Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman

by William Montgomery Watt

A short account of the life and achievements of one of the great figures of history, this volume also serves as an excellent introduction to one of the world's major religions.

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

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 1961

About the author

William Montgomery Watt was a Scottish historian, an Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Watt was one of the foremost non-Muslim interpreters of Islam in the West, was an enormously influential scholar in the field of Islamic studies and a much-revered name for many Muslims all over the world." Watt's comprehensive biography of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, Muhammad at Mecca (1953) and Muhammad at Medina (1956), are considered to be classics in the field .

Watt held visiting professorships at the University of Toronto, the Collège de France, and Georgetown University, and received the American Giorgio Levi Della Vida Medal and won, as its first recipient, the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies award for outstanding scholarship.

Reviews

[Imran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most Muslims, I have studied the Prophetic biography from Muslim sources that present the life of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as a moral, ethical, and spiritual guide for everyday behavior. However, now that I am studying Islam in a western institution I thought it would be necessary to read an objective, academic account on the life of the Islam’s final prophet. I chose W. Montgomery Watt’s abridged biography, Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman, because it is known as the standard introduction to Seerah (i.e. the life and times of the Prophet Muhammad) in western academia. Doctor Watt (d. 2006 CE) was a historian, a priest of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Edinburgh. When I read that he was once referred to as the last orientalist I knew I would be engaging a text that would challenge the historicity of many aspects of the Seerah I had accepted as uncontested truths. First published in 1961, the 240-page work is an abridgment of his two longer works, Muhammad at Mecca and Muhammad at Medina. Many of the questions that are raised in this book may well be addressed in the larger volumes. It follows a chronological order to help readers gain a clearer picture of Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) life and achievements.

Doctor Watt makes interesting observations about the authenticity of Seerah sources. He holds that the primary source for the Seerah is the Qur’an, but because it is fragmentary as a historical record it presupposes knowledge of the general outline of Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) life. Also, he notes that the historical reliability of hadith literature, which is mainly concerned with legal or theological issues, is highly criticized by western scholars. However, he accepts that the material in the early biographies, such as Ibn Ishaaq’s (d. 768 CE) Seerah and al-Waqidi’s (d. 822 CE) Maghaazi, is to be accepted as true. At times, however, I was left confused about how Doctor Watt decides which accounts in the Seerah are factual and which are mythical. While casting the famous meeting with Bahira the monk as mere legend, he writes about the historically controversial incident of the Satanic verses with great certainty. As a general observation, reading the Seerah through a hermeneutic of suspicion requires mental and emotional adjustment for Muslims who are accustomed to receiving the account through a hermeneutic of acceptance. Due to many events being put on trial, one can easily disregard this work as another piece of Islamophobic propaganda aimed to smear the character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). However, Doctor Watt is critical of both Muslim idealization and European denigration and writes that both approaches are inadequate ways to understand the Prophet. He writes, “In the modern world, where contacts between Christians and Muslims are closer that ever before, it is urgent that both should strive to reach an objective view of Muhammad’s character.” He calls for practical consideration and scholarly zeal to cultivate the study and spread of more accurate information on the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him). Ultimately, he views the Prophet as possessing four qualities that ensured the success of the early Muslim community. First, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) astute vision enabled him to introduce a framework of ideas that remedied the social issues of 7th century Arabia. Second, his wisdom as a statesman allowed him to implement a political strategy that had advantages well into the future. Third, his skill in appointing competent leaders as deputies and military leaders ensured future sustainability of his political strategy. Fourth, his incredible trust in God and firm belief that God had tasked him with the mission of conveying the Qur’an inspired him to achieve all that he did in his life.

Every work of Seerah seems to have a quality that distinguishes it from other accounts. Martin Lings’ (d. 2005 CE) work is known for having a poetic style with a lot of genealogical information. Tariq Ramadan’s work is known for contemplating the wisdoms behind key events in the Seerah. What distinguishes Doctor Watt’s book from other Seerah works? The most salient characteristics of his account are as follows. First, unlike Lings, there aren’t as many names mentioned in this Seerah. Only the main characters of a particularly event are mentioned. This made it easier for me to understand what actually happened. Second, the biography seems to avoid the Divine as much as possible. This was the most unique characteristic for me since all Muslim narratives of the Seerah assume God and the metaphysical as the driving forces behind events. Watt claims simply that, “involved in the conception of Muhammad’s special mission was the receiving of ‘revelations’ or messages from God.” It is important to note that because he is working under the western academic framework, he cannot make the faith-based claims that Muslim biographers do. At least this is how I have understood western academia. I believe it is for this reason that alleged miracles in the Seerah are briefly mentioned if not completely erased. In the case of the night of ascension, which only receives three lines of text, he fails to explain one of the most powerful sources of inspiration for Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his early followers. When explaining how the sequence of the Qur’an was decided he alleges that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rearranged and even omitted verses in the Qur’an. This is incredibly problematic since Muslims claim to have sound narrations of the angel Gabriel coming down from the heavens to teach him the correct order. Because the metaphysical claims of the Seerah are ignored, the book mainly looks into the political and strategic implications of events. Doctor Watt essentially claims that Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) new religion, Islam, borrowed heavily from Christianity and Judaism. According to him, the Prophet aimed to model Islam after these traditions by instituting elements such as the fast of Ashoora, making the direction for prayer originally towards Jerusalem, and holding Friday prayers that are modeled after pre-Sabbath preparations. Doctor Watt fails to at least acknowledge the Qur’an’s claim that it confirms the Abrahamic traditions of the past and in many cases corrects obfuscations. I do, however, appreciate his analysis on how Islam incorporates pagan practices by giving them a new significance. For example, the old practice of lapidation of stone pillars during the pilgrimage was newly interpreted as the stoning of devils and so rendered harmless and unchanged. Additionally, Doctor Watt’s thoughts on why the Medinans invited Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to lead them is quite unique and brilliant. After explaining the state of constant conflict and lack of leadership, he writes, “much of the attraction of inviting Muhammad lay in the fact that he would be neutral and would be able to decide their disputes impartially.” I find this analysis very convincing while still acknowledging that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) truly convinced the Medinans of his message. Another distinguishing trait of this Seerah is its understanding of the various marriages of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Doctor Watt refutes western claims that these marriages were done for licentious reasons, but stresses the strategic advantages that many of the marriages possessed. It made me rethink the role of marriage in 7th century Arabia and how pivotal his marriages were in securing political power. There are many more interesting takes on the Seerah that are worth examining. In the end, Doctor Watt admits that, “The religious aspect was almost certainly always uppermost in his [Muhammad’s] thoughts, and the motive which drove him on was the desire to fulfill God’s command to spread Islam… Somehow or other, though he thought in terms of religious ideas, he must have been aware of the political realities.” This much I have no problem accepting.

I greatly enjoyed reading this work as it challenged many aspects of the Seerah Muslim authors rarely entertain. I highly recommend this book to those who have domain knowledge of the Seerah and are looking for a more critical, yet balanced, account of the life and times of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to learn more about Islam and its founder Muhammad so I picked up this book at Books at a Steal. It was not easy to read because of all the Arabic names, the writer's style of writing, and maybe I'm just too old to take in so much new information. I now have a broad understanding of the times Muhammad lived in and the culture. I do not have enough information on Islam and the connections to Christianity and Judaism; therefore, I will look for another book on Islam.

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an immensely important book in the field of islamic history; it is a critical life of Muhammed. It was written in the 1960s and still hasn't become dated; much of the analysis in this highly praised work have influenced many scholars of islam since.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written if fairly dry biography. While written from a Western prospective, this book is still balanced and the author proceeds with the assumption that the Prophet is neither a dishonest opportunist nor a madman. While not shying away from the political realities of 7th Century Arabia, he assumes that Muhammad is generally acting in good faith. He addresses the political, social and philosophical evolution of the Muslim faith, from the Prophet's first revelations to the early days of the "Pax Islamica." 3 stars.

[Can Sakarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazreti Muhammed: Peygamber ve Devlet Adamı / William Montgomery Watt, 3. Baskı 2019, İstanbul, İletişim Yayınları 
Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman, 1961 Oxford University Press

Aşağıda kitaptan tarihsel olarak önemli bulduğum yerleri alıntıladım.


 
Mekke’de doğan Hz. Muhammed 53 yaşına dek hayatının büyük kısmını orada geçirdi. Mekkeliler tacirdi ve Suriye’ye kervanlar gönderiyorlardı. Bu tacirler Şam’a ya da Gazze’ye gidince Bizans’ın nüfuz alanlarına giriyordu.
 
Bizans ve Sasani Hanedanlığı yönetimindeki Fars imparatorluğu, Arabistan açısından 2 büyük güçtü.
 
Sf12 Monofizit: Hz. İsa’nın hem Tanrı hem insan olduğu görüşüne sahip kişi ya da kiliseler
Bizans, Habeşlileri Monofizit ya da sapkın olarak adlandırsa da Farslara karşı Habeşlilerle ittifak yapıyordu.
 
Bizans, Gassani prenslerini; Fars imparatorluğu, Lahmidleri destekledi Arabistan’a hakimiyet için.
Yahudiler siyaseten çoğunlukla Fars yanlısıydı.
 
Sf15 Hz. Muhammed’in babası Abdullah o doğmadan önce ölmüştü. Haşimi (Kureyş) kabilesinin lideri Hz.Muhammed’in dedesi Abdulmuttalib, Hz. Muhammed’i himayesine aldı. Ancak Hz. Muhammed çocukluk yıllarının çoğunu bir başka kabileye mensup annesi (Amine) ile geçirdi. 6 yaşındayken annesi, 8inde dedesi vefat etti, Haşimi kabilesinin yeni lideri olan Ebu Talib onun bakımını üstlendi.
25 yaşındayken mülkiyete ve bağımsızlığa sahip ve o vakte dek 2 kocası olmuş olan Hatice’yle evlendi Hz.Muhammed. Boşanma Mekke’de yaygındı. 4 kız, 2 oğlanları oldu.
 
Sf30İlk inen ayetlerin çoğunda cümleler kısa ve ritmik olup kafiye ve benzer seslerle biter.
‘Oku’ olarak çevrilen ‘iqra’ sözcüğü “Kur’an” ile aynı kökten gelmektedir ve Kur’an ‘ezbere okuma’ (zikr) olarak çevrilebilir. Ancak bu sözcüğün Süryanice kiryana’dan (qeryana) geldiği açık ve Hıristiyan toplu ibadetlerinde kutsal kitaptan metinler okumalarına ve ya ezbere terennüm etmelerine atıfta bulunulmaktadır.
 
Sf45 Hz. Muhammed’e ilk iman eden ve Müslüman olan kişinin eşi Hatice olduğunda herkes hemfikirdir.
 
Sf61 İslam’ı ortaya çıkaran asıl şartlar, Mekkelilerin göçebe dünya görüşü (Mekke kayalık olduğundan tarım yapılamıyor) ile kendilerini içinde buldukları yeni iktisadi (ticari zenginlik) ortam arasındaki zıtlıktır.
Sf61/2  Mekke’deki kabile/aşiret dayanışmasının yerini bireycilik almıştı. Bu ticaretin büyümesinden kaynaklıydı. Kabilenin daha yoksul üyelerine göz kulak olma şeklindeki geleneksel reisliğe isteksizdi yeni zenginler. İlk ayetlerde ‘küstahlık’, ‘cimrilik’, ‘servetten duyulan gururlanma’dan söz edilmesi boşuna değil o yüzden.
Sf65 Çöl toplumunun bazı erdemleri, yeni şehirli toplumda yeniden canlandırılmaya çalışılmaktaydı.
 
Sf70 Erkam 25 yaşlarında bir delikanlıydı. Mekke’nin en zengin ve güçlü kişilerinden bazılarının kabilesi olan Mahzum kabilesindendi. Hz.Muhammed onun evinde kaldı bir süre.
 
Sf89  615 yılı dolaylarında Hz.Muhammed’e karşı muhalefetin idaresi yaşça büyük olanlardan kendi yaşındaki birine, Mahzum kabilesinden Ebu Cehil’e geçmişti.
Sf92 Ebu Cehil, Haşimi kabilesini Erdemliler Birliği’ndeki diğer kabilelerden tecrit ettirdi.
 
Sf94  619da Ebu Talib ve Hatice vefat etti. Hz.Muhammed, Sevde ile evlendi. Ebu Talib ölünceHaşimi kabilesinin reisi, kardeşi Ebu Leheb oldu. O, Hz. Muhammed’in koruyuculuğundan vazgeçti. Hz.Muhammed, Mekke’yi terk etmek zorunda hissetti.80 km ötedeki Taif’i denedi, orada taşlandı.
Sf102 Mekke’nin 500 km kuzeyindeki Medine 40km2lik bir vahaydı ve geçimini hurma ve tahıl yetiştirerek sağlıyordu.
 
Sf104 Medine Vesikası’nda aşiretlerden değil sadece kabilelerden söz edilir.
Sf112 Medine Vesikası, Medine halkının yeni bir tür siyasi birim, bir ümmet ya da topluluk oluşturmaya başladıklarının kabul edildiğine dair bir işarettir. İslam öncesi tarihte şahsi niteliklere sahip kişilerin liderliğinde bu tür federasyonların çok örneği vardır.
 
Sf121  623 Nisan’ında Hz.Muhammed, 9 yaşındaki Ayşe’yle evlendi.
 
Sf139  Bedir Savaşı(15 Mart 624): Mekkeli büyük bir kervanın Mekke’ye dönmek için Gazze’den yola çıktığı haberi alındı. Rivayete göre kervanda yer alan bin deve 50bin dinar değerindeydi ve Mekke’nin en kurnaz kişilerinden biri olan Ebu Süfyan bin Harb’ın yönetimindeydiler. Hz. Muhammed 300den fazla kişiyi topladı. Ebu Süfyan ve kervanı bunun haberini alınca kurtuldu ama Ebu Cehil de adamlarıyla gelmişti. Hz. Muhammed kuyuları kapattırdı, Mekke ordusu su bulamaz oldu. Ebu Cehil de dahil birçok ileri gelen Mekkeli öldürüldü.
Sf150 Bedir’den sonra Kaynuka Yahudileri kabilesinin sürülmesi gerçekleşti. Bu olaydan sonra Medine’nin iç ticaretinin büyük bir kısmı muhacirlerin eline geçti.
 
624 Eylülünde Hz. Muhammed bir başka kızı Ümmü Gülsüm’ü sonradan 3.halife olacak Osman’la evlendirdi. Osman önceden Ümmü Gülsüm’ün kızkardeşi Rukiye’yle evliydi ama Rukiye vefat etmişti.
625 Ocak’ında Hz. Muhammed, sonradan 2.halife olacak olan Ömer’in kızı Hafsa’yla evlendi.
 
Mart 625te Uhud Savaşı:  Ebu Süfyan liderliğinde Mekkeliler 3000 kişiydi, 700ü zırhlıydı. Herkesin devesi vardı, 200 de atları vardı.
Sf174 Uhud Savaşı’nda Müslümanların uğradığı can kayıpları sonrası modern İslami sistemdeki çokeşliliğe atfedilecek ayetler inmişti. İslam öncesi Medine’de ortak ataları bir kadın olan aşiretler Mekke’dekinden fazlaydı.
 
Sf190 Medine Kuşatması Müslümanlar tarafından Hendek Savaşı olarak da bilinir. 627de oldu, 15 gün sürdü. Sürgündeki Yahudi Nadir kabilesi de Mekkelileri destekledi.
 
Sf206  Hz.Muhammed’in kuzey güzergahına olan ilgisi rastlantı değil yazara göre. Kuzeydeki kabileler bir ölçüde Hıristiyanlaşmış Farsların (614ten 629a dek süren) Suriye’yi işgaliyle umutsuzluğa kapılmıştı.
 
Hudeybiye Seferi ve Anlaşması
 
Sf215 Hayber’in fethi (628). Hayber Yahudileri, özellikle de Medine’den sürgün edilen Nadir kabilesi liderleri hala Hz.Muhammed’e kızgındı ve Arapları kışkırtıyordu.
Sf216 Hayberlilerle Hz.Muhammed arasındaki anlaşmada sonraki İslam imparatorluğunun temellerinden biri haline gelecek olan yeni bir ilke ortaya kondu. Buna göre, Yahudiler toprakları işlemeye devam edecek ama ürünün yarısını Müslüman sahiplerine verecekti.
Sf217 Hayber’in düşüşü ve diğer Yahudi kolonilerin teslim oluşu, Hz.Muhammed’in hayatının geri kalanında Yahudi meselesinin sona erdiğine işarettir. Yahudilerin halife Ömer tarafından Hicaz’dan çıkarılması sonraki bir tarihtedir.
 
Sf224 Uzun yıllardan beri Mekke’nin önde gelen tacirlerinin arasında 2 grup olageldi. Mahzum grubu 624te Bedir’deki ölümüne dek Ebu Cehil tarafından yönetildi. Diğerini Ebu Süfyan yönetiyordu.
 
Huneyn sonraıs Hz.Muhammed Medine’ye dönünce, kabileler heyetler gönderip ittifak arayışına girdi.

[iljowder Abdulla Khalid · Rating 5 out of 5]

بحثت عن عبقرية محمد عند العقاد ولكني وجدتها عن مونتغمري واط .

من المؤسف حقاً عدم وجود الطاقة والرغبة مؤخراً للكتابة عن الكتب الي اعجبتني وهذا واحد منهم بلاشك

[Ryker Peene]

One of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while

[Muhammad Fadel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book after reading Prophet Seerah by Marting Lings. There are some life events of the Prophet that kinda hard for you to make sense of given his noble character, to name a few: the initial attempt of stealing the Meccan caravan, the decision to have multiple wives, the 'genocide' of Banu Qurayza. When I browse over Wikipedia, I find this book quoted quite much as a reference. I have to be thankful for Imran's review at the top of the comment section, which convinces me to read the book.

This book is no seerah, or not to the level of details that other Seerah had. Dr Watt himself translates the seerah work of Al-Tabari to English, 'Muhammad in Mecca', and 'Muhammad in Medina'. This book, I believe, serve as additional commentaries upon the struggle of the Prophet in reforming the social situation in Arabia at that time, as well as the discussion on controversial decisions or life events which some have been mentioned above.

This is my first time reading the commentaries of Prophet from an orientalist, which mostly coming from the Western scholars. Unlike majority Moslem scholars, in the very beginning, he challenges the very notion that the Qur'an is revealed by God to the Prophet, but rather as a product of creative imagination. Although we should not rush to make any conclusion, as later in the very last paragraph of this book, he opens up the possibilities of Prophet himself is truly the messenger of God. However, I could say Dr. Watt maintains the fairness of his opinion for the Prophet. Besides the challenge of the status of Prophet as a messenger and the disregard of Divine help in many occasions of Prophet's life event, other stories are pretty authentic which can be found in majority Moslem scholar works.

The first interesting theme of the book is the discussion on the key issues that was address by the Prophet when he was preaching Islam. Most of the scholars leaning towards the potential revenue loss received from pilgrimage activities to Ka'bah. However, Dr Watt argues that such argument is weak, and rather suggest that Prophet's attempt to tackle inequalities (which became one of the central theme in early Meccan revelation) and bring reform that worries Meccan richest the most. They worried that Prophet's might gain significant amount of followers and took the throne from the clan of richest Merchant. Meccans use the argument of protecting ancestral belief to coat their true intention, to make their persecutions to early Moslem followers acceptable amongst Meccans .

Second interesting theme of the book is how Dr Watt use of cultural, political, and sociological perspective in analyzing Prophet's decision. An example of this is his conclusion on Prophet's decision to have many wives as purely a tribal/political consideration. Marriage will make one part of a clan, and when he marries to one of the powerful clan, attack on him might not be easy as before since Arab honour the protection given to member of the clan.

I also like his unorthodox view on Uhud's war, which he thought should not be consider as a defeat for the Moslem army. The fact that Prophet was still alive after being attacked by an army much greater than theirs was unexpected. Meccans was surely low in morale for having spent much to arrange for the war and yet unable to accomplished their main goals, while for Moslem is increase their morale, for should be more patience in claiming the ransom, they should won the war.

There are many other interesting discussion inside the book. I was glad reading this book, as it helps to enrich my view on the other perspective in interpreting Prophet's life event.

[Bilal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel slightly ambivalent about this book in which I will have to go into some detail so don’t expect a short review, maybe at the end I’ll write a short TLDR.

Keep in mind that I am an American Muslim so you have context into my belief for all transparent purposes.

Ultimately there was some issues I had with the book, some of which included the following.

No mention of elevating Jewish status in terms of blood money for the treaty of Medina, this is typically a very important event when taking into consideration Jewish relationship between the Classical Arabs and the status difference between both groups. A good amount of insinuation on behalf of the author instead of hard facts, he made a lot of assertions that were not wholly basis on factual evidence so it’s difficult to ascertain behaviors in some cases of a man that is deemed as a prophet or liar by so many people around the world.

A lot of minor events are given heavy credence to but a lot of major events can be slightly glossed over (according to Martin Lings, the punishment to Banu Qurayza was in accordance with Old Testament Deuteronomy 20:12, belief of the Jews) Another event like the “Satanic Verses” are expounded upon, and perhaps it is done so to satisfy more Nonmuslim readers to address so, but the issue in recognizing and expounding in that would require expounding and recognition of other religious revelations and events. I remember Muhammad Hamidullah made mention of an important stat that stuck with me, relating to the amount of land and area conquered by Muslims relating to how little amount of people died during the conquest, which is the top nation that managed to pull this off, this is large in part due to the message of the prophet. This has incredibly significant historical implications and was never discussed or touched upon in a secular book discussing the analysis of the prophet and his policies which to me is glaring.

Ultimately, I think Watt conducts a fair assessment and I don’t know if some details are missing because this is an abridgment. If you’re looking for an answer to “Is Muhammad a prophet?” I believe you will not find an answer in here. But, if you do not believe Muhammad is a prophet of God, you’re inclined to believe he is an incredible genius.

To create a stable form of government from that endured past his life and garner such a mega sphere of world influence that has persisted today from literally nothing but a belief in the word of God, and being expelled from a city with only a handful of followers takes a level of character that only few of any have achieved in the history of the World.

I would give this book a 7/10, although I had some issues with it, viewing the life and policies of the Prophet of Islam and conclusions Watt makes from him it in an objective modern western scholar lens was very insightful, as well as a good way to introduce a non-Muslim into the biography of the prophet.

[Rimshah Dar · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 starts. A Western perspective on Muhammad and the religion of Islam. Some of the personal commentary is jarring when the focus should be on the historical analysis of events, and despite Watts attempt to remain neutral— it becomes apparent what his personal views are on Muhammad and Islam.

Page 41. “Islam belongs to the Judeao-Christian tradition because it sprang up in a milieu that was permeated by Biblical ideas.”

Watt never explicitly states Muhammad is a prophet, at least not either his own personal belief tied to the statement and often maneuvers the syntax in a way where he does not have to state it. Much of the questions he had felt critical to the claims of prophethood and a slander to the religion of Islam. Some interpersonal aspects of Muhammad’s life was commented on extensively but not backed by any evidence or supporting claims.

It is what you would expect from a western scholar on a religion often riddled with prejudice.

[Ahmed Hayat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good short Western introduction and overview of the life of the Prophet (s). As a Muslim, and having read biographies of the Prophet Muhammad (s) from mainly Muslims persepctives, it is refreshing to read from a Western perspective and from someone who tries to give academic facts and not just bashment. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting an overview of the amazing and blessed life of Muhammad (s). Very easy to read and follow especially if you don't stick too much to the Arabic transliterated names.

[Kevin Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly biography of Muhammad looking at him as a religious figure and government administrator at the same time. This is the most truthful biography I've read and I think there might be. It's written so a popular audience can understand it. I've personally heard too many disparaging remarks on Muhammad without knowing the truth behind the accusations. Both sides seem to defend or attack him to hyperbole. This is a great remedy for those sort of conversations.

[Bharat Pallod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and concise

Good short read to give you an understanding on Islam and the life of Muhammad. Author gives a neutral perspective - doesn't romanticize any of Muhammad's actions, but also calls out what he says are traditional western biases. Overall it gave me an understanding of Muhammed as an incredible leader / thinker of his time, but probably not a messenger of God.

[Riz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely, a very good book on the life of Muhammad in which the author presents him as a human being having all human aspects. The author has logically pieced together many events from the life of Muhammad and presented them with his analyses.

At some places, I felt like the author was having a rather apologetic view. Hence, 4/5 stars.

[Andrew Roxby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little sparse and some of the takes in here feel dated, shading strangely into both Orientalism and a kind of reactive idealism at times. Still, though, a well written and researched academic look at Muhammad the consummate diplomat and strategist, and does a successful job sketching the pre-Islamic social and economic structure he reshaped forever.

[Carpasmeencasiola · Rating 2 out of 5]

It did the job.

I wanted to know more about the story of Muhammed. Now I know. Too bad it was served as dry as the desert it happened in. In less euphemistic terms we call it ‘academic writing', but hey what do I know?

More about Muhammed. That's what I know.

[نـــوّار · Rating 3 out of 5]

لغة ترجمة الكتاب صعبة جدًا غير سلسة.. ولكن الكاتب(واط) قدم دراسة تحليلة لشخصية محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم كنبي ورجل دولة.. يستحق الكتاب ترجمة أسهل وأسلوب سلس

[Saher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book at least every Muslim should read

[Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good intro in a compact size.

[Mehmet Dönmez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hz. Muhammedin peygamberliğine şüpheyle yaklaşan bir oryantalist tarihçi olan Montgomery Watt tarafından yazılmış sıradışı hayat hikayesi, beni o kadar etkiledi ki dün gece rüyamda çölde geçen savaş sahneleri gördüm sanırım...

Hz. Muhammed'in dünya üzerinde en çok iftiraya maruz bırakılan tarihsel karakter olduğu konusunda hakkını teslim ederken Watt, onun ilk zamanlarda paganist görüşlere yakın olduğunu iddia edecek kadar sansasyonel görüşlerini, Hz. Muhammedin siyasi nüfuzunu nasıl kademe kademe arttırdığını kronolojik gelişimle beraber veriyor.

İslam tarihinin en çok eleştirilen, hücum edilen tüm vakaları: Hz. Ayşenin kolyesi, Şeytan Ayetleri (yazara göre olay gerçektir), Hz. Muhammedin evlatlığıyla evlenmesi, Yahudilerle olan mücadelesi kitapta tüm detaylarıyla anlatılıyor, kitabın kıymeti benim için biraz da buradan geliyor.

[Brady Postma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a dusty, clinical biography of Muhammad that is more interested in the nature of the evidence than in telling a narrative story or giving the reader a "feel" of the founder of Islam. A Muslim-American friend of mine said he found it subtly condescending; I only noticed any of that in the final chapter, entitled Analysis, where the author gives a kind of summary judgement on the topic.

Though I do not doubt the research whatsoever, I was still not very impressed.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

En este libro el autor trata de reconstruir la biografía de Mahoma a partir principalmente de los datos que de él nos son dados en El Corán. Da como resultado una reconstrucción bastante coherente de lo que pudo ser la vida de Mahoma, tanto en su vertiende profética como en la política y cómo ambas están estrechamente entrelazadas.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

very interesting subject. i don't remember being bowled over by the writing, but it's been a while

[Nanto]

Pengarangnya diperkenalkan justru oleh Dosen Agama waktu kuliah. :D

[Mohammed Hussam · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب يحاول أن يعالج السيرة بالرجوع إلى الظروف الاجتماعية للجزيرة في القرن السابع.. بشكل عام الكتاب لا يخلو من أهمية..

[Rdb]

Read 57 of 245 pages.

[Belle Meade School]

297.63

[Muhd Saad · Rating 3 out of 5]

actually the author of this work is not fair and he uses a mean way to twist the truth.