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It's All About Muhammad: A Biography of the World's Most Notorious Prophet
Why all the car bombs, beheadings, and mass murders in the Middle East? Why the relentless killing of non-Muslims throughout the world by the followers of Muhammad's religion? People blame verses of the Koran, but it's not about the Koran. It's about the man who composed the Koran.
Author F. W. Burleigh draws on an academic, investigative, and literary background to bring forth this penetrating look at the man behind it all. Burleigh’s interest in Islam was sparked by the events of 9/11. The questions guiding his studies were, “Why do Muslims do what they do? Why is there so much violence connected with this religion?” After a line-by-line scrutiny of 20,000 pages of the original literature of Islam, the author gives his blunt assessment in the title: It’s All About Muhammad.
The book is in three parts. The first 12 chapters explore the epileptic fits that convinced Muhammad that he was in communion with God, explain the Koran and why he composed it the way he did, and show the humble origin of the Kabah, which only attained its cubic shape in the year A.D. 605 with Muhammad as a member of the construction crew. The book shows the magma chamber of hatred that formed in him due to traumatic early-life experience and tracks the emergence of his psychopathic nature. It exposes how he modified ideas he took from Judaism and Christianity to suit his grandiose idea of himself as the "last and final prophet," his intolerance of Meccan polytheistic beliefs, and finally his declaration of war against "all and sundry" who refused to accept him and his religion.
In the second part, Muhammad's magma chamber of hatred erupts on the world. The book shows the creation of his al-qaeda--his base of operations in Yathrib (Medina) where he fled after the Meccans decided they had to kill him, his conflict with the Jewish tribes of Yathrib after they refused to accept him as their prophet; his genocide of the Jews including the beheading of the men of an entire tribe; the assassination of his critics; the battles and raids and orgies of rape, plunder, and slaughter; and finally his conquest of Mecca. Like a dramatic arc, these 18 chapters form Act II of a script that is still being played out today.
In the final part, Muhammad's ruthless conquest of all of Arabia is presented. This section also gives an account of his numerous wives and the expansion of his wars beyond the confines of the Arabian peninsula. One of the final chapters explores his claim that he will be the first to be resurrected on the day of resurrection and that he will assist Allah in determining who goes to heaven and who stays in hell--part of the "breathtaking nonsense" of what Muhammad claimed about himself, as the author phrases it.
What Muhammad created continues to wreak havoc on the world. It follows the script he wrote fourteen centuries ago. It is not sufficient any longer merely to raise the alarm about Islam--an ideology of submission to the will of a psychologically deformed and spiritually grotesque man. What needs to accompany the alarm is a solution, and this book offers a solution: It is a matter of an aggressive, relentless, and unapologetic exposure of the truth about Muhammad in every graphic form possible, from illustrated books to docudramas to full-length feature films. With its 25 illustrations, It's All About Muhammad offers itself as an example of the approach.
The truth about Muhammad is a powerful weapon of self-defense that people must take up to oppose and ultimately push back what he created. It is a weapon within the reach of everyone.
556 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2014
70 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
F.W. Burleigh
2 books12 followersThe image is a portrait of Alexis de Toqueville of Democracy in America fame. De Toqueville is also famous for the way he summed up Muhammad, Islam, and the Koran, which are the subjects of my books:
“I studied the Koran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Muhammad. As far as I can see, it is the principal cause of the decadence so visible today in the Muslim world, and, though less absurd than the polytheism of old, its social and political tendencies are in my opinion infinitely more to be feared . . ."
A man after my own heart, plus he looks like Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in the first Godfather film, also a man after my own heart--Al Pacino I mean.
In order to write It's All About Muhammad I had to read a lot more than the Koran. In all, I soldiered through 20,000 pages of the original source material. I also read numerous secondary works by Western scholars and others. (I now have a physical library of nearly 500 books related to this subject!) From this study I extracted the real story about Muhammad, and it is presented in this book in a way that has never been done before.
For one, though it is a biography the book reads like a true crime story, for in fact Muhammad committed just about every crime listed by the International Criminal Court as constituting a crime against humanity--all provable from Muslim literature. I included 47 pages of double-column chapter notes citing--and often heavily quoting--the original sources. This is to show that nothing in the book is invented
Additionally, the book is illustrated, with 25 black and white illustrations, half of them "depicting" atrocities Muhammad committed.
This is a default book. Following 9/11, year after year went by and no one wrote it even though it was clear it needed to be done. Muslims follow in the footsteps of Muhammad. Islam--what he created--is now a global threat. Everyone is threatened by it. But nobody wrote it so finally I had to do it. My biography is a simple statement of a fact. F. W. Burleigh: a man who saw a book that needed to be written and wrote it.
Now I'm offering a second book which also gives a critical look at Islam, both of Sunni and Shia varieties. Belief in Muhammad as God's "messenger" is the foundation for both, with similar results despite differences in their theologies. The Imam of Time, however, is a novel, and in Part 1, the reader gets the experience of being with Muhammad through the experience of the hero, Ahmed, an Iranian appalled by all the injustices he sees around him under the Iranian theocracy. He wishes he could know the true Islam of Muhammad. He gets his wish and finds himself in 7th century Arabia where he ends up as Muhammad's scribe, giving him an up close look at the founder of Islam. It soon becomes clear to him where the injustices of mullahs come from. His return to contemporary Iran in a manner that shows he's the Mahdi--the long-awaited Imam of time, offers a look at the Islamic system of Iran. Because of his experiences with Muhammad, the hero has something new and fresh and true to say to his contemporaries, and it is something Iran's rulers do not want to hear--or allow to be heard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 10, 2015
I am about to do something stupid, so I want to alert all, especially the author, who sent it to me even though I was not selected for a "giveaway." I am about to review a book of which I have read only a few pages. I have read A LOT about Islam and Muhammed [his spelling]. It appears this author has a bias, which is why I stopped after the introduction. The author makes it clear his belief Islam is a religion of "crimes of murder, mass murder [is there a difference?], plunder, enslavement, and more." He is convinced Muhammed was not a prophet, but suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy [how could he know, other than generalizing from similarities]. He believes the Qu'ran was not revealed by God, but was an outcome of these seizures [How could he know?]. He believes God could not POSSIBLY command Muhammad" to do the things he did [how could he know?]. He refuses to use the words Islam and Muslim, believing they contain "false ideas." He does not believe Muslims worship God. He describes Muslim prayer as "banging their heads on the ground." It should be clear he may be right; however, it should also be clear this flies in the face of every other book about Islam I have ever read. It is not that Islam has never been violent, and that a very small percentage [he conflated the small minority with the whole]. Of course. That is not the question. The question is, was it any more violent than other political or religious groups of the time or over history. I believe the answer is, no. Finally, in a private letter to me, he asks I evaluate his thesis with his findings. That is not the way research is done. A researcher starts with a HYPOTHESIS., gathers data, and then develops a thesis on whether the data fits. The book looks like he starts with his mind made up, then looked for material which would support his preconceived ideas.
February 11, 2015
To begin with I must state that this is a very well researched, thought out and well written book. I am a Christian who believes that before I can approve or disapprove of another religion, I must understand it.
I read the Koran in high school. This book put many of the passages that raised red flags in my mind into perspective. I've often said that Islam is a violent and unforgiving religion. I've also said that if you're a Muslim, there is no room for anyone else. Period. Reading Burleigh's research into the genocide and systematic eradication of Christians and Jews supports both of these thoughts.
I've long been baffled on how one man could reach adulthood and decide that he was the "Messenger of God." Sure, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God but he preached love and peace. He didn't condone the wholesale slaughter of other religious factions. He didn't encourage pillaging and eradication. Muhammad did. In fact, he simply murdered those who didn't agree with him.
The written style of the Koran makes little sense without doing the research to put it into context. I can clearly see the self serving methodology and prose that Muhammad used. It was brainwashing. It was fear. It was bribery. It was wrong. How mankind has passed fourteen centuries and still believes in this nonsense is beyond me. After his death, most of the conquered lands revolted. He was largely looked upon as a fraud. Yet, people still follow this mindset today. I find it telling that even the "converts" eventually split into two factions because they couldn't agree on who to hate. Who to pillage.
This is a book that everyone needs to read. I am stating that Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, everyone. The only way to know what one truly believes is to challenge those beliefs. I have done that. I didn't merely stop at reading the Koran. I dug deeper. Mankind needs to do the same.
What began as a harmless self promotion of a possibly mentally ill man and his hatred for anyone who disagreed with him has spanned centuries and morphed into mass killings of innocents today. I sit at my computer and I see beheadings. I see human beings burned to death inside of a cage. Their crime? They were not Muslim. I understand that not all Muslims believe this way but the one who do are a danger to everything mankind holds dear. I can honestly say that after my research and culminating with reading this book, I agree with Burleigh. We have to pay attention and make people understand that this hatred will not end. It will not go away. The violence will continue until every non-believer is either dead or converted. Be aware.
I read the Koran in high school. This book put many of the passages that raised red flags in my mind into perspective. I've often said that Islam is a violent and unforgiving religion. I've also said that if you're a Muslim, there is no room for anyone else. Period. Reading Burleigh's research into the genocide and systematic eradication of Christians and Jews supports both of these thoughts.
I've long been baffled on how one man could reach adulthood and decide that he was the "Messenger of God." Sure, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God but he preached love and peace. He didn't condone the wholesale slaughter of other religious factions. He didn't encourage pillaging and eradication. Muhammad did. In fact, he simply murdered those who didn't agree with him.
The written style of the Koran makes little sense without doing the research to put it into context. I can clearly see the self serving methodology and prose that Muhammad used. It was brainwashing. It was fear. It was bribery. It was wrong. How mankind has passed fourteen centuries and still believes in this nonsense is beyond me. After his death, most of the conquered lands revolted. He was largely looked upon as a fraud. Yet, people still follow this mindset today. I find it telling that even the "converts" eventually split into two factions because they couldn't agree on who to hate. Who to pillage.
This is a book that everyone needs to read. I am stating that Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, everyone. The only way to know what one truly believes is to challenge those beliefs. I have done that. I didn't merely stop at reading the Koran. I dug deeper. Mankind needs to do the same.
What began as a harmless self promotion of a possibly mentally ill man and his hatred for anyone who disagreed with him has spanned centuries and morphed into mass killings of innocents today. I sit at my computer and I see beheadings. I see human beings burned to death inside of a cage. Their crime? They were not Muslim. I understand that not all Muslims believe this way but the one who do are a danger to everything mankind holds dear. I can honestly say that after my research and culminating with reading this book, I agree with Burleigh. We have to pay attention and make people understand that this hatred will not end. It will not go away. The violence will continue until every non-believer is either dead or converted. Be aware.
November 19, 2014
"It's All About Muhammad" is an in depth analysis of Muhammad’s Psychopathic Development. By true, in-depth coverage of Islam’s original literature, Burleigh illustrates the gradual transformation of a young Bedouin boy into a warlord of unbridled savage brutality. From an early age, Muhammad would experience epileptic neurological seizures sparking delusional visions of an angelic being he called Gabriel. Those around him suspected he was possessed of an evil entity. His early years were plagued with psychological trauma which pushed him to brink of suicide.
Burleigh crafts this biopic in an easy to read narrative in chronological order from Muhammad’s ancient ancestors up until his death. The Qur’an was compiled for the most part in the order of the longest surah (chapter) to the shortest without regard to the historical events. Once the Qur’an verses were inserted into the correct event sequence one realizes how obvious this was a concocted religion based upon Muhammad’s manipulative psyche. For instance, once Muhammad met his adopted son’s wife, he was so enamored that he suddenly received a new revelation from Allah giving him permission to take her for his own wife. In numerous instances Muhammad would receive revelations for his own personal agenda or peculiar tastes. If a circumstance conflicted with his earlier revelations or rituals he would simply annul or abrogate the old. For example, in his initial rituals he would pray towards Jerusalem but later changed to Mecca based on his growing hatred of the Jews. In like fashion, Burleigh lays out the story of the infamous “Satanic Verses” demonstrating the duplicity of needing to cover his mistakes. Muhammad’s fingerprints are all over the Qur’an and reads more like a travel log or diary, not a serious religious treatise.
The evidence in this book may lead many to compare Muhammad to a modern kingpin or Mafia Don. Many in Arabia were not fooled by these absurd Qur’an proclamations and taunted or jeered Muhammad with scathing poems and speeches. This constant ridicule enraged Muhammad into a psychotic rage. He would instill allegiance to himself by requesting volunteers to assassinate his foes. The gullible followers would obey in blind zealous obedience. Muhammad would solidify his loyal base by rewarding them with stolen goods and women from numerous raiding attacks of caravans. He would conveniently receive new divine revelations on how to divide the treasure as well as promise anyone who died in battle (jihad) immediate Paradise with heavenly women to gratify all their desires. Eventually, Muhammad would escalate his rage against any opponents, especially the Jews. His barbaric cruelty in the torture and beheading of hundreds and hundreds of any who dared to oppose him has been covered in this book with detailed clarity
.
This biography examines the true roots of evil and concludes with an excellent epilogue. Any student of Islamic will be pleased with the copious chapter notes in the addendum. As a student of history and Islamic studies I was very impressed with Burleigh’s work and highly recommend.
Burleigh crafts this biopic in an easy to read narrative in chronological order from Muhammad’s ancient ancestors up until his death. The Qur’an was compiled for the most part in the order of the longest surah (chapter) to the shortest without regard to the historical events. Once the Qur’an verses were inserted into the correct event sequence one realizes how obvious this was a concocted religion based upon Muhammad’s manipulative psyche. For instance, once Muhammad met his adopted son’s wife, he was so enamored that he suddenly received a new revelation from Allah giving him permission to take her for his own wife. In numerous instances Muhammad would receive revelations for his own personal agenda or peculiar tastes. If a circumstance conflicted with his earlier revelations or rituals he would simply annul or abrogate the old. For example, in his initial rituals he would pray towards Jerusalem but later changed to Mecca based on his growing hatred of the Jews. In like fashion, Burleigh lays out the story of the infamous “Satanic Verses” demonstrating the duplicity of needing to cover his mistakes. Muhammad’s fingerprints are all over the Qur’an and reads more like a travel log or diary, not a serious religious treatise.
The evidence in this book may lead many to compare Muhammad to a modern kingpin or Mafia Don. Many in Arabia were not fooled by these absurd Qur’an proclamations and taunted or jeered Muhammad with scathing poems and speeches. This constant ridicule enraged Muhammad into a psychotic rage. He would instill allegiance to himself by requesting volunteers to assassinate his foes. The gullible followers would obey in blind zealous obedience. Muhammad would solidify his loyal base by rewarding them with stolen goods and women from numerous raiding attacks of caravans. He would conveniently receive new divine revelations on how to divide the treasure as well as promise anyone who died in battle (jihad) immediate Paradise with heavenly women to gratify all their desires. Eventually, Muhammad would escalate his rage against any opponents, especially the Jews. His barbaric cruelty in the torture and beheading of hundreds and hundreds of any who dared to oppose him has been covered in this book with detailed clarity
.
This biography examines the true roots of evil and concludes with an excellent epilogue. Any student of Islamic will be pleased with the copious chapter notes in the addendum. As a student of history and Islamic studies I was very impressed with Burleigh’s work and highly recommend.
June 6, 2016
This is just about as disturbing a book as there is, but not for the reason Burleigh intended. This poorly researched but heavily "documented" work is both an insult to actual scholars as well as nothing more than an opportunistic grab by a self-proclaimed expert in the field, in spite of language deficiencies that prevents him reading many of the texts in their original form. This is the same puppet who intentionally misrepresented President Obama's finger wag and dismissive facial gesture as "throwing a Muslim Gang Sign."
If anyone actually wants to learn about either Muhammad or Islam then read a selection of books by scholars who readily display their education and scholarly credentials and attempt to present a balanced and factual picture, then make up your own mind. Don't let a fearmonger feed you half-truths and untrained psychobabble designed to increase hatred and unrest. Read broadly, choose your authors wisely and think for yourself.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing.
If anyone actually wants to learn about either Muhammad or Islam then read a selection of books by scholars who readily display their education and scholarly credentials and attempt to present a balanced and factual picture, then make up your own mind. Don't let a fearmonger feed you half-truths and untrained psychobabble designed to increase hatred and unrest. Read broadly, choose your authors wisely and think for yourself.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing.
June 11, 2016
This was a difficult book to read. I try to remain unbiased when I read a book. But this book was written with an extreme bias. It is obvious that the author thoroughly dislikes Muhammad. The title itself calls Muhammad "notorious". Chapter titles include "I Will Bring You Slaughter", "Al-Qaeda", "Murder, Inc", "Jihad! Jihad! Jihad!", etc. Muhammad is not the only person in history who reported that God talked to him. He does include a lot of notes. But quantity does not make them accurate. For accuracy, I would have to spend a LOT of time reading all those source documents. I imagine quite a few of them are in Arabic. Does the author read Arabic? The inflammatory writing (i.e., "This nonsense continues with his claim...") makes me discount the writing. I think it is important to read positive and negative writings on him in order to get a clearer picture. Karen Armstrong's writings provide a different slant.
July 5, 2015
My copy was a gift through Goodreads First Reads. (Note to self: look not just at the subject matter, but at the one doing the research and writing.) Give credit to Burleigh for being upfront with his extreme bias right there in the introduction. If you make it past those few pages, you will find a work that is well researched and written. I nearly added a second star for that, but there is still the matter of the extremely narrow lens through which all that work was done.
If you are interested in learning more of Muhammad and Islam, I suggest you look for other well researched and written works done by those with a perspective more neutral and nuanced.
If you are interested in learning more of Muhammad and Islam, I suggest you look for other well researched and written works done by those with a perspective more neutral and nuanced.
April 17, 2015
Given To Me For An Honest Review
It's All About Muhammad: A Biography of The World's Most Notorious Prophet by F.W. Burleigh is a real page turner. Once you open the book, it's going to grab you real tightly and hold you down and you'll watch those pages turn and turn and turn some more. You'll have a real hard time trying to put it down. It is easy reading, well researched and well documented. The book is written in 3 parts.... The Cave - The Twilight Zone - The Darkness at Noon. This is about Muhammad - the story of greed - power - control. Mohummad turned peaceful Arabs into murderous marauders in attacking peaceful Arabians, then the Jews and then the Christians. This still contnues on today. After I finished reading this book I found it difficult to believe that Islam is a religion of "peace". Mohammad advocated rape, pillage, stoning and the slitting of throats for people who insulted the Islam "religion"Today currant believers proudly proclaim the same beliefs of Islam. This is a large book but it is worth the reading. It is real good and I am glad I was able to read it. I gave this book 5 stars but wish I could have given it more. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I look for more from F.W. Burleigh.
It's All About Muhammad: A Biography of The World's Most Notorious Prophet by F.W. Burleigh is a real page turner. Once you open the book, it's going to grab you real tightly and hold you down and you'll watch those pages turn and turn and turn some more. You'll have a real hard time trying to put it down. It is easy reading, well researched and well documented. The book is written in 3 parts.... The Cave - The Twilight Zone - The Darkness at Noon. This is about Muhammad - the story of greed - power - control. Mohummad turned peaceful Arabs into murderous marauders in attacking peaceful Arabians, then the Jews and then the Christians. This still contnues on today. After I finished reading this book I found it difficult to believe that Islam is a religion of "peace". Mohammad advocated rape, pillage, stoning and the slitting of throats for people who insulted the Islam "religion"Today currant believers proudly proclaim the same beliefs of Islam. This is a large book but it is worth the reading. It is real good and I am glad I was able to read it. I gave this book 5 stars but wish I could have given it more. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I look for more from F.W. Burleigh.
January 23, 2015
A vast amount of research has been done on this book which is very easy reading and one that is hard to put down. In view of what is going on in our world today with Muslim extremist - this book is a must to read.
B Nickell
B Nickell
January 18, 2015
I received this signed and personalized paperback from the author in exchange for a review. The author spent many years researching a great many documents and books about Muhammed. The bibliography is extensive. The first 20% of the book deals with the lineage of Muhammed prior to his birth. This section of the book is important because it sets up and explains the tribal relationships in the Arabian peninsula circa 600 AD. I urge you to read the review by Patncat on Amazon. It is an extensive and excellent review. I found this book to be illuminating and prophetic at the same time. In a way, it is like a history text book. It is not a boring book like we had in school. It is written in a style that allows the reader to follow a chronological timeline as if you were actually a fly on the wall. The extent in which Muhammed went to spread his vision is at least an omen of what we in the western world should fear for the future. Reading this book has provided me with an understanding of the creation of Muhammed's vision of religion. I now know that he had temporal lobe epilepsy which caused his visions and problem with loud noises which led to his prohibitions on music, singing, etc. Islam grew out of fear of death at the hands of Muhammed and his followers. It is abundantly clear that Muhammed was a despot with perverted views of himself and his god concept. It is also apparent that Muhammed had visions on world domination through jihad. We are experiencing the interpretation of the radical minority of Muslims as they try to carry out his plan. I think this, and other books like it, need to be required reading for all politicians of the western world. Enough trying to appease those that would have us convert in order to save ourselves.
January 27, 2022
I wish the contents of the book are not true, yet when one looks at the 1400 years of history, it appears that everyone is following a blueprint outlined in this book. Apologists say that some of the events outlined are untrue or would try to justify the events...I however can never accept such actions no matter what time frame. There is compassion and empathy within, that makes one wary of doing such actions. I just cannot accept it. I cannot
January 29, 2020
Thoroughly researched narrative presented from the exact same sources that muslims use to venerate Mohammad. The general muslim population are either not able to or are not interested in delving deep into their material and hence the vast majority blindly accept a deeply cleansed and mythologised history of Mohammad, his life and the whole concept and spread of Islam. This book is crucial if for nothing else but to highlight to the intellectually honest and curious from amongst the muslim population that a more credible, honest and down to earth explanation of Muhammad's life and the spread of Islam is not only possible, but extractable from the very same Islamic sources.
While some may find the writing style jarring, there is room for such modes of criticism as the islamic ideology has largely been kept protected through shameful and often violent censorship in closed-in societies. This shock factor can help some of those who value truth and integrity but are too deeply entwined within islamic thinking to naturally challenge their status quo.
I found my way out of this religion, growing up in a deeply religion conservative family, because of this desire for truth and consistency. I can attest to the intolerance preached towards non-muslims in Islam and referred to in this book being real.
Thankfully, the internet is re-shaping the world and bringing knowledge to even the most authoritarian regions. One hopes that slowly but surely humanity and humility can prevail above these cruel and barbaric notions of God.
While some may find the writing style jarring, there is room for such modes of criticism as the islamic ideology has largely been kept protected through shameful and often violent censorship in closed-in societies. This shock factor can help some of those who value truth and integrity but are too deeply entwined within islamic thinking to naturally challenge their status quo.
I found my way out of this religion, growing up in a deeply religion conservative family, because of this desire for truth and consistency. I can attest to the intolerance preached towards non-muslims in Islam and referred to in this book being real.
Thankfully, the internet is re-shaping the world and bringing knowledge to even the most authoritarian regions. One hopes that slowly but surely humanity and humility can prevail above these cruel and barbaric notions of God.
February 22, 2016
I was somewhat hesitant in deciding to read this book, thinking it would be a bunch of ad hominem rants and not well balanced research. This book is overwhelmingly based on bone fide primary Islamic sources. Burleigh uses the same source materials as any other biography of Muhammed, which usually are nothing more than fanciful apocryphal hagiographies.
His theory of Muhammed having epilepsy, although supported by various anecdotal situations in his life, is taken somewhat too far, in my opinion. However, this book helps to unmask Muhammed for who he really was: a coldblooded, rapacious, lecherous, mass murderer who appealed to others' greed, ambitions, and lusts to follow him and his delusions.
As a Christian as I look at the character and nature of Jesus of Nazareth compared to that of Muhammed, I am stupefied as to how and why a billion and a half Muslims believe Christianity to be a lie, and their Prophet, the Truth. I also question how any Muslim can claim to be Sunni (keeping the Sunnah/ example of Muhammed) and not believe that apostates should be beheaded, unbelievers killed and their wives perpetually raped: WWMD?
His theory of Muhammed having epilepsy, although supported by various anecdotal situations in his life, is taken somewhat too far, in my opinion. However, this book helps to unmask Muhammed for who he really was: a coldblooded, rapacious, lecherous, mass murderer who appealed to others' greed, ambitions, and lusts to follow him and his delusions.
As a Christian as I look at the character and nature of Jesus of Nazareth compared to that of Muhammed, I am stupefied as to how and why a billion and a half Muslims believe Christianity to be a lie, and their Prophet, the Truth. I also question how any Muslim can claim to be Sunni (keeping the Sunnah/ example of Muhammed) and not believe that apostates should be beheaded, unbelievers killed and their wives perpetually raped: WWMD?
February 15, 2018
I received this book from Goodreads giveaway over three years ago. It was a struggle to complete. While I do not dispute the facts presented in this book, as I am not about to check the references listed in the end notes, I found umbrage in the repeated use of sarcasm, colloquialisms, anachronistic references, conjecture, and allusions to contemporary literature (people described as “dark horsemen” from the Lord of the Rings and a “Yoda-like character”). At one point the author describes a medical condition and the end note was a Wikipedia entry (in college, my professors would not accept citing Wikipedia and I am forever biased against using the site for professorial work). In another end note, the author admitted to changing a word in a quote “to emphasize the meaning of the word” instead of quoting accurately then explaining the meaning of the word. I still have an interest in learning more of the subject but was distracted by the extreme bias presented in this book.
January 27, 2015
If you have read the synopsis, you know this is a biography of Islam's Prophet Muhammad using Islam's own source materials as reference. I haven't looked up all the references, yet, but those I have I found to be portrayed accurately.
There were times I found the author's opinion on things; such as what Muhammad must have felt when a family member died or when he had a seizure, but don't feel it detracted from the information found in the book. I appreciate that the author put the source materials at the end of the book instead of using footnotes or commentary throughout the pages. It made for easy reading without the distractions.
Overall, a worthwhile read.
There were times I found the author's opinion on things; such as what Muhammad must have felt when a family member died or when he had a seizure, but don't feel it detracted from the information found in the book. I appreciate that the author put the source materials at the end of the book instead of using footnotes or commentary throughout the pages. It made for easy reading without the distractions.
Overall, a worthwhile read.
June 5, 2023
Book: It's All About Muhammad: A Biography of the World's Most Notorious Prophet
Author: F. W. Burleigh
Publisher: Zenga Books LLC; Illustrated edition (16 June 2016)
Language: English
Paperback: 558 pages
Item Weight: 630 g
Dimensions: 13.34 x 3.15 x 20.32 cm
Country of Origin: India
Price: 1333/-
‘Why should you read this book? Blood, that’s why, eventually even yours or that of your descendants. Around the globe people who follow in the footsteps of their master continue to kill people who do not. By some estimates—made before the slaughter of Christians, Yazidis, and others began in Syria and Irak—someone was getting murdered somewhere in the world every thirty minutes by people who have been brainwashed into believing that God talked to Muhammad and instructed him to kill people who refused to pronounce the words of the first pillar of Islam: There is but one God, and Muhammad is his messenger. As the events of the Middle East portend, the slaughter will get worse over time, and after it gets worse, it will get even worse than before. It will threaten you and everything you believe in unless you do something about it…’ (Introduction; It's All About Muhammad - F. W. Burleigh)
This is one of the most unsettling, disquieting and disturbing books that I have ever studied.
This book is like an arraignment that lays out the misconducts against humanity Muhammad committed, and the prosecution is reinforced by a mountain of proof. This book attaches the points.
It demonstrates why the followers of what Muhammad created, do what they do.
The central quandary of Islam is the conviction that God communicated to Muhammad and verbalized the substances of the Koran to him. Muslims are programmed into trusting the Koran is God’s announcement, and subsequently they act on the plentiful stimulations to ferocity that they find in it.
What they find in the Koran came from the mind of Muhammad, and for being appreciative of the mental condition of this “prophet,” let us discuss Chapter 33 of his Koran, titled “The Confederates.”
This is one of the chapters Muhammad composed in Yathrib (later called Medina) where he absconded after his hitherto separated Meccan countrymen comprehended that the only way to reserve their way of life was to slay him.
The chapter includes abundant themes. In the 73 verses that structure the chapter, Muhammad covers the following in the God-voice he used for the Koran: He summaries a fresh battle with the Meccans and upbraids people who were petrified to combat and perish for him; he revels about his massacre of the men and boys of one of the Jewish tribes of Yathrib, the repossession of their property, and the ensuing enslavement of their women and children; he approves himself to take as many wives as he likes, licenses himself to marry the wife of his adopted son, prohibits himself from taking any more wives after he has taken as many as he likes, but allows himself sex slaves.
A word about ‘The Battle of the Trench’, the third major fight, which took place in A.D. 627. The author of this book deals in some detail with this particular conflict.
It so happens that the Meccans charged with an army of 12,000 combatants, drawn from various tribes who were eager for retribution. They wanted to strike down Muhammad for all the damage had caused them. But they were incapable to get beyond the trench and to conclude yielded, after a brutal windstorm razed their bivouacs.
If one looks at Verses 9 to 25, they get a clear insight into the action. Most are a tirade against fainthearted or phony believers who Muhammad was certain would have deceived him had they been given the chance. But he pronounces that Allah did not provide them with the prospect since he sent the hurricane that dispirited the invaders. The battle was an assessment of trust of the believers who held steady, and Allah knows how to recompense those who hold firm in their faith.
And rewarded they were!! After the aggressors departed, Muhammad attacked the only remaining Jewish tribe of Yathrib and ended up allocating their riches to his supporters. When he reached the valley, half of its 20,000 population was Jewish, divided among three main tribes. By the time of the Battle of the Trench, Muhammad had evicted two of the tribes.
Eager to dodge the same destiny, the residual tribe at first asserted on not taking sides during the Meccan attack, then settled to assist the invaders, but then backed out of it. Muhammad used this as an apology to decapitate all of the men and boys. The women, every single one of them, of all ages, were dispersed as slaves.
About this massacre, Muhammad has Allah proclaim: “And those of the People of the Book (the Jews) who aided them (the invaders) – Allah did take them down from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts. (So that) some ye slew, and some ye made prisoners. And He made you heirs of their lands, their houses, and their goods, and of a land which ye had not frequented (before). And Allah has power over all things.” (Verses 26-27)
The author of this book spends a lot of words in psychoanalyzing Muhammad. The man’s proclivity for viciousness was uncharacteristic. The author maintains that he was the product of an epileptic temporal lobe that gave him an impression of connecting with the divine. He believed God commanded him to do whatsoever he did, notwithstanding how unearthly, and he was compliant to his Lord.
The indication that he grieved from epileptic attacks can be found in the literature: examples of falling to the ground, visions of light that flashed before him or of objects that remained before him no matter which way he looked; the lather of saliva that spotted his cheeks when he came out of it, etcetera. These are definitive indicators of the ‘falling sickness’, as epilepsy has been called.
Even his contemporaries thought he was devil possessed—the primeval elucidation for epilepsy.That his epileptic experiences led him to believe God talked to him is one of the important themes of this book.
Another is that he was a psychopath, the product of ill-fated early life circumstances that he did not choose, but were imposed on him. His early childhood is explored in detail by the author of this book. He is logical. He was a casualty who later became an aggressor.
Take the case of his marriage to Zaynab, the wife of Zayd, a slave whom he had adopted three decades earlier. Muhammad added Zaynab to his harem after compelling Zayd to divorce her. He hankered for her and wanted her for himself, his adopted son be damned. This marriage outraged even some of the realest believers as it was off-limits among the Arabs for a father to take the wife of his son, even if the son was divorced from her or dead.
Muhammad made use of Allah to finesse the matter. To deal with his critics, he had Allah end the practice of adoption and declare that not only was his adopted son no longer his son, but he had never been his son because adoption was a human creation and was offensive to Allah. Therefore, Muhammad declared he was innocent in the matter.
Moreover, Allah had granted him the right to marry Zaynab, “and Allah’s command must be fulfilled.” (Verse 37) When critics kept up their attacks, Muhammad threatened them with gory murder: “They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy).” (Verse 61)
We have intricate details about the wedding banquet with Zaynab. It so happened that his anger was sparked when some of the male wedding guests dallied after the banquet was over. This annoyed Muhammad immeasurably, possibly in some measure since he was keen to sleep with Zaynab, and they kept him from her, but also as he doubted the men had stayed in order to gawk his bride.
He promptly composed Verses 28-34 that warn all of his wives to watch their conduct. Then in verse 59, he decides good conduct is not enough. His wives and all believing women from then on, had to cover up so that no portion of their body was on exhibition outside of the home.
Thus the burqa came into being.
What did I learn from this book? Let’s summarize:
**It is incontrovertible that every religion has a share of mythical and fabulous elements that may seem strange to outsiders, but it is only what Muhammad created that spreads itself and maintains control through violence or the threat of violence. Along with the myths, his violence is a major part of the disturbing truth about him that demands exposure.
**His crimes against humanity were vile and would get him hanged today: his mass murder of the Jews, the assassinations he orchestrated, his endless attacks on tribes that opposed him, his relentless theft of other people’s property, his enslavement of men, women, and children, and on and on. He was cruel and heartless in the harm he did to people who rejected him—a psychopath who got away with his crimes.
**Another element that demands exposure was his theft of other people’s religions and how he warped them to suit his deluded ideas about himself. The evidence is there for anyone willing to look. This book has presented some of the evidence.
Just dig into this: notwithstanding their absurdity, the myths flourished, but one hundred years ago, after 1300 years of warfare against the shadowy force that Muhammad unleashed, the world was beginning to hope it was in enduring debility.
The Franks pushed it out of France, the Spaniards drove it from Iberia, and Eastern Europe stopped its progress at the gates of Vienna. Russia drew the line in the Caucasus and held firm for centuries.
The Hindus reclaimed their religion and much of their territory. The Caliphate — the long line of heirs of Muhammad — ended with the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire.
By the early decades of the 20th Century, what Muhammad created was in decay, but it has come back big time, like a forest fire breaking through control lines to spark an even greater inferno.
This has come about because of tremendous oil wealth that has allowed countries living under what Muhammad created to magnify their populations in a short period of time.
Next to oil, their programmed masses are their biggest export. Throughout Europe, colonies of believers who hope to take over their incredulous host countries have become deep-rooted, many of them now no-go zones where even the police fear to tread.
Hundreds of colonies are in the foundational stages in Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States. At their epicenter are mosques, big and small, going up in the spirit of the slogan made famous by the ruler of the Turks: “The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets, and the faithful our soldiers.”
This is a religion that represents the institutionalized version of its creator’s neurological and psychological disorders.
A must read book. If it were up to me, I would put a copy of this book in the hands of every conscientious individual in my country.
Author: F. W. Burleigh
Publisher: Zenga Books LLC; Illustrated edition (16 June 2016)
Language: English
Paperback: 558 pages
Item Weight: 630 g
Dimensions: 13.34 x 3.15 x 20.32 cm
Country of Origin: India
Price: 1333/-
‘Why should you read this book? Blood, that’s why, eventually even yours or that of your descendants. Around the globe people who follow in the footsteps of their master continue to kill people who do not. By some estimates—made before the slaughter of Christians, Yazidis, and others began in Syria and Irak—someone was getting murdered somewhere in the world every thirty minutes by people who have been brainwashed into believing that God talked to Muhammad and instructed him to kill people who refused to pronounce the words of the first pillar of Islam: There is but one God, and Muhammad is his messenger. As the events of the Middle East portend, the slaughter will get worse over time, and after it gets worse, it will get even worse than before. It will threaten you and everything you believe in unless you do something about it…’ (Introduction; It's All About Muhammad - F. W. Burleigh)
This is one of the most unsettling, disquieting and disturbing books that I have ever studied.
This book is like an arraignment that lays out the misconducts against humanity Muhammad committed, and the prosecution is reinforced by a mountain of proof. This book attaches the points.
It demonstrates why the followers of what Muhammad created, do what they do.
The central quandary of Islam is the conviction that God communicated to Muhammad and verbalized the substances of the Koran to him. Muslims are programmed into trusting the Koran is God’s announcement, and subsequently they act on the plentiful stimulations to ferocity that they find in it.
What they find in the Koran came from the mind of Muhammad, and for being appreciative of the mental condition of this “prophet,” let us discuss Chapter 33 of his Koran, titled “The Confederates.”
This is one of the chapters Muhammad composed in Yathrib (later called Medina) where he absconded after his hitherto separated Meccan countrymen comprehended that the only way to reserve their way of life was to slay him.
The chapter includes abundant themes. In the 73 verses that structure the chapter, Muhammad covers the following in the God-voice he used for the Koran: He summaries a fresh battle with the Meccans and upbraids people who were petrified to combat and perish for him; he revels about his massacre of the men and boys of one of the Jewish tribes of Yathrib, the repossession of their property, and the ensuing enslavement of their women and children; he approves himself to take as many wives as he likes, licenses himself to marry the wife of his adopted son, prohibits himself from taking any more wives after he has taken as many as he likes, but allows himself sex slaves.
A word about ‘The Battle of the Trench’, the third major fight, which took place in A.D. 627. The author of this book deals in some detail with this particular conflict.
It so happens that the Meccans charged with an army of 12,000 combatants, drawn from various tribes who were eager for retribution. They wanted to strike down Muhammad for all the damage had caused them. But they were incapable to get beyond the trench and to conclude yielded, after a brutal windstorm razed their bivouacs.
If one looks at Verses 9 to 25, they get a clear insight into the action. Most are a tirade against fainthearted or phony believers who Muhammad was certain would have deceived him had they been given the chance. But he pronounces that Allah did not provide them with the prospect since he sent the hurricane that dispirited the invaders. The battle was an assessment of trust of the believers who held steady, and Allah knows how to recompense those who hold firm in their faith.
And rewarded they were!! After the aggressors departed, Muhammad attacked the only remaining Jewish tribe of Yathrib and ended up allocating their riches to his supporters. When he reached the valley, half of its 20,000 population was Jewish, divided among three main tribes. By the time of the Battle of the Trench, Muhammad had evicted two of the tribes.
Eager to dodge the same destiny, the residual tribe at first asserted on not taking sides during the Meccan attack, then settled to assist the invaders, but then backed out of it. Muhammad used this as an apology to decapitate all of the men and boys. The women, every single one of them, of all ages, were dispersed as slaves.
About this massacre, Muhammad has Allah proclaim: “And those of the People of the Book (the Jews) who aided them (the invaders) – Allah did take them down from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts. (So that) some ye slew, and some ye made prisoners. And He made you heirs of their lands, their houses, and their goods, and of a land which ye had not frequented (before). And Allah has power over all things.” (Verses 26-27)
The author of this book spends a lot of words in psychoanalyzing Muhammad. The man’s proclivity for viciousness was uncharacteristic. The author maintains that he was the product of an epileptic temporal lobe that gave him an impression of connecting with the divine. He believed God commanded him to do whatsoever he did, notwithstanding how unearthly, and he was compliant to his Lord.
The indication that he grieved from epileptic attacks can be found in the literature: examples of falling to the ground, visions of light that flashed before him or of objects that remained before him no matter which way he looked; the lather of saliva that spotted his cheeks when he came out of it, etcetera. These are definitive indicators of the ‘falling sickness’, as epilepsy has been called.
Even his contemporaries thought he was devil possessed—the primeval elucidation for epilepsy.That his epileptic experiences led him to believe God talked to him is one of the important themes of this book.
Another is that he was a psychopath, the product of ill-fated early life circumstances that he did not choose, but were imposed on him. His early childhood is explored in detail by the author of this book. He is logical. He was a casualty who later became an aggressor.
Take the case of his marriage to Zaynab, the wife of Zayd, a slave whom he had adopted three decades earlier. Muhammad added Zaynab to his harem after compelling Zayd to divorce her. He hankered for her and wanted her for himself, his adopted son be damned. This marriage outraged even some of the realest believers as it was off-limits among the Arabs for a father to take the wife of his son, even if the son was divorced from her or dead.
Muhammad made use of Allah to finesse the matter. To deal with his critics, he had Allah end the practice of adoption and declare that not only was his adopted son no longer his son, but he had never been his son because adoption was a human creation and was offensive to Allah. Therefore, Muhammad declared he was innocent in the matter.
Moreover, Allah had granted him the right to marry Zaynab, “and Allah’s command must be fulfilled.” (Verse 37) When critics kept up their attacks, Muhammad threatened them with gory murder: “They shall have a curse on them: whenever they are found, they shall be seized and slain (without mercy).” (Verse 61)
We have intricate details about the wedding banquet with Zaynab. It so happened that his anger was sparked when some of the male wedding guests dallied after the banquet was over. This annoyed Muhammad immeasurably, possibly in some measure since he was keen to sleep with Zaynab, and they kept him from her, but also as he doubted the men had stayed in order to gawk his bride.
He promptly composed Verses 28-34 that warn all of his wives to watch their conduct. Then in verse 59, he decides good conduct is not enough. His wives and all believing women from then on, had to cover up so that no portion of their body was on exhibition outside of the home.
Thus the burqa came into being.
What did I learn from this book? Let’s summarize:
**It is incontrovertible that every religion has a share of mythical and fabulous elements that may seem strange to outsiders, but it is only what Muhammad created that spreads itself and maintains control through violence or the threat of violence. Along with the myths, his violence is a major part of the disturbing truth about him that demands exposure.
**His crimes against humanity were vile and would get him hanged today: his mass murder of the Jews, the assassinations he orchestrated, his endless attacks on tribes that opposed him, his relentless theft of other people’s property, his enslavement of men, women, and children, and on and on. He was cruel and heartless in the harm he did to people who rejected him—a psychopath who got away with his crimes.
**Another element that demands exposure was his theft of other people’s religions and how he warped them to suit his deluded ideas about himself. The evidence is there for anyone willing to look. This book has presented some of the evidence.
Just dig into this: notwithstanding their absurdity, the myths flourished, but one hundred years ago, after 1300 years of warfare against the shadowy force that Muhammad unleashed, the world was beginning to hope it was in enduring debility.
The Franks pushed it out of France, the Spaniards drove it from Iberia, and Eastern Europe stopped its progress at the gates of Vienna. Russia drew the line in the Caucasus and held firm for centuries.
The Hindus reclaimed their religion and much of their territory. The Caliphate — the long line of heirs of Muhammad — ended with the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire.
By the early decades of the 20th Century, what Muhammad created was in decay, but it has come back big time, like a forest fire breaking through control lines to spark an even greater inferno.
This has come about because of tremendous oil wealth that has allowed countries living under what Muhammad created to magnify their populations in a short period of time.
Next to oil, their programmed masses are their biggest export. Throughout Europe, colonies of believers who hope to take over their incredulous host countries have become deep-rooted, many of them now no-go zones where even the police fear to tread.
Hundreds of colonies are in the foundational stages in Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States. At their epicenter are mosques, big and small, going up in the spirit of the slogan made famous by the ruler of the Turks: “The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets, and the faithful our soldiers.”
This is a religion that represents the institutionalized version of its creator’s neurological and psychological disorders.
A must read book. If it were up to me, I would put a copy of this book in the hands of every conscientious individual in my country.
July 12, 2025
As the title implies, this is an explosive book for the believer as well as non-believer but its relevance cannot be doubted. It is an unabashed criticism and the onus is now on the believers to come out refuting the claims in this book. The world is wracked by Islamist violence on an unprecedented scale in its history. This book claims that every thirty minutes or so, a murder is happening somewhere in the world committed by jihadis, of people who refuse to pronounce the first pillar of Islam – the kalima (p.12). This book was published in 2014, but its continued significance is attested by the Pahalgam terror incident in Kashmir two months ago where terrorists gunned down 26 Hindu male tourists in front of their wives for refusing to, or more probably, being ignorant of the kalima. In fact, this gory incident was a reason to read this book in order to understand why the jihadis go on such bloody rampages for the last fourteen centuries. This book asserts that Islam was imposed by violence, because it has no other way to sustain itself. This is claimed to be a biography of Prophet Muhammad compiled from original sources. It is not clear whether the author has used the Arabic versions or later translations. The author’s name, F W Burleigh, is evidently a pseudonym as no search on the Internet could extract any info on his identity (I believe the author to be a male). He claims that he had examined 20,000 pages of original Islamic texts for the research of this book. He was motivated by the 9/11 attack to delve deeper into the question of why hard-line Muslims resort to such violent measures.
His life and times are well chronicled by early Islamic writers and biographers and an extensive corpus of literature is available on this topic. It also surveys the socio-religious milieu of pre-Islamic Mecca. The town was the centrepiece of Arabian polytheism which housed the temple of moon worship by importing a human-like statue of the Nabatean moon good Hubal. This temple was without a roof and had a rectangular wall about the height of a single storey building. The walls were often breached by flash floods and the Meccans rebuilt it with a raised platform and roof and named it ‘the cube’, that is, kaba. There were people protesting against various aspects of the religion and a polytheistic apostate named Zayd ibn Amr believed in an idealized Abrahamic religion founded on belief in one true god and total submission to it. Meccans drove Zayd out of the town and he took up residence in a cave on Mount Hira. He used to come to the town at night and had discussions with Muhammad and other people who shared his interests.
Paganism is inherently tolerant. So it is with some astonishment that we read about why the Meccans drove him and his disciples away from the town. The narrowness of the new religion’s dogma was offensive to the Meccans who were traditionally tolerant of everyone’s god concept. Our protagonist ridiculed their idols and statues; he condemned each and every polytheist to the fires of hell. This was in no way acceptable to the Meccans who tolerated everything except intolerance. He performed his prayer routines in the open in front of their temple as a challenge at which the Meccans seethed in anger, but they could do nothing about it because such freedom was granted to everyone by default. Allah was one of the gods the Meccans worshipped. What was different in the new religion was its repudiation of all other deities. He branded the people of Mecca as idol worshippers whereas none of them disputed the existence of a supreme deity. They thought that the idols were only representations of higher powers and not the powers themselves. While most of his own Hashemite clan rejected him in the early stages, they supported him against any harm by other groups as a show of clan loyalty. This tribal affinity prevented the Meccans from dealing a severe personal assault. The new religion used the Meccans’ customs such as providing safe passage in specific months to good advantage even though they had little respect for the traditions. He was exploiting their openness and tolerance. The temple was open to worship for anybody to worship whatever they wished but he tolerated only his own idea of god. This was a bone of contention with the Meccans.
He and his companions were forced to leave Mecca as their lives were at risk. Yathrib (present day Medina) was the preferred destination because the Khazraj and Aws tribes which resided there were more receptive to monotheism. They had exposure to the Jewish faith who constituted nearly half of the population. Prophets guided the Jewish religion. Besides, the warring tribes in Yathrib needed a strong leader to unify them. Polytheism was weak there and no communal worship was in place. After the alliance with the Yathrib tribes was sealed, revelations were received to fight for the cause since peaceful proselytization could not make much impact. Once the group relocated to the new desert oasis, there began plunder of caravans and he claimed a fifth of the booty which made him and many of his followers rich beyond their wildest dreams. The victory at the battle of Badar gave them confidence to take on his enemies in Yathrib. All criticism was silenced; several poets who mocked him in verse were assassinated. After the base was secured, hostile tribes in Arabia were targeted. Heavenly sex or terrestrial booty was promised to the loyal fanatics who fought on his side. If they did not fall in line, the threat of perpetual hellfire was an effective clincher.
The consolidation and empowerment of his reign in Yathrib is explained in quite some detail. The string of assassinations and expulsion of Qaynuqa Jews brought about a rapid expansion of his religion and it included much of the non-Jewish population of Yathrib. The book provides a graphical description of the massacre of Qurayza Jews in which 900 men and grown up boys who surrendered were beheaded five or six at a time and dumped into a trench dug nearby for that purpose. The author claims that this was exactly what the ISIS did in Iraq and Syria and concludes that terror was a convincing missionary. Boys were killed if they had reached puberty. If there was any doubt about their age, they were checked for pubic hair. If so, they too were beheaded. Men with clothes worth preserving were forced to remove them so that some of them died naked (p.311). Their women and children were forced to watch this ordeal and were then sold into slavery. He was ferocious than any of his opponents and overwhelmed them until his very name caused fear. Though his enemies were able to inflict occasional setbacks on him, they ultimately saw the embrace of his religion as the only refuge from the pain and misery he was able to impose on them. Thus his religion grew. Proactive attacks on enemies, real or imagined, were carried out through numerous raids, forceful conversions, fundraising through plunder and spreading terror. He invited the people to convert to his religion. If they refused, he proclaimed them guilty of turning their back on truth. They were then subject to god’s punishment; attacking them was rendering divine justice (p.380). The book contains a vivid description of the brutal interrogation of the leader of Khybar Jews named Kinana regarding the places where he had hidden his wealth.
Burleigh makes a character sketch of our protagonist which has some positive and mostly negative aspects. He is alleged to possess some psychiatric problems and is claimed to have gained control of anxiety disorder by ‘elaborating and practising a complex prayer ritual marked by repetition and precise, time-consuming body movements. He is also said to be a control freak. Creating rules was fundamental to his controlling nature and he never passed up an opportunity to create laws about matters as they arose, no matter how trivial. It also went into areas he did not comprehend fully. For instance, he prohibited intercalation of the Arabian calendar which added a month every three years to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the solar cycle and seasons. With this omission, the Muslim calendar began to slip the sun by eleven days each year. This act was contrary in spirit to what Gregory XIII did nearly a millennium later. His family life is treated in a gentle manner throughout the book and a chapter titled menage-a-quatorze is reserved for a detailed analysis which is surprisingly devoid of harsh recriminations. Such allegations are reserved for the personality assessment. Very harsh terms like epileptic psychopath, deluded mass murderer, revelations were hallucinations, etc. are included in the book. At the same time, some qualities are also indicated. He is said to be a creative genius, masterful at reading his audience, gift of eloquence, astute leadership, make others die for him, ability to convince people he had the truth etc. He is also credited to have created a trans-tribal super tribe of believers.
The book is claimed to be entirely based on the original literature of the religion. If the readers find the protagonist of this biography disturbing, it is asserted to be because what is written about him in the original literature is disturbing. The lay followers of the religion are obliged to follow the protagonist’s practice and they are violent to non-believers because he was so. Burleigh declares this book an antidote to what the protagonist created and to facilitate the ‘the aggressive, relentless and unapologetic exposure of the truth about him, particularly through dramatization in film’ (p.477). The book contains several illustrations of the protagonist contrary to the dictates of the religion not to personify him in any way and also as committing or superintending violent acts. The author advocates the production of a movie depicting these events. If such a movie is ever produced, it would be the ultimate expose of the religion and is sure to produce a violent backlash all over the world. Probably, it could be distributed only in the electronic format but would spread to every corner of the globe like wild fire. The book is dedicated to Theo van Gogh, the Dutch film director who was assassinated in 2004 in Amsterdam by a Muslim who resented his film Submission, Part 1 which criticized the treatment of women in Islam.
The book is highly recommended.
His life and times are well chronicled by early Islamic writers and biographers and an extensive corpus of literature is available on this topic. It also surveys the socio-religious milieu of pre-Islamic Mecca. The town was the centrepiece of Arabian polytheism which housed the temple of moon worship by importing a human-like statue of the Nabatean moon good Hubal. This temple was without a roof and had a rectangular wall about the height of a single storey building. The walls were often breached by flash floods and the Meccans rebuilt it with a raised platform and roof and named it ‘the cube’, that is, kaba. There were people protesting against various aspects of the religion and a polytheistic apostate named Zayd ibn Amr believed in an idealized Abrahamic religion founded on belief in one true god and total submission to it. Meccans drove Zayd out of the town and he took up residence in a cave on Mount Hira. He used to come to the town at night and had discussions with Muhammad and other people who shared his interests.
Paganism is inherently tolerant. So it is with some astonishment that we read about why the Meccans drove him and his disciples away from the town. The narrowness of the new religion’s dogma was offensive to the Meccans who were traditionally tolerant of everyone’s god concept. Our protagonist ridiculed their idols and statues; he condemned each and every polytheist to the fires of hell. This was in no way acceptable to the Meccans who tolerated everything except intolerance. He performed his prayer routines in the open in front of their temple as a challenge at which the Meccans seethed in anger, but they could do nothing about it because such freedom was granted to everyone by default. Allah was one of the gods the Meccans worshipped. What was different in the new religion was its repudiation of all other deities. He branded the people of Mecca as idol worshippers whereas none of them disputed the existence of a supreme deity. They thought that the idols were only representations of higher powers and not the powers themselves. While most of his own Hashemite clan rejected him in the early stages, they supported him against any harm by other groups as a show of clan loyalty. This tribal affinity prevented the Meccans from dealing a severe personal assault. The new religion used the Meccans’ customs such as providing safe passage in specific months to good advantage even though they had little respect for the traditions. He was exploiting their openness and tolerance. The temple was open to worship for anybody to worship whatever they wished but he tolerated only his own idea of god. This was a bone of contention with the Meccans.
He and his companions were forced to leave Mecca as their lives were at risk. Yathrib (present day Medina) was the preferred destination because the Khazraj and Aws tribes which resided there were more receptive to monotheism. They had exposure to the Jewish faith who constituted nearly half of the population. Prophets guided the Jewish religion. Besides, the warring tribes in Yathrib needed a strong leader to unify them. Polytheism was weak there and no communal worship was in place. After the alliance with the Yathrib tribes was sealed, revelations were received to fight for the cause since peaceful proselytization could not make much impact. Once the group relocated to the new desert oasis, there began plunder of caravans and he claimed a fifth of the booty which made him and many of his followers rich beyond their wildest dreams. The victory at the battle of Badar gave them confidence to take on his enemies in Yathrib. All criticism was silenced; several poets who mocked him in verse were assassinated. After the base was secured, hostile tribes in Arabia were targeted. Heavenly sex or terrestrial booty was promised to the loyal fanatics who fought on his side. If they did not fall in line, the threat of perpetual hellfire was an effective clincher.
The consolidation and empowerment of his reign in Yathrib is explained in quite some detail. The string of assassinations and expulsion of Qaynuqa Jews brought about a rapid expansion of his religion and it included much of the non-Jewish population of Yathrib. The book provides a graphical description of the massacre of Qurayza Jews in which 900 men and grown up boys who surrendered were beheaded five or six at a time and dumped into a trench dug nearby for that purpose. The author claims that this was exactly what the ISIS did in Iraq and Syria and concludes that terror was a convincing missionary. Boys were killed if they had reached puberty. If there was any doubt about their age, they were checked for pubic hair. If so, they too were beheaded. Men with clothes worth preserving were forced to remove them so that some of them died naked (p.311). Their women and children were forced to watch this ordeal and were then sold into slavery. He was ferocious than any of his opponents and overwhelmed them until his very name caused fear. Though his enemies were able to inflict occasional setbacks on him, they ultimately saw the embrace of his religion as the only refuge from the pain and misery he was able to impose on them. Thus his religion grew. Proactive attacks on enemies, real or imagined, were carried out through numerous raids, forceful conversions, fundraising through plunder and spreading terror. He invited the people to convert to his religion. If they refused, he proclaimed them guilty of turning their back on truth. They were then subject to god’s punishment; attacking them was rendering divine justice (p.380). The book contains a vivid description of the brutal interrogation of the leader of Khybar Jews named Kinana regarding the places where he had hidden his wealth.
Burleigh makes a character sketch of our protagonist which has some positive and mostly negative aspects. He is alleged to possess some psychiatric problems and is claimed to have gained control of anxiety disorder by ‘elaborating and practising a complex prayer ritual marked by repetition and precise, time-consuming body movements. He is also said to be a control freak. Creating rules was fundamental to his controlling nature and he never passed up an opportunity to create laws about matters as they arose, no matter how trivial. It also went into areas he did not comprehend fully. For instance, he prohibited intercalation of the Arabian calendar which added a month every three years to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the solar cycle and seasons. With this omission, the Muslim calendar began to slip the sun by eleven days each year. This act was contrary in spirit to what Gregory XIII did nearly a millennium later. His family life is treated in a gentle manner throughout the book and a chapter titled menage-a-quatorze is reserved for a detailed analysis which is surprisingly devoid of harsh recriminations. Such allegations are reserved for the personality assessment. Very harsh terms like epileptic psychopath, deluded mass murderer, revelations were hallucinations, etc. are included in the book. At the same time, some qualities are also indicated. He is said to be a creative genius, masterful at reading his audience, gift of eloquence, astute leadership, make others die for him, ability to convince people he had the truth etc. He is also credited to have created a trans-tribal super tribe of believers.
The book is claimed to be entirely based on the original literature of the religion. If the readers find the protagonist of this biography disturbing, it is asserted to be because what is written about him in the original literature is disturbing. The lay followers of the religion are obliged to follow the protagonist’s practice and they are violent to non-believers because he was so. Burleigh declares this book an antidote to what the protagonist created and to facilitate the ‘the aggressive, relentless and unapologetic exposure of the truth about him, particularly through dramatization in film’ (p.477). The book contains several illustrations of the protagonist contrary to the dictates of the religion not to personify him in any way and also as committing or superintending violent acts. The author advocates the production of a movie depicting these events. If such a movie is ever produced, it would be the ultimate expose of the religion and is sure to produce a violent backlash all over the world. Probably, it could be distributed only in the electronic format but would spread to every corner of the globe like wild fire. The book is dedicated to Theo van Gogh, the Dutch film director who was assassinated in 2004 in Amsterdam by a Muslim who resented his film Submission, Part 1 which criticized the treatment of women in Islam.
The book is highly recommended.
April 25, 2015
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
As someone who has received their Master's in History, I found this book to be both interesting in the author's take on Muhammad, yet hard to read at the same time. I found the 'biography' to be well researched, yet the author has a very huge bias against Muhammad and Islam that is not hidden at all. I did enjoy reading the 'biography', as it does seem to be well researched. I am not that knowledgeable regarding the history and formation of Muhammad and Islam, and found this book to be helpful in that aspect. If you are looking for a book to get the basic knowledge regarding Muhammad and Islam, I would suggest this book. If you are looking for an unbiased book, which is pretty much impossible as all authors have a bias in some way or another, then I would not suggest this book.
As someone who has received their Master's in History, I found this book to be both interesting in the author's take on Muhammad, yet hard to read at the same time. I found the 'biography' to be well researched, yet the author has a very huge bias against Muhammad and Islam that is not hidden at all. I did enjoy reading the 'biography', as it does seem to be well researched. I am not that knowledgeable regarding the history and formation of Muhammad and Islam, and found this book to be helpful in that aspect. If you are looking for a book to get the basic knowledge regarding Muhammad and Islam, I would suggest this book. If you are looking for an unbiased book, which is pretty much impossible as all authors have a bias in some way or another, then I would not suggest this book.
September 24, 2018
Excellent. Its a must read. Very well written and readable.
To all the reviewers that started the book, but were too bigoted to finish: quit running from the truth. You are a bunch of crybabies. Grow up.
Read about Muhammad and then read about the Lord Jesus Christ. Choose which one is best and then bet your soul on it. The author, as great as a writer as he is, needs to do the same.
To all the reviewers that started the book, but were too bigoted to finish: quit running from the truth. You are a bunch of crybabies. Grow up.
Read about Muhammad and then read about the Lord Jesus Christ. Choose which one is best and then bet your soul on it. The author, as great as a writer as he is, needs to do the same.
July 7, 2016
Horrible picture of ISLAM.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2018
Worth the effort to read.
November 21, 2019
Esta é a terceira obra biográfica de Maomé que leio, as outras duas também estão entre as minhas resenhas.
Como disse na resenha do livro Maomé - Uma Biografia do Profeta de Karen Armstrong, é impossível chegarmos a um consenso que construa nossa opinião sobre este personagem sem ler pelo menos duas biografias diferentes; pelo menos uma com viés contrário e pelo menos uma com viés a favor, mesmo assim eu ainda acho que não construiremos uma imagem segura daquele foi o denominado profeta no islamismo.
F.W. Burleigh está mais para viés contrário, ele se declara na sua biografia como um homem que enxergou um livro que devia ser escrito e o escreveu (F. W. Burleigh: a man who saw a book that needed to be written and wrote it.). Embora possamos classificar sua obra como possuindo um viés negativo ele escreveu o livro a partir, principalmente, de fontes primárias, segundo ele pesquisou 20.000 páginas destes documentos.
São estes documentos principalmente os escritores Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, ou simplesmente Ibn Ishaq (704 - 768 EC), Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Omar Ibn Waqid al-Aslami (748 - 822 EC), Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838 - 923 EC) e duas coleções de Hadith O Sahih al-Bukhari (810 - 870) a mais importante das seis grandes coleções de hadith do Islão sunita e a coleção composta pelo Imã Abu Dawud Sulayman (817- 889 EC).
Além disso, ele alega ter consultado numerosos escritores secundários.
Estas fontes primárias não escondem ou douram a pílula, pois olhavam os acontecimentos com olhares da época ou muito próximos dela e não com os nossos olhos do século 21 já regulados pelos nossos códigos morais ou conceitos de lei natural e universal. Eles estavam convencidos de que Maomé não podia errar e o que fazia era em observância à causa de Alá, assim não se importavam quão frio e sanguinário ele podia ser e nos proveram de enormes evidências de feitos que aos nossos olhos são crimes de assassinato, genocídio, tortura, pilhagem, roubo, escravidão e muito mais.
Portanto, Burleigh montou uma biografia na qual você percebe o crescimento das ideias que forjaram o islamismo a partir das vivência de Maomé e seus êxtases, epiléticos ou não.
Você pode até ao chegar ao final, por questões de fé concluir que Burleigh tem o viés negativo, mas não pode deixar de reconhecer que ele retratou o que as fontes primárias islâmicas escreveram sobre Maomé.
Em cada página você vê o surgimento do que viria a ser o Islã e portanto eu classifico o livro como brilhante, embora continue sempre recomendando que outras abordagens devam ser lidas. Eu fiz e estou fazendo isso e o livro de Karen Armstrong, que também produzi uma resenha, ajuda a balancear os vieses.
Como disse na resenha do livro Maomé - Uma Biografia do Profeta de Karen Armstrong, é impossível chegarmos a um consenso que construa nossa opinião sobre este personagem sem ler pelo menos duas biografias diferentes; pelo menos uma com viés contrário e pelo menos uma com viés a favor, mesmo assim eu ainda acho que não construiremos uma imagem segura daquele foi o denominado profeta no islamismo.
F.W. Burleigh está mais para viés contrário, ele se declara na sua biografia como um homem que enxergou um livro que devia ser escrito e o escreveu (F. W. Burleigh: a man who saw a book that needed to be written and wrote it.). Embora possamos classificar sua obra como possuindo um viés negativo ele escreveu o livro a partir, principalmente, de fontes primárias, segundo ele pesquisou 20.000 páginas destes documentos.
São estes documentos principalmente os escritores Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar, ou simplesmente Ibn Ishaq (704 - 768 EC), Abu `Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Omar Ibn Waqid al-Aslami (748 - 822 EC), Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838 - 923 EC) e duas coleções de Hadith O Sahih al-Bukhari (810 - 870) a mais importante das seis grandes coleções de hadith do Islão sunita e a coleção composta pelo Imã Abu Dawud Sulayman (817- 889 EC).
Além disso, ele alega ter consultado numerosos escritores secundários.
Estas fontes primárias não escondem ou douram a pílula, pois olhavam os acontecimentos com olhares da época ou muito próximos dela e não com os nossos olhos do século 21 já regulados pelos nossos códigos morais ou conceitos de lei natural e universal. Eles estavam convencidos de que Maomé não podia errar e o que fazia era em observância à causa de Alá, assim não se importavam quão frio e sanguinário ele podia ser e nos proveram de enormes evidências de feitos que aos nossos olhos são crimes de assassinato, genocídio, tortura, pilhagem, roubo, escravidão e muito mais.
Portanto, Burleigh montou uma biografia na qual você percebe o crescimento das ideias que forjaram o islamismo a partir das vivência de Maomé e seus êxtases, epiléticos ou não.
Você pode até ao chegar ao final, por questões de fé concluir que Burleigh tem o viés negativo, mas não pode deixar de reconhecer que ele retratou o que as fontes primárias islâmicas escreveram sobre Maomé.
Em cada página você vê o surgimento do que viria a ser o Islã e portanto eu classifico o livro como brilhante, embora continue sempre recomendando que outras abordagens devam ser lidas. Eu fiz e estou fazendo isso e o livro de Karen Armstrong, que também produzi uma resenha, ajuda a balancear os vieses.
November 19, 2024
What really hooked me about this book was how the author cut through all the myths about Muhammad and his religion. Line by line the origins of this megalomanic and his unlikely rise to power are meticulously described. Surprisingly, a life-long seizure disorder played an important role in convincing him he was God’s messenger. Even stranger, when he started formulating his teachings, everyone around him knew he was a dangerous crackpot. Nonetheless by chance, luck, and force of will, he succeeded in creating a religion based on submission to his version of God—or be destroyed if you don’t. As shown in the book, from day one, violence and crime have been the way of Muhammadism. Now those of us living today are left to contend with what this sociopath created.
The writing is succinct, easy to read, and unbiased. Muhammad’s family background is described, as is everything about his life, from birth to death. If you’re interested in learning the truth about Islam and its founder, this is the book to read.
The writing is succinct, easy to read, and unbiased. Muhammad’s family background is described, as is everything about his life, from birth to death. If you’re interested in learning the truth about Islam and its founder, this is the book to read.
July 31, 2021
This was an eye-opening biography of Muhammad. I did not know much about him or the cult he founded so it was interesting to discover the historical roots of the sad mess that is Islam revealed in this well-written and documented book.
This passage from the book sums up the life of "The Prophet" very well--
"His crimes against humanity were vile and would get him hung today: his mass murder of the jews, his assassinations of critics and enemies, his endless attacks on tribes that opposed him, his relentless theft through plunder and the takeover of real estate, his enslavement of men, women, and children, among other crimes against humanity. He was cruel and heartless in the harm he did to people who rejected him--an ideological psychopath who got away with his crimes."
After reading it, the thought that hundreds of millions of people are still in thrall to the madness of one man, after all these centuries, is sobering.
I definitely recommend the book.
This passage from the book sums up the life of "The Prophet" very well--
"His crimes against humanity were vile and would get him hung today: his mass murder of the jews, his assassinations of critics and enemies, his endless attacks on tribes that opposed him, his relentless theft through plunder and the takeover of real estate, his enslavement of men, women, and children, among other crimes against humanity. He was cruel and heartless in the harm he did to people who rejected him--an ideological psychopath who got away with his crimes."
After reading it, the thought that hundreds of millions of people are still in thrall to the madness of one man, after all these centuries, is sobering.
I definitely recommend the book.
December 13, 2020
I first became interested in Islam in the 90’s having chatted with a colleague about the claims of Islam (perfectly preserved, unchanged, final prophet etc.). I read the Quran several times then also much of the Hadith - which seemed truly weird – chapters devoted to women’s periods etc.). Then 911 came and I had to understand Islam. Since much of the quran seemed plagiarised from either the Bible (and Mohammad had got it wrong) or the Talmud (“Whosoever kills a person ... it shall be as if he has killed all mankind”). If Muhammad was alive today – he’d get multiple life sentences for warmongering, paedophilia, rape, incest – the list goes on.
He was very good at mind-control though – which is what you’d expect from “the perfect example to all humanity”
He was very good at mind-control though – which is what you’d expect from “the perfect example to all humanity”
April 24, 2024
This book is the perfect example of "confirmation bias" in psychology.
Author starts with extreme bias towards Islam and its prophet and does his best to gather evidence from Quran to justify his arguments without him actually having any deep knowledge or understanding of the Quran.
It is a poor and biased attempt to prove that Islam promotes mass murders, genocide and Muhammad was notorious and a self proclaimed prophet (who had a delusion).
Other books such as Muhammad by Martin Lings, The Sealed Nectar and Muhammad by Karen Armstrong provide a fairer representation of the prophet of Islam.
Author starts with extreme bias towards Islam and its prophet and does his best to gather evidence from Quran to justify his arguments without him actually having any deep knowledge or understanding of the Quran.
It is a poor and biased attempt to prove that Islam promotes mass murders, genocide and Muhammad was notorious and a self proclaimed prophet (who had a delusion).
Other books such as Muhammad by Martin Lings, The Sealed Nectar and Muhammad by Karen Armstrong provide a fairer representation of the prophet of Islam.
November 24, 2019
this book was recommended by someone and i am still in two minds whether this is a propaganda book or genuine..am assuming truth must be somewhere in between...
Keeping that aside, book is heavy and level of craziness that led to the birth of religion makes you wonder about all religions
Keeping that aside, book is heavy and level of craziness that led to the birth of religion makes you wonder about all religions
March 2, 2022
Unexpectedly interesting and sobering bio of Muhammad, CEO of Islam™, harvesting from the Koran, the Hadeeths and the Sira, suggesting mundane origins (Mohammad's childhood trauma and resulting psychopathy) of the man's ideology.
August 21, 2023
The story of Last Prophet. This book shows how Muhammed became a Prophet because of his circumstances. The language used in this book is mild. This book also shows how the idea created by one man will harm the entire humanity. The idea of Islam is grown beyond Muhammed, and it has to halt..
June 7, 2024
I don't know how a Muslim could read this book and still remain a Muslim. The book shatters every myth about Muhammad and does it with the hammer of Islam's own literature. This is one Humpty Dumpty that can never be put back together again.
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