Early last year, I posted a review of Karen Armstrong's book, Muhammad: Prophet for Our Time on another blog. I felt that it is time again to reproduce it here, so that we could have a greater understanding of who Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) really was.
When I bought the book, I had heard that it was a banned book. However, some months later, I saw the book in Kinokuniya in KLCC (wonder if they still have a copy). So, I guess it's not banned anymore?
Anyway, I believe that this is a very important book, and we would do well to learn from it.
MUHAMMAD: PROPHET FOR OUR TIME
“Since the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, members of the Christian Right in the United States and some sectors of the Western Media have continued this tradition of hostility, claiming that Muhammad was irredeemably addicted to war. Some have gone so aft as to claim that he was a terrorist and a pedophile.
We cannot afford to indulge in this type of bigotry, because it is a gift to extremists who can use such statements to “prove” that the Western world is indeed engaged on a new crusade against the Islamic world. Muhammad was not a man of violence. We must appreciate his life in a balanced way, in order to appreciate his considerable achievements. To cultivate an inaccurate prejudice damages the tolerance, liberality and compassion that are supposed to characterize Western culture.”
Karen Armstrong, from the Introduction to Muhammad : Prophet For Our Time
“If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically-driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name – “Islam” – signified peace and reconciliation. “
Karen Armstrong, from Muhammad : A Prophet For Our Time, pg. 214
Muhammad : Prophet For Our Time, is an excellent biography of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. written by Karen Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong is one of the world’s most prominent comparative religion scholars and has written widely on issues pertaining to the world’s major religions.
She had earlier written a biography of Muhammad s.a.w. titled Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, which was first published in 1991. However, following the events of September 11, the author says, “…we need to focus on other aspects of Muhammad’s life. So this is a completely new and entirely different book, which, I hope, will speak more directly to the terrifying realities of our post September-11 world.”
In a world where there is serious prejudice against Islam and Muslims, what better way than to take a look at the life of the man who was the prophet of this religion? What kind of person was Muhammad s.a.w., and what were the teachings that he had left behind? What were the times that he lived in and what were the challenges that he had faced?
Like the many religious leaders and visionaries such as Jesus, Shakyamuni (the Buddha) and Nichiren, he was a man who lived in deeply troubled times and emerged as a leader who had a vision that was way ahead of his time. TheArabia that he lived in was then deeply cloaked in jahilliyah, which the author wrote is closely connected with “irascibility” and has connotations of ignorance. The Arabic society of the prophet’s time was acutely sensitive to honour and prestige, arrogance, excess and above all, a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation.
Muhammad (pbuh), armed with revelations from Allah, tried to steer the society of his times from one with a violent, destructive outlook to one that values compassion, benevolent justice and respect for women, among others. What were the challenges he faced? How did he achieve what he has left behind, establishing a religion that has 1.5 billion adherents today?
This biography is deeply insightful and easy to read. It is not some stiff-necked academic dissertation that is only interested with quoting sources. It is a revealing look at how human the Prophet is, and we see how the prophet squarely facing all the difficulties in life, from the death of his wives and children, to the various conflicts between his followers and those who opposed them. Like all great men, his life was marked by suffering and sorrow, but he did not let them deter him from his mission to create a compassionate and humane society.
In this chaotic world, we perhaps must look back in history, and take a look at the lives of the great religious leaders. It is without doubt that their lessons are still valid today, only that we have forgotten. We must re-learn them.
We cannot afford to indulge in this type of bigotry, because it is a gift to extremists who can use such statements to “prove” that the Western world is indeed engaged on a new crusade against the Islamic world. Muhammad was not a man of violence. We must appreciate his life in a balanced way, in order to appreciate his considerable achievements. To cultivate an inaccurate prejudice damages the tolerance, liberality and compassion that are supposed to characterize Western culture.”
Karen Armstrong, from the Introduction to Muhammad : Prophet For Our Time
“If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically-driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name – “Islam” – signified peace and reconciliation. “
Karen Armstrong, from Muhammad : A Prophet For Our Time, pg. 214
Muhammad : Prophet For Our Time, is an excellent biography of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. written by Karen Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong is one of the world’s most prominent comparative religion scholars and has written widely on issues pertaining to the world’s major religions.
She had earlier written a biography of Muhammad s.a.w. titled Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, which was first published in 1991. However, following the events of September 11, the author says, “…we need to focus on other aspects of Muhammad’s life. So this is a completely new and entirely different book, which, I hope, will speak more directly to the terrifying realities of our post September-11 world.”
In a world where there is serious prejudice against Islam and Muslims, what better way than to take a look at the life of the man who was the prophet of this religion? What kind of person was Muhammad s.a.w., and what were the teachings that he had left behind? What were the times that he lived in and what were the challenges that he had faced?
Like the many religious leaders and visionaries such as Jesus, Shakyamuni (the Buddha) and Nichiren, he was a man who lived in deeply troubled times and emerged as a leader who had a vision that was way ahead of his time. The
Muhammad (pbuh), armed with revelations from Allah, tried to steer the society of his times from one with a violent, destructive outlook to one that values compassion, benevolent justice and respect for women, among others. What were the challenges he faced? How did he achieve what he has left behind, establishing a religion that has 1.5 billion adherents today?
This biography is deeply insightful and easy to read. It is not some stiff-necked academic dissertation that is only interested with quoting sources. It is a revealing look at how human the Prophet is, and we see how the prophet squarely facing all the difficulties in life, from the death of his wives and children, to the various conflicts between his followers and those who opposed them. Like all great men, his life was marked by suffering and sorrow, but he did not let them deter him from his mission to create a compassionate and humane society.
In this chaotic world, we perhaps must look back in history, and take a look at the lives of the great religious leaders. It is without doubt that their lessons are still valid today, only that we have forgotten. We must re-learn them.
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