Muhammad: Forty Introductions

by Michael Muhammad Knight

He ranks among the most venerated historical figures in the world, as well as the most contested. Muhammad: Forty Introductions offers a distinct and nuanced take on the life and teachings of Muhammad the prophet, using a traditional genre of Islamic literature called the “forty hadiths“ collection.

Hadiths are the reported sayings and actions of Muhammad that have been collected by the tens of thousands throughout Islamic history. There is a tradition in which Muslim scholars take from this vast textual ocean to compile their own smaller collections of forty hadiths, an act of curation that allows them to present their particular understanding of Muhammad’s legacy and the essential points of Islam.

Here, Michael Muhammad Knight provides forty windows into the diverse ways in which Muslims envision Muhammad. He also examines his own relationship to Muslim traditions while exploring such topics as law, mysticism, sectarianism, gender, and sexuality. By revealing the Prophet to be an ongoing construction, he carefully unravels notions about Islam’s center and margins.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, Spirituality, Theology

320 pages, Paperback

Published January 8, 2019

About the author

Michael Muhammad Knight (born 1977) is an American novelist, essayist, and journalist. His writings are popular among American Muslim youth. The San Francisco Chronicle described him as "one of the most necessary and, paradoxically enough, hopeful writers of Barack Obama's America," while The Guardian has described him as "the Hunter S. Thompson of Islamic literature," and his non-fiction work exemplifies the principles of gonzo journalism. Publishers Weekly describes him as "Islam's gonzo experimentalist." Within the American Muslim community, he has earned a reputation as an ostentatious cultural provocateur.

He obtained a master's degree from Harvard University in 2011 and is a Ph.D. student in islamic studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every question we ask, every fact we seem to internalize, every belief system we come across is shaped by context - both internal and external. I do believe in objective truth - but I think that truth is found just as much on the mystical/spiritual level as it is on the scientific level. I also believe that the truth can look different to each and every once of us. MY demands on the truth come in when I insist on the presence of love for truth to be valid. If your truth doesn’t teach kindness and compassion to others, to nature or to self then I don't want any part of whatever truth it is you claim to be advocating. I believe that these demands are central to Islam, but you may see it differently. It doesn't matter - Islam is big enough to accept a multiplicity of diverse views that can even contradict one another and often do even in traditionally "orthodox" settings, despite how upsetting this will be to dogmatic believers (who practice a fundamentalism that sounds the same no matter what religion/ideology they claim to follow).

And just as that dogmatic fundamentalism looks the same on one level, the truth also looks the same in higher mystical settings. I came to a place where to increase knowledge (and proximity to the Absolute), I had to dive into a particular tradition (Islam in this case) - it's more like a language with its own literature and grammatical rules if you want to use the analogy. It's all symbols in the end that dissolve in ultimate Truth/Love. This is how I view religion as I believe there are many paths up the mountain to the same truth. Why I came to Islam is another story, but I did and it now speaks for me personally more than other traditions. I've had different levels of engagement with it, I've been passionate with my studies and fallen away and I certainly am not one to look to for any sort of ”orthodox” ideal in practice.

All of this is why I've been able to relate to Knight on a personal level more than any other modern Muslim I've read. He questions, he engages and he shows the social contingencies that have shaped Islam. What he's done here is shown how a tradition has continued to thrive through multiple readings, cultural settings, social demands, political issues, etc... he's done this through looking at just a few ideas of who Muhammad was/continues to be and why it's impossible to lock Muhammad down to a singular image.

[Mustafa Olomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy but profound read with a diversity of views on Islam and Prophet Muhammad, approaching it from an academic, multicultural, and deeply personal point of view. My favorite book on Prophet Muhammad so far.

I grew up in a very strict Muslim country so when I got older I took every chance to argue with close-minded religious people around me, many times in unproductive ways. I always came at it from someone on the edges of the community because it was really hard to accept much of what I learned living in the Middle East. Now that I’m older, and hopefully wiser, it has been a great experience to learn about Islam in it’s true form, and Michael Muhammed Knight has been a great resource and inspiration for me. In Knight’s book, I read things I never imagined possible in the confines of Islamic texts like sympathy for suicide victims, understanding & normalizing queerness, even regarding the Prophet, and so much more. Some beliefs that are taken as gospel by much of the community are truly just gut feelings when we examine them; people have willed things into a supposed “orthodoxy”. Orthodoxy btw is a loaded and problematic term in religion because it perpetuates the dysfunctional modern religious structure and legitimizes one view over all others.

Knight is careful to share various sources from most of the branches of Islam and always explains where they stand in terms of various lenses of accuracy i.e. their alleged legitimacy in the various hadith transmission traditions. On top of this, he explains how “traditional” narratives are guided mostly by one exclusionary branch, which is the equivalent of only having Fox News as the main source of information for the community. In my experience, most people that live on the margins of the religion can carry a lot of religious trauma and Knight’s book is a gentle reminder that diversity exists, even if it is spread out under the giant looming shadow of Wahabi Islam.

The book is a great and accessible read that I will be returning to, especially given the state of the culture wars in America. It’s a frustrating time and dangerous for many, especially for those in the LGBTQ+ community that are being targeted by new laws, hate, and physical violence. According to the ACLU 474 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced so far in 2023 alone. American Right-wing organizations are sending hundreds of millions of dollars and resources across the country to fuel the fire.

For those that don’t know, this week over 100 close-minded Muslim scholars just signed a petition saying that peaceful coexistence with LGBTQ+ doesn’t mean acceptance and are attempting to recriminalize queerness religiously. It’s a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the far right movement after playing the other side and gaining centrist and progressive Muslims under Trump and his Muslim ban. It’s also a walking back on the entire LGBTQ+ community. Mosques around the county are also now having events that are spreading anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. The mosque next to where I used to live in Southern California has an event named “Where the Rainbow Ends: A Muslim's Guide to the LGBTQ+ Movement.” The discussions among my own are getting increasingly toxic and it feels like people who were once accepting are threatened, angry, and lashing out; many using the guise of religion to do so. My religious reading is deeply personal because I can take space, but still have to witness a hijacking of my community and extended family, and it will personally impact the world my son lives in.

Much of this is new, Islam was tolerant for much of its history. There’s an amazing podcast named Head on History that has an episode on gay love in Islamic history which goes above and beyond this book on the subject, and I was totally surprised and fascinated. There’s even an episode on trans and non-binary rights in the Islamic world during the Prophet’s time. Earlier episodes talk about the history of Islam and are fun, deep, and very well-researched. The host, Ali A. Olomi, is a cousin of mine (same last name) and he is a history professor at Loyola Marymount University with a big fan base already and I'm a huge fan either way. He hasn’t had new episodes in a while but mentioned on Twitter that he’s adding more episodes in the coming days on how Islamic views on LGBTQ+ shifted due to colonialism in the modern world.

Here's the link to the podcast:
http://aliolomi.com/head-on-history-p...

Or the iTunes link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast...

[Miss Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

the idea of creating entry points to different views of muhammad (pbuh) through an arba'in is an interesting one and knight's writing is extremely readable. i ran into a few hadith i was unfamiliar with here and had the immediate urge to look into their isnad which probably says a few things about me (one of them likely being that i am really not suited to postmodernism). i look forward to reading more of knight's work!

4 stars

[Lubna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this unique take on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by examining his life and how it’s been interpreted and understood by Muslims through the vehicle of a 40 Hadith compilation. I learned about some hadiths I had never heard of before and I thought this was overall a really thoughtful book.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, another one that is, gradually, allowing me to come to a fuller understanding of Islam. The basic premise of Knight's book isn't so strange, really, that though the Quran is at the center of the Islamic faith, another way to enter that faith is through the figure of Muhammad and stories about his own life, haditha. Knight explains this better than I can, but collections of haditha, often in groups of forty like this one, alongside commentary and exegesis, are a longstanding part of Islamic tradition, reinforcing the way that muslims for centuries have been living out their faith through contemplation of his life. This is a strikingly simple recognition, but still striking, the way whenever some Catholic speaker is on the radio, they talk more about the example of Jesus than the words of the Bible.

So, that's the basic frame for Knight's book, but he gives it a postmodern twist, to show how the stories of Muhammad are various enough and interpreted widely enough that there's a variety of ways to use these haditha to authorize different versions of muslim experience. His book also enters into other questions about muslim life, including how to make sense of the Sunni-Shi'i conflict, what the nature of Saudi wahabism really is, how muslims practice their religion, etc. For all the talk of his supposed bad behavior, this is mostly a pretty reverent and restrained book, but there are moments here that are striking and surprisingly transgressive. But mostly, it's a careful study of a faith whose expressions are varied, with a side of just why that variety should be expected and celebrated. Good reading; I learned a lot, and I really liked Knight's patient but engaged intellectual style here; it was like being in the undergrad seminar on Muhammad that feels like was maybe the early version of this book.

[Michael Ferrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Muhammad Knight's books just keep getting better! It's been a pleasure to read along as he has made the transition from punk zine writer to university professor. This book was a joy to read. First because it was so informative and so clearly articulates complex ideas. Second because of the love that clearly went into it and overflows its pages. Of all Knight's books I've read (I haven't read all of them) this one did the best job complicating Muhammad's legacy, showing that far from being a monolith, Islam has always been a multifaceted community. Based on that history, Knight makes a compelling case for a more inclusive and affirming Islam. The book is based on the traditional genre of the forty hadith (stories about Muhammad) collection. The Islam Knight presents here seems radical, but he also positions his ideas in history to show that they are not new to Islam.

I want to share this quote describing amina wadud's philosophy that I found especially moving: "... humanity's role as God's representative on earth means that we must pursue a nonhierarchical human unity that mirrors the perfect unity of Allah. When we violate our shared humanity with ideologies of patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, racial and ethnic supremacy, patriotism, religious bigotry, or abelism, we perform a kind of idolatry. Growing as a believer and one who surrenders, in wadud's reading of tawhid, means resisting these culturally learned impulses to deify ourselves at the expense of others."

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for everyone. And there were a lot of highs and lows. But on the whole -- I found this to be incredibly profound.

[Mia Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[KVoorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is like taking a running tour through a whole museum curated by your tour guide. He will not slow down on this run, but he also refuses to let you miss any context or piece in the collection. It makes for an invigorating but occasionally very frustrating experience.

[aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I recieved an advanced readers copy of this book. It might have come through goodreads? Unclear, I was happily surprised to find it in the mail.

I greatly enjoyed this book and found it thoughtful and informative. I've previously read Knight's Taqwacores, Tripping with Allah, and various essays, and I am happy to read his reflections on his developments as a writer, seeker, and academic. Those sections may be less captivating for the uninitiated, but for those who appreciate self-reflexive writing it's an admirable display of humility.

In this book, Knight follows and subverts a traditional practice of compiling forty hadith with interpretations. Typically these collections are written with emphasis on authenticity of hadith and its transmission, and the authority of the compiler. Knight addresses these issues through a postmodern lens that makes hadith a case study of the evolution of Muslim societies and theological discussion. Several chapters include robust literature reviews of historical and contemporary scholars, and yet other chapters incorporate other methods of inquiry, such as queer theory. The central question for each chapter is "what does this tell me (Knight) about Muhammad (the Prophet)?"

To fully enjoy this book, the reader needs a basic background in Islam. There's a few Arabic words and theological concepts that are under-translated for an unfamiliar audience. I think this would be an excellent text for someone who has taken an Intro class or comparable exposure to Islamic history, particularly to expand their understanding of the role of text in Muslim practice.

[Roger DeBlanck · Rating 4 out of 5]

God entrusted Muhammad as His messenger to recite the final divine word of guidance and instruction to humankind as compiled in the holy Quran. The history and life of the Prophet, however, rests in much more mystery relying on the hadith and the sunna to understand Muhammad’s great ministry and leadership. The hadith serves as the vast collection of narrations preserved by those who interacted with the Prophet and passed down their stories over time to other credible preservers. This chain of narrations captures the actual words and deeds of the Prophet. Therefore, the hadith serves as eyewitness stories, reports, and news of what Muhammad said and how he acted throughout his life. The sunna recounts the memories people have of the Prophet’s life and how customs and traditions have evolved around his teachings.

Michael Muhammad Knight has studied the hadith and chosen his favorites in Muhammad: Forty Introductions. Each of the narrations he shares are fascinating, and each works to show the compassion, patience, tolerance, generosity, and peacefulness of the Prophet’s life. My favorite is the story of the Prophet telling those who care for orphans that they will receive paradise like the certainty of their index and middle fingers aligning next to each other on their hands. I admire Knight’s incredible knowledge of Islam and his extensive study of the Prophet’s life, but I found his commentary on the hadiths to be dense in its erudition. For a more immersive reading experience of the Prophet’s life and the history of Islam, seek out Reza Aslan’s masterpiece No god but God.

[Carla (literary.infatuation) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In many Muslim context, I am also a loser; I tend to associate with the wrong groups and cite the wrong sources. For quite a few Muslims, my name is dirt.” - Michael Muhammad Knight. .

I like to read biographies of the Prophet that speak of his qualities rather than historical context or are a long quote from the Quran. So, this one by a very unorthodox personality caught my attention. I was warned that he was a provocateur who had no credibility. Even Knight seems to be aware of this. He starts this book by apologizing for his first book, The Taqwacores, about a fictitious Islamic punk-rock scene. But also stressing the forgiving and charitable character of Islam.

I gotta say, I liked this book. I really liked that this book gives representation to a wide variety of personal understanding of Islam, from hardcore orthodox to really out-there interpretations. He gives voice to those who don’t get a mike, ever. He does quote very fringe and questionable hadiths and he seems to be either trying to provoke or pandering to a liberal non-Muslim audience. It is written in a gonzo style, full of Star War references (I’m not complaining) and more of a reflection of a counterculture than what the vast majority of Muslims today believe. But I found myself nodding through many passages. It is not a scholarly work but a guys’ opinion of the diversity of Islam and the exemplary nature of the Prophet. And that is something that I can agree with.

[Logan Kruck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Knight writes an academic introduction to Muhammad, Islamic history, and modern understandings through the style of Hadith - stories of the life of the prophet, Muhammad, as commentary and interpretation of the Qur’an. Overall, the book is dense and academic. But, taking it chapter at a time, each piece is accessible and needs time to be pondered. As a Christian minister and educator, I found this book to be eye opening with the variations of Islamic cultures, practices, and practical understandings. Further, the stories of Fathima and Aliyah (Muhammad’s daughter and wife respectively) are absolutely necessary for understanding Islamic faith, practice, suffering, and form-of-life.

[Silyara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing book. It indeed offers introductions to Muhammad (and through that Islam) from many perspectives. It raises more questions than it answers, leaving the reader to consider the possibilities and come to their own conclusion. It may not be a “mainstream” view of Islam, at the author’s own description, but it still introduces many ideas and opens the door.

[Ltopo McFly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't 40 introductions to hadith but 40 hadiths used as introductions to Michael Knight's essays. If you've read his stuff, you'll know he's a very provocative and controversial Muslim convert who plays a "punk rock Muslim" role against the Muslim community while pushing standard Western academic views of non-Muslims. Thats the case here. He chooses many hadiths based not on any real philosophical or spiritual wisdom; only to be sensational or defend his own unpopular version of Islam. As an academic scholar, the book is packed with sources but mainly from non-Muslims on Islam or very over-cited Sufis they also embrace. He gives no modern Muslim commentators any mind, as if the last 200 years of Islam never happened except extremely heretical groups like the Nation of Islam if they support his atheistic Western views.

The book will share a lot of obscure tidbits about fringe Muslim beliefs and the outrageous hadiths are kind of entertaining but this is exploitation, like all Knight's books. He's not a real or even sincere Muslim and makes a career from the loose non-Muslim argument that he is.

[Joules · Rating 4 out of 5]

My assumption is this book would appeal to someone growing up in this generation, or someone who finds themselves identifying with it. The author observes that we all look at Religion through our own lens - this entails the times that find Islam in can greatly influences what materials we are exposed to and how Islam is sold to us. I liked the presentations of Islam across time and the lack of conclusions of what is wrong or right. What I take issue with personally is being exposed to sexual references relating to certain figures, incidents that happened to animals and controversies between Companions that I would have prefered never to learn about at any point in time. I am saying I wish there were a trigger warning at the start of the chapters. I was lucky enough to have a mentor once who correctly identified to me to avoid reading certain materials that may make question Islam. It is unnecessary.

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf. Man, I want to read philosophy and religious books. This one sounded so interesting.

The very start was about forgiving someone who peed in your church. It didn’t get much better after that. Besides, I’d be pretty mad at somebody who peed in my church. I failed at the very first hadith. Oh, well.

[Shameer Ks · Rating 4 out of 5]

To travel in the darkness of modernity in light of tradition, one needs the light to be as bright as possible. If torch bearers blow it out in their attempt to brighten it, we are lost. Michael Muhammad Knight keeps the light bright even at moments it appears to flicker—when indigestible aspects of the tradition makes one despondent

[Michael Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a bunch of Knight's books and enjoyed all of them (except Five Percenters) and I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It's a modern take on the Islamic Fourty Hadith tradition, Knight writes in a scholarly, accessible manner for non-muslims to understand Muhammad through Fourty introductions. The chapters I found most interesting where Knowledge of Self and Queering Muhammad.

[Densu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new way of looking at things

Michael Muhammad Knight is a scholar of our times! Very thought provoking book, well written and referenced; also good how it refers to other similar works on similar themes such as the works of Dr Shahab Ahmad

[JTGlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I wanted to learn more about Islam, so I gave this a try. I learned about these 40 hadiths, but mostly it was longwinded, self centered and repetitive. Sometimes it just reads like parts of a dissertation, too heavy in the “publish or perish” vibe.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish it because I had to return it to the library, but I had time to read it. However, I didn't find it a very absorbing book, although it's a very interesting topic.

[forky wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read about the Faith and modernity.

[Daniel Almaguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly one of a kind. i hope we get more books from him.

[Mjau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but very westerner