This is the first biography of Mohammed I have read. Karen Armstrong has impeccable credentials and uses the Koran as her source throughout. The liberal use of Arabic words and names required frequent use of the glossaries. It is a short book and readable prose.
I am left with several unanswered questions which will require reading another book or perhaps Wiki pedia not the least of which is how many wives did he finally have?

(Watch my review/discussion of the book on my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHO1d... )

As a layperson on the doctrine of Islam and the life of Muhammad, i found this book to be a fascinating, concise read.

Armstrong clearly did her research to write this book, for there are references on nearly every page. What she does do with specific prowess, is to paint the picture of Muhammad himself, to modestly but not consciously debunk the myths that surround Islam and the Prophet. It is clear, therefore, that Muhammad was not a war hungry paedophile as many claim he was. What i shall say to this claim, is that context is important.

I will certainly read more on Islam, and as an introductory text, this suffices perfectly. The book does not preach the existence of God, nor of Islam being the "superior and irrefutable" religion, but instead it focuses on revealing the true character of the Prophet in association to his revelations and journey of spreading Islam to those around him.

An easy to read book, but Karen Armstrong seems to fall in love with the subject of her work, and seems to be unable to think critically. Although numerous other writers discuss the case of the Banu Quereysh and see it as a dark moment, she breezes over it. She breezes over Aisha's necklace incident (a much more robust discussion is Lesley Hazelton's) and she glosses over how Safiyya bint Huyayy might have felt marrying the man who enslaved her people and killed her father. I'm not saying bash it, but she seems delightfully naive to how it could have been seen. It comes across like a grandmotherly family history instead of a scholarly critique.

There are better biographies.

Reading the prophets history from another language, by another non-muslim author.. It was really breathtaking, it just tastes different, and fresh, the words and stories are the same yet the way they were told and how she showed the good motives behind Mohammad's actions "peace be upon him", and the true principles that he carried out to the world. indeed this was for me as a Muslim refreshing to the heart, and all respect is due to Karen Armstrong she indeed was just, and made a very respectful point, that Islam was and still is a religion of peace.

"More is known about Muhammad's life than that of the founder of any other major faith, yet his story is frequently misunderstood, even deliberately distorted"

Yes, the stories have been distorted. but who has done this? Karen Armstrong answered-

"We have a long history of Islamophobia in Western culture that dates back to the time of the Crusades. In the twelfth century, Christian monks in Europe insisted that Islam was a violent religion of the sword, and that Muhammad was a charlatan who imposed his religion on the reluctant world by force of arms, they called him a leacher and a sexual pervert."

And it's still going on, even with a greater pace thanks to the internet. The enormous effort of some Christian preachers, so-called 'ex-Muslim' and atheist bloggers, writers and YouTubers have established the false notion that- 'Islam is the religion of terrorists and Muhammad is the worst man ever.

In this book, Karen Armstrong has debunked the famous fallacies about Islam and Muhammad (PBUH). It's obviously not a complete biography of Muhammad (PBUH). But this book shows why we all need to follow the teachings of Muhammad (PBUH) to build a better world. Armstrong suggests,

"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 had profound genius and founded a religion and culture tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name- "Islam"- signified peace and reconciliation."

We are living in a turbulent world where pure love and respect are lost, families are being broken on a regular basis, extra-marital relationships are on the rise, nudity and pornography are becoming normal. But what does this success-driven chaotic modern lifestyle give us in return? Depression, frustration, and suicides.

But there is a ray of light at the end of the tunnel. Islam.

"The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away; surely falsehood is certain to vanish"
(Quran- 17:81)

كلنا نعرف الصورة السوداوية التي ينظر بها الغرب للأسلام والمسلمين بعضهم عن عمد والآخر عن جهل زاعمين أن الاسلام هو دين عنف أنتشر بالسيف وأن محمدا كان دجالا فرض دينه على العالم بقوة السلاح . رغم أن التاريخ المسيحي حافل بالحروب والمجازر فهل كان هؤلاء المسيحيين يمثلون رسالة عيسى رسالة السلام للعالم!!!
في ظل هذه الأجواء يظهر صوت مسيحي معتدل (كارين ارمسترونج) تنشر كتاب عن حياة نبي الاسلام داعية الغرب إلى التعرف على مفاهيم الاسلام بعيدا عن التعصب الأعمى الذي لا يولد إلا التعصب بالمقابل .

بالطبع هناك كتب سيرة أفضل وأعمق من هذا الكتاب ولكن وودت أن أسمع سيرة الاسلام من طرف محايد يتكلم وفق المنطق بعيدا عن المشاعر فما زادني إلا إيمانا . فنحن مسلمون لأننا ولدنا هكذا فمن الطبيعي أن أسمع شيخ مسلم يتحدث عن عظمة الاسلام ولكن سيكون لهذه الكلمات وقع مختلف وانت تسمعها من طرف آخر .

الكتاب موجه لغير المسلمين كنبذة عن الاسلام الحقيقي وليس الاسلام الذي يعرض في وسائل الإعلام وحسن نية الكاتبة جعلني اتغاضى عن بعض ما أوردت من أحاديث غير صحيحة قام الناشر (مشكورا) بتصحيهها وبيان مواضع الخلل.

من خلال سردها لسيرة النبي وضحت الكاتبة بعض الأمور التي يأخذها الغرب حجة على الاسلام منها :
1. تعدد الزوجات / لم يكن تعدد الزوجات مهانة للمرأة في ذلك الوقت بل هو صيانة لحقوقها فكان العربي في الجاهلية يتزوج ماشاء من النساء ويتركها مع أولادها بدون رعاية فجاء تعدد الزوجات مشروطا بعدد ولزوم العدل بين الزوجات والإنفاق ورعاية الأسرة لأقامة مجتمع متماسك .

2. زواج النبي من عائشة رغم صغر سنها / أن النبي خطبها صغيرة ولكن لم يتزوجها إلا بعد بلوغها ولم يكن ذلك بالشيء الغريب في ذلك الوقت وان هذه الممارسة استمرت في أوربا إلى ما بعد العصر الحديث.

3. الجهاد/ لم يقتصر معنى الجهاد على القتال المسلح بل يشمل بذل الجهد والكفاح الضروري لممارسة إرادة الله وأن القتال هو ليس غاية الاسلام وإنما هو ضرورة تفرضها الظروف أحيانا والدليل حديث النبي بعد عودته من غزوة بدر ( رجعنا من الجهاد الأصغر إلى الجهاد الاكبر)

4. حقوق المرأة/ أن القرآن أعطى حقوقا للنساء لم تتمتع بها نساء الغرب إلا في القرن التاسع عشر لأن القرآن يؤكد في آيات كثيرة على المساواة بين الرجل والمرأة أمام الله وجاءت سورة النساء لتحدث ثورة اجتماعية معطية للمرأة حقا في الميراث وهذا ماكان مرفوضا في المجتمع الجاهلي الذي يرى بأن المرأة هي مجرد شيء لا نفع له في حياة الصحراء .

5. علاقة الاسلام بالديانات الاخرى/ ركزت الكاتبة على تعاليم الأسلام التي نصت على وجوب التعايش والتسامح مع أهل الكتاب وان النبي لم يعاقب يهود المدينة على أسس دينية وإنما لمخالفتهم المعاهدات .

الكتاب أكثر من رائع وتحليل الكاتبة لبعض الأحداث أضاف لمسة جميلة . يجب أن ننبذ التعصب وان نتسامح مع الآخر ونقدره هذه هي رسالة كارين للعالم الغربي ويجب أن تصلنا هذه الرسالة ايضا فالإسلام لم ينتشر إلا بعد عقد صلح الحديبية اي في فترة السلام وليس الحرب

Muhammad a Prophet for Our Times is a short book comprising of 214 pages and 5 chapters about the life of Prophet Muhammad. The impressive thing about this piece of work is that along with providing the details about the life of Prophet Muhammad she has presented a clear picture of norms, culture and rivalries of the Arabs at that time. Karen has got thorough knowledge of the subject and it’s good to see how she has compared the issues and solutions of 7th century Arabia with today’s world. As always her writing style is captivating and the book engages the reader to itself, one wants to continuously read it as she has provided a whole lot of information in just a few pages.
I liked this book from the beginning till its end. For more details of the events I would recommend you to read The Sealed Nectar by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri or Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings.
One thing from the book that will stay with me is the introduction of Umm Salama’s role in the household and politics. I’ve read multiple biographies of Prophet Muhammad so far I knew about the support provided to the Prophet by mothers of believers like Khadija, Ayesha and Hafsa, but the important role and influence of Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya was never this much clear to me. So, I definitely want to read some good work on the lives of wives of the Prophet.
Totally recommended!

Great, accessible introduction to the subject of Islam through an examination of the life of Muhammad, and particularly good on the profound connections between Islam, Judaism and Christianity in the 7th century and on Muhammad's brilliantly innovative, unorthodox and daring (in his context) emphasis on Armstrong's favorite theme of compassion. But there were more than a few places where I wondered if she wasn't trying so hard to correct for the extent to which Islam has been misunderstood and demonized in Western culture that she failed to take a balanced view in presenting controversial incidents and teachings -- not that a sympathetic reading is necessarily the wrong reading -- just that I found myself wishing for another perspective to match up against hers.

As the author acknowledges at the beginning of this biography she rewrote this edition after Islamophobia reached new heights at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Thus, this biography is very different to another one I've just read: The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad. Instead of being just a narration of Muhammad's life the author focuses mostly on the things the prophet advocated (forgiveness, peace, justice, compassion, etc.) which contradict the actions of Islamic extremists. I particularly liked that the author mentioned the context in which Muhammad asked that his wives be veiled which did not mean that all women should be. I found it a rather good narration and interpretation, and advise everyone to read it.

قررت قراءة الكتاب بمناسبة المولد النبوي الشريف
وكانت أول مرة أٌقرأ لمستشرق
كارين كانت منصفة ومستنيرة إلى حد كبير يمكن أكثر من بعض المسلمين
لها بعض الأخطاء البسيطة تكفلت المترجمة بتصحيحها
الكتاب حفزني أكثر أن أقرأ عن غزوات الرسول وزوجات النبي رضى الله عنهن
و عن الحجاب
أتمنى ذلك :D

أحب ان أقرأ عن النبي صلى الله عليه و على اله وسلم من وجهت نظر الطرف الأخر (الغير مسلم)
حتى أرى كيف يُفكر .. وهذا ما توقعته من الكتاب من خلال العنوان الذي كان يوحي اني سأقرأ قراءة تحليليه اكثر منها وسرديه

نعم قامت الكتابه بالرد على بعض النقاط التي يُرددها الطرف الأخر و التي تُعتبر مغلوطه
ولكن في الوقت نفسه هي ايضاً رددت افكار منتشره بين المستشقريين كانها هي ايضا مُتنعه بها

بإختصار الكتاب لا يٌقدم الكثير او ما يتوقعه القرأ العربي انه لم يقرأه في كتب السيره النبويه
هذا الكتاب اقرب وصف له انه قص و لزق من كتب سيره اخرى

Instead of a review, I'll narrate an incident that occurred a couple of days ago which captures perfectly the way most Muslims might deal with this book. It's a conversation (sort of, perhaps a bit more dramatized now that I analyze it) between myself and another individual and it would summarize the gist of Karen Armstrong's handy work nicely.

*

Limited from severe time constrictions, I often brought this book to the university and the hospital to read through during the short-lived tea breaks. Once, it happened that I was indulged in this activity when a professor of mine, and an esteemed member of our medical society, halted by, picked the book from between my hands and said with a frown:

"Why would you read the biography of our Holy Prophet, the most distinguished man on earth to our knowledge, written by a foreigner?"

Ha? I had this sudden, excessive desire to laugh. I didn't, of course, otherwise I would have likely been arrested in detention of some sort (though, it just might have been worth it). The man was an able doctor and an equally skilled teacher. I respected him. This one question, though, pierced through my image of him like a hair brush flung unaware at the dressing table mirror. I mean, the guy is working towards his Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, London. What about that part isn't foreign?

"Sir" I said, real polite and all. "Armstrong is a known historian on religions and spirituality. She's written this book after quite a lot of research."

"Are you saying we don't have our own historians to research the matter?" he exclaimed.

"Of course not" said I. "But I'd wanted to read something neutral and free of sugar-coating for a while."

Crap, I thought. I need to keep a lock on my mouth lest this polite discussion goes out of hand and climbs into a personal vendetta. Professors here, you know, can't have their students mouthing them, even if they are wrong. I was well aware of getting my grades into jeopardy.

"Hmm" came his verdict. "And what does this Armstrong woman has to say about the Prophet?"

"Well... pretty much every thing we have to say. I mean, she can't change the history, can she? All the facts remain hard, except this time she's presented them in a manner that isn't overqualified. And this book actually focuses on eradicating false Islamophobia from the West."

"I see."

He sat down opposite me. Shit.

"I'm sure she wouldn't have published anything without a thorough research" he continued, "But I highly doubt that a non-muslim of any kind would be able to do justice to the depth of the persona of our Prophet. Maybe just the glimpse of a star in a universe."

"He was a great man, but he was still a man. His characteristics are particularly well known to those outside the religion. Armstrong hasn't tried to record the depth of his personality, just what was visible about him, and yes, that would be like a glimpse of a star in a universe. In fact, she has written the book in a manner that says she was rather fond of him."

I was bordering reckless now, though he didn't seem angry at all. Just sat with a poker face going 'Hmm hmm'. What's a student to do but prattle with fluster? It was like a damned full-fledged viva in a cafeteria.

"Not a surprise. What of the 'sugar-free' parts though?"

"Not exactly sugar-free. She's just cited some of the minor mistakes that the Prophet had committed while trying to embrace his new responsibility. Mistakes to prevent the compromise of Islam itself, actually. Our textbooks kind of left out those parts... though, of course, all this was to signify that he was a human being as well. And, uh, yeah."

"And uh?"

"No, just that the state of the Arabs before the beginning of Islam was pretty sorry. We weren't given the full image at school."

"That's correct. It's still a bit sorry, actually."

Finally. Some sign of recognition that he wouldn't have me suspended. Thank you, God. I was half in excitement and half in tears. Please go away now, Professor, I have enough of you during the tedious lectures.

He got up. Yes!

"You're not wrong, Komal."

Wait, he knew me by name? Among 86 students? Shit. No wait, my coat damn it. My coat had my name plastered to it. Thank you, God.

"But" he said. "It seems to me that you're eager to throw away what some of our own people say. I acknowledge that most among us are unreliable, but Armstrong really can't catch the deeper essences of Islam and Muhammad if she doesn't practise it. I think you're looking in the wrong places for this topic. This book, like you said, is focused towards the non-Islamic nation. I can give you a few recommendations on Islamic authors that wouldn't track you off the legitimate things, keep the sugar away, all the while explaining the better intricacies of Islam that Armstrong can never hope to capture. While I admit that we're not the greatest society on earth, you should stop concluding that there are no credibly literate people to be found. There are plenty."

He smiled at the end. Thank you, God. I'd almost pee'd my pants.

"Yes Sir. That would be great."

"See you at the lecture."

I picked up the mirror pieces and started gluing them together. Well, the mirror appears more stronger now.