Muhammad, A Biography Of Prophet A short history about the world's fastest growing religion and of the man, who seeded the plant of Islam himself, Muhammad (saw). Armstrong writes this book in a humanist style and introduces the reader to the cultural and historical background of the life of Mohammed and the revelation of the Quran. She first starts with the West's long history of hostility toward Islam, which has often led to the stigma of “a religion of the sword." She contradicts this ideology, by this sympathetic, captivating biography portraying Muhammad (saw) as a passionate, simple, fallible human being--a charismatic leader possessed of political as well as spiritual gifts. A prophet whose, monotheistic vision answered the deepest longings of his people. Armstrong invalidates the Western image of Muhammad (saw) as an impostor who used religion as a means to power. She finds in the Prophet's teachings a theology of peace and tolerance. The "holy war" urged by the Quran as Armstrong's states alludes to each Muslim's duty to fight for a just, decent society. She mentions how Muhammad (saw) brought the backward tribal Arabia of the seventh century into out of their darkness and draws significant parallels between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The book is precise and does not try to mislead, its rounded and revealing. Karen Armstrong has no axe to grind and presents her ...
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...s a very good read for someone who knows little or nothing about Islam and its prophet. Or for someone who has the stigma of “a religion of the sword." Especially since 9/11 this book should be republished and brought in the market for the media to look over once again. It will teach and reason at the same time. Anyone who has the slightest interest in religion, or Islam should read this book. It is analytical and well stated. This book is very useful and utmost inspiring. It cleared a lot of misconceptions about Prophet Muhammad and Islam which people even perceive today.
This book succeeds to release the minds of many from the blinders of propaganda, and reveal a Prophet, and a people, with a real triumphant history, with a conclusion of remarkable success. The book simply is a success.
There are two declarations of faith in Islam: That there is only one God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In Memories of Muhammad, Omid Safi explores the ways in which Muhammad – both the historical and spiritual Muhammad – is remembered, commemorated, and contested by Muslims throughout the centuries. Safi focuses on the movements and moments in Muhammad’s life and after his death that for many Muslims best exemplify the teachings of Islam. He succeeds in opening up the dialogue to correct the negative portrayals of Muhammad and the religion of Islam, calling it a “Muhammad problem” in his introduction. Furthermore, he provides a book that is accessible and intelligible to both Muslims and non-Muslims, drawing from historical and spiritual sources, and addresses relevant issues contested between Muslims in relation to other religions, presenting Muhammad as a historical figure and one who is beloved by the Umma.
...was outstanding. She gives great insight to the horrors and the suffering and allows the reader to be placed into the same place with a large understanding of the emotions that took place. The only thing to complain about is the prolonging amount of detail on the dates and statistics. It’s hard to follow and difficult for one to pay attention and that’s where it became mundane. I can definitely confirm that it was worth the purchase and the time spent into the read. I could honestly say that I’ve already recommended it to others, and I will continue to do so. The people I’d recommend it to though is people interested in the subject and overly eager to learn about new things as opposed to my buddies.
Writing about a topic that has been on an upward slope of controversy and criticism within the past two decades, Fred Donner a notable Islamic History professor at the University of Chicago whom has written multiple texts about the origins of Islam, tells the tale of the beginnings of Islam and how it would be shaped into its current manifestation today with Muhammad and the Believers. Donner admirably conveys the early history of Islam and its success to its centrality and “Believers’ Movement” opposed to many western historians accrediting it to the need of social and economic reform. Muhammad and the Believers is split up into five chapters, all of which Donner imparts his main thesis of Islam being a group of believers (mu’minun) opposed
Critics have already begun a heated debate over the success of the book that has addressed both its strengths and weaknesses. The debate may rage for a few years but it will eventually fizzle out as the success of the novel sustains. The characters, plot, emotional appeal, and easily relatable situations are too strong for this book to crumble. The internal characteristics have provided a strong base to withstand the petty attacks on underdeveloped metaphors and transparent descriptions. The novel does not need confrontations with the Middle East to remain a staple in modern reading, it can hold its own based on its life lessons that anyone can use.
Thomas W. Lippman gives an introduction to the Muslim world in the book Understanding Islam. He has traveled throughout the Islamic world as Washington Post bureau chief for the Middle East, and as a correspondent in Indochina. This gave him, in his own words, "sharp insight into the complexities of that turbulent region." However, the purpose of the book is not to produce a critical or controversial interpretation of Islamic scripture. It is instead to give the American layman an broad understanding of a religion that is highly misunderstood by many Americans. In this way he dispels many myths about "Muslim militants," and the otherwise untrue perception of Islamic violence. In this way the American reader will become more knowledgeable about an otherwise unfamiliar topic. However, the most significant element of Lippman’s book is that it presents Islam in a simple way that makes the reader feels his awareness rise after each chapter. This encourages him to continue learning about the world’s youngest major religion. Understanding Islam dispels many misconceptions about the Muslim world, and presents the subject in a way that urges his reader to further his understanding of Islam through continued study.
I believe that is book greatly agreed and supported the teachings of the text book. Going into greater detail and more specific instances it brought the examples into a greater perspective and context. The power of yellow journalism which we covered in class was extremely highlight in this reading. When the journalist blasted and fabricated these stories they reach far beyond just their immediate community and affected the minds of Americans all over the United States.
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
The prophet Muhammad had a significant impact on the rise and spread of the religion Islam. According to World Civilizations, Muhammad “began receiving revelations transmitted from Allah,” and later these revelations became holy scripts in the Quran. Muhammad started off with very few followers but as the faith of Allah started to spread, he gained more followers and he became a threat to Mecca’s rulers. As mentioned in World Civilization, “in 622 Muhammad left Mecca for Medina where his skilled leadership brought new followers.” In Medina, Muhammad became the religious authority in the area and he used this power to conquer Mecca, a holy place for Islamic believers. By the time of his death, he was able to have created a religious empire that controlled all of the Arabian Peninsula.
Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion alongside Judaism and Christianity. It is currently the second largest religion in the world today. Its beliefs come from the Qur'an which literally means "the recitation" which is believed to be a literal transcription of the word of God. Its main prophet is named Muhammad who began Islam by speaking with the angel Gabriel in a cave during his meditation and then acting as an instrument of God to help write the Qur’an. Muhammad then spread Islam to the scattered tribes of Arabia by becoming the leader of Yathrib and using his wonderful leadership abilities to then grow his influence over virtually all of Arabia. Muhammad is known by Muslims to be the seal of the profits because no profits after Muhammad should be considered legitimate. Muhammad also left behind the Hadith or “tradition” which is a collection of writings compiled of reports of Muhammad’s actions as leader of Yathrib. These reports are used as a more specific code of ethics in day to day life and from these reports the 5 Pillars of Islam are derived (Smith 160). Although Islam shares many similarities to Judaism and Christianity it is often viewed in the US with hate derived from preconceived notions following the attack on September 11th 2001. This paper seeks to provide an overview of Islam’s history as well as its two major sects and 5 main pillars to remove preconceived notions and provide a glance into the minds of the Islamic people.
From this surah also, the writer look over on new aspect of prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) that was revealed in the sixth century A.D. At this time, there were so many ideologies were presented, such as Godless civilization of Western, or Greek that oppose with the story of greatness era of Muhammad’s prophethood. Their ideologies mostly not suits for the Muslim generation.
I would recommend this book to anyone, it has sections that almost everyone can relate to. When people see the issue they are facing in print it helps them come to terms that they are not unique or alone with life being difficult. If they read that through therapy the person they relate to is now living healthy and happy lives it gives them hope that their problems can be faced and they can live normal lives.
The book Muhammad, by Michael Cook, describes the impact Muhammad has had on the world as we know it. It explains why Muhammad chose the paths he did, and how certain laws came about. Cook offers a very objective view of the laws and policies Muhammad outlined in the Koran, and the traditions that are carried on that supplement his written law.
In a nutshell, I strongly encourage people to read this book as it is based on a true story of American Muslims Women on how they encounter Islam. The fact that Islamic lifestyle has change their perspectives through the world is beyond amazing. Those are selected women that had been chosen by Allah to know more about Him. Their stories really inspires me to become a better muslimah in the future.
In this book , Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to its contemporary resurgence. He traces the emergence and development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice (law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism), chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. Equally important is the essential information Esposito provides on the contemporary world of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernization to the reassertion of Islam in politics and society.
The Prophet is a book of short essays by Kahlil Gibran on a variety of themes ranging from love and marriage to pain and death presented by a character named Almustafa. By using a variety of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, similes, and imagery, he enhances the ideas presented in each section and makes them easier for the reader to comprehend and put into practice. Although written in 1923, all of the themes are still very relevant in today’s world, perhaps even more so.