucas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Armstrong bends over backward to make Muhammad into something other than a bloodthirsty warlord, but her apologetics are hilariously inadequate. She sounds like a defense attorney defending her client against charges of war crimes far more than she sounds like a historian. This book is only interesting for seeing what contortions moderate Muslims have to go through to believe that their prophet is actually a praiseworthy man. She would have done more good for the world if she had taken on Muhammad's brutality and challenged Muslims instead of pandering to them.

[Johannes Bertus · Rating 1 out of 5]

In this book Armstrong cherry picks the worst bits of Christian history - Crusades, progroms, Jesus cursing his enemies - and then argues something along the lines of "Well, Muhammed wasn't quite as bad as that!" She seems to think this constitutes an apologia for Islam. There is actually a passage where she argues Muhammed's slaughter of Jews was acceptable because it wasn't as bad as Hitler's!
A terribly dishonest book.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the years following 9/11, this book has a clear goal of trying to convince Westerners that the origins of Islam include much that is appealing. Others may fault her for bias, but I think it is successful and honest at the same time. Armstrong does not conceal those acts of the Prophet that are hardest for moderns to understand (most notably, in my view, the execution of 700 men and the sale of their women and children into slavery because of an act of tribal perfidy); she does, however, point out that the thrust of Muhammad's teaching was toward a new kind of harmony within Arabia and for Arabs with their neighbors. She argues that Islam at its origins is an essentially pluralistic religion, requiring of its believers chiefly that they be monotheists and only secondarily adherence to the tenets of the Founder. This emphasis on the worship of the One God thus accords a great deal of respect to others who believe similarly but do not necessarily follow the Quran. It is hard to know how accurate her view is. Well, hard, that is, to those of us who are relatively ignorant of Islam. My own reaction to 9/11 was to read the Quran and books about the religion, including some works by the dean of Arab studies, Bernard Lewis. My only objection to Armstrong's treatment of the subject is her failure to account for the bloody missions seeking converts, but I may now remember my Lewis now as well as I ought. It is well to quote her at length from her closing, because it is where she is headed the whole way through: "If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically-driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name -- 'Islam' -- signified peace and reconciliation."

[Allyson Abu-Hajar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this some time back, and just recently purchased my own copy. Karen Armstrong provides a great source of history during the time period and brings clarity to what transpired. I recommend this book to those interested in reverting to Islam, before reading the Quran; as well as, to non-Muslims, so they would have a better understanding of whom Muhammad (pbuh) actually was. In the beginning of this book, Karen does a great job of writing how other religious groups have suffered for their beliefs. Where the lies born of imagination, were spread about them that lead to fear mongering, and simply having a different faith, meant it was acceptable to discriminate, and even kill. Sadly, the same fear mongering about Muhammad (pbuh) from the middle ages, still echoes today and I often see it reiterated time and time again, it is very sad that in this day in age how much ignorance still exists regarding Muhammad (pbuh) and Islam . I thought this book was thought provoking as well as educational. Great read!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

As it is sub-titled this work is more a biography than a review of Muhammad's theology and yet it provides a deeper understanding of the social forces that gave rise to that theology. He was a man of exceptional insight and uncommon courage. The Arabian peninsula was a hard and unforegiving place where strength and power only barely insured survival. Its peoples lived on the edge of extinction constantly and many social mores were adaptations to those conditions, the infacide of daughters and the practice of having multiple wives being examples. But Muhammad saw beyond tribal existance and its endless destructive warfare to an ummah, or brotherhood of believers, who looked to the welfare of all. His beliefs were grounded in the same history as Judaism and Christianity with funadamentally the same humanistic values. Yet for all this Muhammad only ever referred to himself as a Messinger for there was only one god, Allah, a lack of conceit missing in the other two sister religions.

[Hakim Fatehali · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the tenth prophetic biography I am reading and it is possibly the weakest one so far. Among the others I have read/studied have been Ibn Ishaq, Alawi al-Maliki, Sirajuddin al-Husayni, Qadi Iyad, Imam Tirmidhis 'Shama'il', Hazleton, Lings, Andrae, Brown and am yet to study Tabari, Ibn Sa'd, Rodinson, Haykal among others.

The author is well-intentioned and well-meaning. With that in mind, she writes the book to adress the modern controversy and conflict between some Muslims and some segments of Western society. She aims to build bridges, create understanding and facilitate closer civilizatory contact and mutual respect. While all very noble goals, she tries to depict history in ways which are intellectually dishonest to both Muslim and non-Muslims readers while risking the very aim of her work - namely to build bridges.

One can bog oneself down on factual issues (an tiny example is when she writes that the Prophet marries Ramlah after she had been widowed of her former husband Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, a man who had converted to Christianity in Ethiopia according to the very same Ibn Ishaq Armstrong relies on and thus facilitated a divorce on religious grounds) or the fact that Armstrong repeatedly tries to build arguments around pre-Islamic Arab understanding of certain Arab words/concepts (such as muruwwa, hilm, zalim and jahiliyya, using them in dubious contexts, wrongfully ascribing Qurayshi opposition towards the idea of 'hilm' whereas there are instances in Ibn Ishaq where the opposite is seen).

But the main offense is that she does not treat the reader with the intellectual honesty of an author who assumes a somewhat intelligent readership. Throughout the book Armstrong builds up a thesis that the Islamic faith is by its essence highly inclusive, against forceful conversions, nonviolent and essentially pluralist. Her own sources (mainly Guillaumes translation of Ibn Ishaqs Sirat ar-Rasulillah) give several instances where all above are contested and Armstrong has neither attempted a discussion nor acknowledged the complexity of the subjects. The most telling passage where the Muslims executed several hundred tribesmen of the Jewish tribe of Quraydha is described as bearing no religious undertones, which is an easy case to make if you omit that people going through this "conventional" punishment of treason could escape it by converting to Islam - the classical example of a so called forced conversion. Not to mention the fact that the contention of executing hundreds of men and enslaving all the women and children one and the same day being a "conventional punishment" in pre-Islamic Arabia requires further expounding. At one point the author outright calls the Prophet nonviolent after describing several military expeditions, which either assumes cognitive dissonance or lack of respect of what words mean on the authors part. Besides this thesis, the author gives in good order the known events of his life with very little own unique takes besides an re-iteration of how peaceful his aims were.

While there are often very non-nuanced discussions on the Prophet, the lack of nuance can go both ways. A narrative of the Prophet being a implacable war-lord isn't helpful in research, but neither is the idea that the Prophet at heart wanted to promote the values of the author but medieval reality did not allow him to. If this is the case, the author needs to produce more convincing arguments based on her source-material, which often contradicts her on exactly these points.

Lastly, imprinting this image of the Prophet on readers is not necessarily facilitating friendship and harmony. In the Muslim case it removes all impetus of even acknowledging why non-Muslims (or even other Muslims) might feel uncomfortable about certain events in the Prophet's life. At worst, it might even teach moral relativism - the reader is encouraged to accept medieval violence as accidental concessions to the time rather than a moral eco-system still affecting the Muslim world-view of today. The author treats the religion as a highly temporal matter rather than the faith of an eternal worldly order circumambulated around the example of the Complete Man, Insan al-Kamil - theological principles highly present in the source material. If she denies this very core aspect of Islam, she cannot hope to understand neither the people who follow the peaceful example of the Prophet nor those who follow his warlike example. As such, bridge-building is based on faulty premises where readers are given enough information to be well-disposed, but not enough to be well-informed.

The book is a highly personal and at times extremely wishful idea of what the Prophet was like, what his intentions were and how he viewed the world around him. There are better and more extensive biographies that treat the Prophet, the people in his time and the readers with greater respect.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems like it's always going to be tricky to find a good starter book on such a controversial figure as Muhammad. Armstrong is neither a Christian nor a Muslim (although a theist of an uncommitted sort I think) so I thought her popular biography might be a reasonable starting point. I think it was.

There was some cheap (inaccurate) jibes at Christianity every now and again (for instance noting that Muhammad was so 'real', experiencing and showing emotions like grieving a dead friend, playing with children etc... and then suggesting that Jesus lacked these qualities/experiences).

However, overall I did feel that the book gave me a good insight into the context for the start of Islam and its early years, throughout Muhammad's life. It did explain quite well why the start of Islam did involve so much bloodshed and war (the primitive tribal context, more akin to the early years of Judaism fighting other tribes).

Muhammad came across as a wise leader and clever strategist. It was helpful to think of comparing him to say David rather than Jesus.

It basically charted the shift of the people of the Arabian peninsular from polytheism to monotheism. It was interesting to note as well the extent to which the Arab people were (according to Armstrong) so desperate for a prophet of their own, to match the Jewish and Christian faiths. And interesting to see where/how they'd already come across versions (usually rather odd ones) of Judaism and Christianity. This explains, for example, why Muslims often think the Trinity is God, Mary and Jesus - they'd got this idea from a Christian group who, unsurprisingly, had overstated the divinity of Mary.

Long review - lots learnt! Lots more to learn...

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armstrong's brief biography quite impartially records both accomplishments Westerners can easily admire, and events which seem utterly foreign to Western eyes. She helps me sense how Muhammad's visions could electrify Arabian society, and shows how much they evolved over the course of his career. But some aspects of the story are as difficult to explain as anything found in the Old Testament, and Armstrong does not second guess the sources from that age. For example, I was simply astonished by the reasoning given for rejecting the traditional goddesses of Arabia: "Why did they attribute daughters to Allah, when they themselves preferred sons?" Yet the archangel Gabriel was deemed the messenger of the Quran, and this was considered perfectly godly. Armstrong leaves us to ponder the paradoxes of a man who seemed to combine the roles of Moses, David, and Amos, within a different social world.

If I assumed I knew what kind of community Muhammad tried to build, this book raised many reasons to look again. Concerning the peaceful victory over Muhammad's deadly enemies in Mecca, Armstrong explains: "It was a strange conquest, and an impartial observer might have wondered why the Muslims and the Quraysh had fought at all. Muhammad kept his word and returned to Medina with the Emigrants and the Helpers. He did not attempt to rule Mecca himself; nor did he replace the Qurayshan officials with his own companions; nor did he establish a purist Islamic regime."

[Doha Osman · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes! There is Muhammad, the prophet. There is Muhammad, the warrior; Muhammad, the businessman; Muhammad, the statesman; Muhammad, the orator; Muhammad, the reformer; Muhammad, the refuge of orphans; Muhammad, the protector of slaves; Muhammad, the emancipator of women; Muhammad, the judge; Muhammad, the saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."
-Prof. Ramakrishna Rao

It's a great biography of our great leader (PBUH). It sums up the important historical events that lead to the developement of Islam in a simple and a comprehensible context. Plus, the objectivity of the writer is truly remarkable being a westerner herself. Definitely will read it more than once again.

[يحيى عمر · Rating 5 out of 5]

من أفضل ما كتب عن سيرة الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم بأقلام أجنبية، وأعجبني فيه جدًا ملمح لم يتلفت إليه أحد من الكتاب المشرقيين، وهذه هي الميزة عندما تكتب إمرأة، كتبت أنه رغم هيبة الرسول وكونه حاكم خاض الحروب وكانت له سطوة على أعدائه، إلا أن أيا من نسائه لم تشعر يومًا أنها حائفة منه أو تترهب شراسة منه، أعجبني هذا الملمح جدًا

[Varmint · Rating 1 out of 5]

really just worthless as history. manages to tell the life story of the prophet mohammed without using the words "beheading" or "slaveowner" or "massacre". this is a spectacular waste of time.

[Christian Layow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about the life and times of Muhammad. It is a short read, but gives those of us without much knowledge of Islam a great introduction to its beginnings. It is well written and comes with a glossary of Arabic terms and Arabic people that lived during those changing times. What we get is a man dedicated to changing a people of hostile habits into a people of peaceful existence. The degree to which he is humiliated, ridiculed and endangered and yet still works continually for peace is a sure sign of a man to be honored for centuries. It is important to know the conditions he was up against, to understand what he really accomplished. When he finally took Mecca with his followers, it was a peaceful return to his tribe and place that had not only expelled him, but became entrenched enemies of his cause. It may well have been a time that was due on that peninsula, but to know how Muhammad shaped that time and the perseverance required, is awe inspiring. We also learn that like any religion over time, the messages of the Koran, which was recited and written for those times, has been interpreted in different ways to further agendas much different then how Muhammad may have intended them.

[Luke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have worked with people on powerful antipsychotics with a far more secure grip on reality than Karen Armstrong. It took every thread and nuance of my psychiatric training to grapple with the delusion, denial and sheer dishonesty of this woman. She tones down and gives excuses for massacres, believes anything positive from the Muslim sources, doesn't mention a single outside source, makes ridiculous claims with zero references, and tries to tell you, apparently sincerely, that Mohammed was some kind of peaceful, multicultural feminist who only wanted religious tolerance and to help the poor and orphans. Simply unbelievable. Utterly flies in the face of the Qu'ran, the hadith, the sira and the historical record. It's right on the brink of diagnosable as Delusional Disorder. Here's one example: "The Qur’an had long stipulated that in the interests of peace, Muslims must agree to any conditions that the enemy proposed, even if they seemed disadvantageous." She provides a reference for this, Qu'ran 2:193. Let's look up what that says:

"And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)"

How could she possibly read that verse and understand it as "Muslims must agree to any conditions that the enemy proposed, even if they seemed disadvantageous"? Did she expect no-one to actually look up the verse and read it for themselves? And if in the WHOLE QU'RAN that's the most peaceful verse she can find to support her claim, did that not make her think ... hmmm ... maybe it's not actually that peaceful?

Armstrong is either fully through the looking glass or a dangerous liar.

[Betul Pehlivanli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bu yılın en uzun süre elimde kalan kitabı oldu sanırım.Geriye dönüşlerle okuyunca ve gerçekten bilgi edinmek istediğim konulardan biri olunca biraz bitirmesi zaman aldı.Şimdiye kadar peygamber efendimizin hayatıyla ve İslamiyeti yayma sürecinde yaşadıklarıyla alakalı kurgu ya da kurgu olmayan bir sürü okuma yapmışımdır.Bu kitabı görünce mutlaka okumak istedim.Müslüman olmayan biri tarafından yazılması okumak isteyişimin en önemli sebebiydi.Yazar İslamiyeti ve Peygamber efendimizi kendi anlayabildiği kadarıyla ve mümkün olabilecek en objektif şekilde anlatmış.Elbette hikaye gibi anlattığı ve gerçekçi olmayan noktalar vardı ama kötü niyetli gelmedi.Kitap Batı’da İslamiyetin devlet olarak ulaştığı noktalarda farklı din mensupları ve Müslümanlar arasında yaşananlarla başlıyor.Ardından Haçlı Seferlerinin başlama sebepleri ve ele geçirilen şehirlerde o dönemde Müslümanlara yapılan eziyetlerle devam ediyor.Sonrasında da Peygamber efendimizin doğumu öncesinde Arabistan yarımadasındaki istikrarsızlık ve medeniyet dışı davranan Arapların yaşantılarına dair ipuçları veriyor.Sonrasında Hz Muhammed’in doğumu ve hayat mücadelesi ile birlikte peygamberliğini,yaşadıklarını ve İslamiyeti yayma esnasında olanları anlatıyor.Benim gibi ilgilenenlere tavsiye ederim çünkü bir batılının bizleri nasıl gördüğünü okumak farklı bir deneyim oldu.

[Gregory Milliron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. It is rare that a person who has influenced the development of nearly all modern civilizations on Earth, especially one from such an early part of history, receives such a thorough account of his life. History is fortunate to have non-scriptural accounts of the life of Muhammad; and, it is equally unfortunate that we do not possess similar accounts of Jesus of Nazareth. I find Karen Armstrongs prose mostly engaging and clear, and the organization of the book is sensible. I do see how some readers might mistake Armstrong for a Muslim apologist, but only because modern ignorance of Muhammed's life, and Islam in general is so ubiquitous. Frankly, though, Armstrong is correct in assuming most readers of her text are in need of such fleshing out of some of the issues modern humans face in understanding Islam. I know many people who should read this book, and many, many more who will refuse to do so.

[عزالدين عبدالقادر · Rating 4 out of 5]

قراءة السيرة النبوية لكاتب غير مسلم تجربة رائعة، ورغم أن المؤلفة مسيحية بريطانية إلا أنها تكتب عن سيدنا محمد بحب وإعجاب لا يقلان عن أي مسلم مؤمن، وكأني بها على شفى الاعتراف بأنه رسول من الله، وأن القرآن كلام الله.
كونها سيدة يعني تركيزا أقل على أخبار الغزوات، وتركيزا أكبر على ما هو إنساني وأخلاقي، مع إدراك كامل، وإعجاب خفي، بأن هدف بناء الدولة في المدينة جزء من كل، وفهم عميق، للفارق بين مهمة السيد المسيح عليه السلام ومهمة سيدنا محمد عليه الصلاة والسلام، ودون تحيّـز لأيهما.

كما أن محاولتها شرح وتفسير الروابط العقلية والنفسية والروحية بين المسلمين وسيدنا محمد، في عصور مختلفة وحتى العصر الحديث، بهدف توضيح أن المسلمين الذين يعترفون به إنسانا وبشرا مثل كل البشر، يؤمنون أيضا أنه الإنسان الكامل والأسوة الحسنة، الذي يستحق محاولة تقليده قدر الاستطاعة.
هذا الشرح والتفسير قد يساعد البعض، في الغرب، على فهم أسباب ما حدث، ولا زال يحدث، من ردود أفعال بعض المسلمين تجاه سوء الفهم والتقدير لمكانته عندنا عليه الصلاة والسلام.

الخلاصة.. كتاب جميل

[Diana Nassar · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, detailed, readable, unbiased, accurate, and intelligently-written biography of the prophet. Clever comparisons with Christianity and Judaism for some incidents. Fresh views and explanations for some of the famous misconceptions. Great effort from a Non-Muslim and a Westerner! Definitely one of the best Sirah and biography books I have ever read. I utterly recommend the book.