Rating: 
Summary: A gross misrepresentation of the truth of history
Review: Her writing is clearly slanted in favor of Islam and Mohammad and against the West. She states that she is no longer a believing Christian, I will not be surprised to hear of her conversion to Islam. She had to intentionally ignore the facts of history to make the false statements she made, such as "There was no law against propaganda efforts by Christians in the Islamic empire, provided that they did not attack the beloved figure of the Prophet Muhammad." This is a lie, it was then and is today a crime in all Muslim nations for a Christian to try to convert anyone from Islam to Christianity, and anyone that does convert is under a death sentence. I have a minor in history, have researched Islam and Mohammad, am currently reading "The Arab Invasion of Egypt" and have just finished "Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests;" and this book by Karen Armstrong is worthless! I could not even get through it, it is a waste of time to read it. To say she is "sympathetic" is putting is mildly. Only Mohammad himself could write a more "sympathetic" book. This book is PATHETIC.
Rating: 
Summary: AtheistWorld.Com Book Review
Review: This book leaves out much to be desired.
You are better off reading "Islam Exposed" by Solomon Tulbure ISBN: 1932303456
Rating: 
Summary: Take a position, don't just ride a non-existant middle.
Review: Thoroughly done scholarship, yet she lacks the ability to draw concise and reasonable conclusions from the facts of history which she presents. The real problem with this work, though, is she fails to take a stand on key issues such as, was the Qu'ran created by Muhammed, sent by God, a little bit of both, neither, etc.? For example, she says in a number of passages how a Sura was "delivered" or "revealed" to Muhammed by Al-lah, yet, a few pages later she points out how Muhammed had mistaken knowledge of Christian Doctrine regarding the symbolic terms, "Father" and "Son" because he takes them literally whichs is seen in 6:101 where the Qu'ran (realistically Muhammed) says something to the extent of, "How can Al-lah have a son if he had no consort?" If God authored the Qur'an don't you think He would know what Christians really believe? So then, which one is it? Was it God who made the mistake or Muhammed, if it was God then God isn't perfect as the Qur'an claims, omniscent, etc. If it was Muhammed then the Qur'an was created, if not in full, at least in part by him or was subject to his editing of it, if it was indeed delivered by God. Another example of this is how he confuses Mary, the mother of Jesus in the New Testament, with Miriam, the sister of Aaron in the Old Testament (both "Miriam" in Syriac, the language he would have heard the Christian and Jewish Scriptures in while on merchant trips to Damascus from Mecca) in Sura 19:27-28 and Sura 66:12 in which he refers to Mary as both the sister of Aaron and the daughter of Imran, a difference of around 1400 years. She mentions this, relates it to Muhammed's lack of knowledge of Christian and Jewish Scriptures, and then speaks of how God "delivered a revalation to him." Armstrong says how the "rhythmic and heavenly enchantment" of hearing the Qur'an in Arabic means Muhammed couldn't have created it because he had poor pitch and couldn't rhyme well when he sang according to his biographers and Hadiths, then she tells the reader Muhammed was able to add more flavorful revelations into the Qu'ran when he moved to Yathrib (Medina) because he began to encounter Jews on a regular and firsthand basis and learned more about the Jewish Scriptures. This is why so many of the Suras from that time are introduced with phrases to the extant of "have you heard of what God did for Moses?", "Haven't you pondered the story of Abraham?", etc. which were previously rarely, if ever, heard of Jewish figures before he fled for Yathrib.
Other examples of her trying to ride the middle and not taking a stance are Muhammed becoming politically powerful, including political material in the Suras (which she again and again refers to as being 'revealed by God'), and being a political, as well as military lead, but not being engaged in politics. She'll make a blunt statement about Muhammed and then follow it up with a complete denial of a logical conclusion which follows from the premise. Whatever happened to P=Q, thus Q is irrefutable?
Over all, I'd read it only if you know a fair amount about the beginnings of Islam and the life of Muhammed but want another view of the subject. It's not very good at all, it has a chatty style, and great quotes in it but her irrational conclusions and very selective presentation of material is disturbing.
Rating: 
Summary: Concise and Sympathetic
Review: This well organized and very well written book is a sympathetic but generally fair portrait of the founder of Islam. Armstrong takes pains to provide a fair and unanachronistic depiction of Muhammed and the founding of Islam. She is concerned particularly with rebutting the prejuidices accumulated during several centuries of Christian - Islamic conflict. She draws on a number of sources, including early historical accounts, the work of a number of modern scholars, and a close reading of the Quran. Armstrong presents background on life and religion in Muhammed's Arabia, the details of his life, and how his life and teachings gave rise to Islam. Muhammed's charismatic leadership and the somewhat improvised nature of his teachings are detailed carefully. At the same time, Armstrong takes pains to present the basic features of Islam in a favorable but generally fair light. There are frequent comparisons with Christian traditions and Armstrong points out aspects of Islam, notably its tolerance of other faiths, which compare very favorably with Christianity. Armstrong clearly aimed this book at reducing tensions between Christians and Muslims. In this respect, this is a successful effort. Open minded non-Muslim readers will find this book reassuring as well as interesting. Disparagement of Muhammed is deeply offensive to Muslims and this effort to educate non-Muslims about his life may decrease both deliberate and inadvertant attacks on Muhammed. While Armstong succeeds well within the bounds of her chosen mission, this book is a bit misleading. I think Armstrong's presentation of Muhammed and the basics of Islam are generally fair. What is necessarily left out of this book is the subsequent history of Islam. It is true, for example, that Islam has been often more tolerant of other religions than Christianity. This fact, however, is incomplete. Some versions of Islam, notably the Wahabhism that began as an 18th century revival movement, are not particularly tolerant. In addition, the history of relations between the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam is marred by much violence. Perhaps most important, Islam is probably inimical the idea of separation of Church and State (probably to an even greater extent than Christianity) and this is a serious problem for dealing with the modern world.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful and Concise
Review: As a Muslim, I found this book to be a very good brief history of the prophet of Islam. The only reason I give this book 4 instead of 5 stars is because of the manner in which the revelations from God are spoken of in the beginning of this book. She makes it seem like Muhammad, himself, made up the Quran, a belief which contradicts Islamic thought. However, from a Muslim to a non-Muslim, I highly recommend this book because it turns Islam and its Prophet from something alien to something very familiar and close to home.
Rating: 
Summary: Muhammad: the prophet and the man
Review: The book starts with a historical preview of the negative image of Muhammad that had been portrayed in the West over the centuries: the enemy who forced his belief on others by sword. A portrait Muslims find contradictory to their perception of Muhammad. Armstrong reveals the many aspects of Muhammad: the prophet, the worrier, the peace fighter, the statesman, the legislator, and the husband. It is about Muhammad who was thrown with stones by the people of Taif who refused his message, and Muhammad who was welcomed with songs and jubilance on the street of Madina, and what happened before, after and in between these two extraordinary journeys. This is the second book by Armstrong I have read. She is a very talented writer. She makes reading history an enjoyable experience. But writing a biography of Muhammad by a Westerner is not an easy thing to do, if it is to be done right. One has to deal with profound and sometimes contradictory images of Muhammad created through the centuries by Christians on one hand and by Muslims on the other. And the more recent hostility and mistrust between the West and the Muslim world does not make it any easier. Armstrong did a good job. She tried to write this book with minimum preformed prejudices. However, the book is not completely free of preconceptions, as the author admits in the introduction:
"I also look at the prophet from the point of view of a person with particular preconceptions about Islam. Thus when we see Muhammad waging a war against the city of Mecca, we shall have to ask whether he really did found a religion of the sword?"
The book is of course not an Islamic point of view of the life of Mohammad. Armstrong provided a secular interpretation of Muhammad's life, and explained how he always dealt pragmatically with evolving circumstances. While most Muslims, including myself, will agree with most what she mentioned in this book, Muslims see Muhammad as a prophet more than anything else, and do not necessarily explain everything he did in earthly manner. That is being said; these different approaches should not be surprising, and I think should be appreciated. I found her book fairly objective, useful, and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: A fine introduction.
Review: This book is easily a great introduction the the origin of Islam. The prophet is placed into perspective with his time, place, friends and family. This is best combined with a modern translation of the Koran (free online, or at Amazon.com, etc.) and Armstrong's very brief tome Islam.
I read as one of Armstrong's goals in general is to open tolerance among the monotheistic faiths, and this is an excellent effort towars that goal.
Rating:
Summary: Objective but sympathetic introduction for non-Muslims.
Review: In the wake of recent events, I've been making a concentrated effort to learn more about Islam, as I suspect many people have been doing. Since I did not know very much about Muhammad I shopped around for a book about him, eventually settling on this one. And after having read it, I'd have to say my early research paid off -- this is probably the best introductory book for non-Muslims wanting to learn more about Muhammad and the beginnings of Islam. While I found the book to be scholarly enough, sources are explained and plenty of background information is included, at the same time it was easy enough to read for a relative beginner like me. And to her credit, the author goes out of her way to counteract the negative bias toward Muhammad and Islam that is typically found in Western thought. This alone increases the book's stature in my mind. Recently we've seen a fair number of people, quite often fundamentalist Christians, telling us that "Islam is inherently violent," which we now know is nothing more than overly simplistic nonsense. Islam is no more "inherently violent" than Judaism or Christianity (e.g., just look at the _long_ list of "Bible Atrocities" posted at several sites on the internet. All directly quoted from the Bible!). So while Ms. Armstrong possibly over-compensates at times, she is to be commended for her efforts to explain Islam in objective but sympathetic terms. In this book and others I'm also seeing an attempt by writers to communicate the commonality and brotherhood among the Abrahamic monotheisms, and that can't be all bad either. (Unfortunately, however, we still do not hear much about the ancient faith that is most likely the real foundation for all modern monotheism, Zoroastrianism). So to sum up, if you're wanting to know more about Muhammad and Islam, start with "Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet". I think you'll be glad that you did.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing woman, amazing book, amazing Man
Review: I am stunned. I quite admit it; never before have I run into such a well-researched account of Muhammad. It makes me wonder why. Is it because both Jews and Christian researchers are embarassed to admit that there was a man who was so magnetic, that his star outshone that of any other.. "Prophet"... Are the Christian religious historians still in their hibernation about the almost unbelievable, but well documented horrors of the Crusades? Are they keeping quiet because these "Fighters for the Cause of God" liked to dine on the well-done thighs of Muslim children? No. They are quiet because they would have to admit that there was a man who was better than their crusading "heroes". Armstrong's book should be required reading at any college level course on contemporary religions and, especially, for courses of comparative faiths. She has amassed an incredible amount of details, both large and small, about the personal life of this man who is revered and whose name is respectfully mentioned at least five times a day by more than one sixth of the world's population. Nowhere else have I found a description of what Muhammad looked like to his contemporaries, wives, and children. Nowhere else have I found a description of the father-to-daughter plays he enjoyed and who made his beloved Fatima squeal with joy. Why? Is it because it would have made him a human being? It is a privilege and a pleasure to review this book and be able to tell you this: read it, think about it, and you will perhaps understand that Muslims are embued with the same wants and desires that fill the souls of Jews and Christians, too: peace, acceptance, and above all else, justice and righteousness. Ms Armstrong succeeds in her endeavor to a wonderfuly complete extent. Peace, shalom, salaam.
Rating:
Summary: VERY WARM AND FUZZY (AND ONE SIDED)
Review: No matter what your opinions or peceptions are of Islam in these volatile times, I strongly suggest you find more substantial readings than Armstrong's sophmoric book for knowledge and understanding of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. Reading like a "Mohammed for Dummies", Armstrong's book does little to give the reader a realistic understanding of the importance of the life of the Prophet Mohammed and the impact of the Qu'ran in modern times. Instead, it gives the apologists view that it's our biased perceptions, not the misguided acts of Muslim extremists (or people that call themselves Muslims), that historically have created the negative viewpoint that, according to Armstrong, is prevalent today in Western society. And one has to wonder how prevalent that perception is. There are countless mosques in the Western world, communities of Muslims in the millions, Islamic newspapers and television channels, not to mention restaurants, cultural festivals, and an abundance of literature on Islamic thought. But one doesn't see any equivalent of tolerance in the Islamic world. One doesn't find churches or Buddhist temples in Saudi Arabia or in the Gulf Emmirates. Within the Islamic World itself, Sunni Iraq has fought Shi'ite Iran many times prior to the 20th century. The Wahabiists who make up al-Quaeda deny that Shi'ites and Sufi's are Muslims. And when the Taliban blew up centuries old Budhist statues and Islamic extremists blew up churches in Pakistan and the Philipines, the Islamic World gave very little effort to the self criticism that one sees in the West when an American evangilist described Mohammed as a terrorist and quickly appologized after the outcry of Muslims world wide. In closing, I agree with another reviewer of this book in that it's time for the Muslim World to also make an effort of tolerance and empathy to religions and cultures different from their own.
|
