Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book! a must read for anyone!
Review: Another great book by Karen. Probably the least controvercial of the lot. The best book on Muhammad (PBUH).
Rating: 
Summary: A Theoretical, But Not Intimate, Defense of the Man
Review: Karen Armstrong's Muhammad is a prose masterpiece, mixing theory and history expertly, but as a biographical document it is missing a few pieces. The service the author brings to the subject is notable, but I'm left with questions, which the author should have tried to answer. Armstrong's intent is, to provide a readable, accurate, and approachable portrait of Islam's founder, and she accomplishes this difficult task.Armstrong's Muhammad is glimpsed through the lens of western prejudices as they are dispelled. Where there was a culture alien to Christendom, Armstrong, especially in the first chapter, Armstrong constructs sociological and cultural bridges to dispel outright slanders committed by a millennium's worth of commentators. Presenting Muhammad and his wives as a microcosm of the society Muhammad created, she both foreshadows the divisions in the post-Muhammad political world and undermines the slander that the founder of Islam was misogynistic, abusive, or lecherous. She analyzes Muhammad's political tactics, to defend him from contentions of abuse of power and bloodlust. She defends him against the opportunism of exploiting a written religious fake by portraying his illiteracy. And her portrait of Muhammad salvages Islam from charges of lack of theological depth, modern relevance, or virtue. Armstrong presents all of the facts of Muhammad's life straightforwardly and without noticeable partisan prejudice. Her narrative does not stray beyond the founder's death. However, in the midst of providing very compelling reasons for Muhammad's legitimacy, she neglects the issue of his authorship. Aside from references to trances and the status of poets in Arabic society, Armstrong does not explore validity of the sacred text Muhammad presented. She accepts Muhammad's assertion that the Qur'an is divine, or at least leaves the impression that it is, because no other explanation fits. How did an illiterate man with no poetic gift complete the Qur'an? Armstrong does not tackle the issue honestly. As a biography, Armstrong's presentation is heavy on sociology, history, mythology, and cultural studies, but her portrait is two-dimensional. This is not an intimate or chronological account. It is a defense against the slanders, in great part motivated by Rushdie's Satanic Verses, from non-Muslims against Muhammad. The narrative dances from Muhammad's life to a theories to the modern world, admittedly seamlessly. This book is the first salvo fired for more research, but Armstrong does present a good case for continuing.
Rating:
Summary: readable and authentic enough
Review: Enough has already been said about how the book is easy to read and follow. So I won't add to that. As a Muslim who has studied other biographies of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I found the book to be authentic enough. What I mean is that there is some variation within Muslim biographers. Within the limit of that variability, the book is authentic enough. However, I must add that anyone reading the book must read it with an open mind. This biography is what Armstrong thinks the life of the Holy Prophet, and Islam is. She has, at the narration of almost every incident, made her interpretations clear as to how she believes the world of religion works in general. Though not an atheistic view, her oppinions are certainly not in concert with orthodox monotheism either. I saw her on TV calling herself a "freelance monotheist". So the reverberation of her views on faith, religion, myth and divinity are all too strong in this book. One thing that I would like to commend her about is that she has presented the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in such a way as to dispel the negative propaganda that has been hurled against him by the Christian and Jewish scholars of the past. In the chapter "Muhammad the enemy" she gives an elaborate history of hostile views of the West towards Islam and its founder, and also explains their views in light of the religious and political realities. At many points in the biography of the prophet where other western scholars have raised objections, she has analyzed the issues and the common objections, and has put them in perspective in the 7th century Arabia. She gives countless examples of the writings within the Jewish and Christian scriptures, in order to counter the negative views of some scholars that aim to denegrade Islam versus Christianity or Judaism. She also presents the blunt history of the Church to rebuke those who make useless revilements against the Prophet. She is not, however, an apologetic for the Prophet (sa) in the sense that she does not take on the robe of a Muslim scholar bent upon defending the Prophet through dogmatic argumentation. Rather, she asserts that the actions taken by the Prophet (sa) in the environment of the 7th century Arabia made those actions reasonable, if not righteous and justified. A final critical note: she admits in the openning of the book that she has freely used Waqadi as one of her sources. Waqadi is one of the original sources of Islamic history and the life of the Prophet, but his contemporaries and later historians who scrutinized his work in tremendous detail, found him to lack integrity in giving preference to authenticity over his need to write prolific details. Many consider his word not worthy to be taken seriously since he does not make clear where the authentic narration of history from the source ends and where his imaginative mind gets out of control in concocting flowery details, something which the western biographers very tempting. Even at one point in the book, Armstrong says, regarding an incidence, that while other books of history dont mention it, but it is tempting to see what Waqadi writes.... Muslim historians don't like to take the word of Waqadi over others, and in the absence of narrations of other sources, they either reject Waqadi, or treat him very very cautiously! Some even say that his word should not be accepted at all since he cannot be trusted. Suggestion: to complete your experience of the biography of the Prophet (sa), read a version by a Muslim biographer too. Unfortunately, there are few good ones in English so I can't make a suggestion. For Muslims, read this with open mind. Another suggestion: For the shortest intro to Islam, read Islam: an introduction by Annemarie Schimmel. Very nice, to the point, and scholarly!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Bibliography
Review: I found much inconsistent, irrelevant and substantial information in this book. To give examples: In chapter 3 the habits of Muhammad (PBUH) are expressed as common habits of Jahiliyah (e.g. praying in Hira). The section about the Satanic Verses is completely irrelevant and shows commercial concerns of Armstrong. In many passages Armstrong talks about the feelings of Muhammad (PBUH), Khadija and the companions very subjectively (e.g. pg 79,80), I would like to ask the following question did you look at their hearts? Although not scientific and mostly irrelevant I found the book easy to read and rich in content.I also would like to recommend the books by muslim scholars; Prophet Muhammad: Aspects of His Life by M. Fethullah Gulen and Miracles of Muhammad by Bediuzzaman S. Nursi
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction for the general reader
Review: I found this an excellent text for use in a survey course of college undergraduates. Armstrong's approach is to introduce Muhammad to the largely Christian West, and in the process overtly dispels many of the misconceptions surrounding Islam itself. In addition, it was surprisingly easy to get students to see her main arguments and how she used specific evidence to support them. Advanced scholars of Islam will find grounds for criticism in her sometimes pat explanations and bizarre statements which claim conflict between Islam and Christianity began with a particular incident in medieval Spain. Her appraisals of Christianity and discussion of the Satanic Verses also can become sore points with Christians and Muslims respectively. Nonetheless, her work on the basic outline of Muhammad's life is excellent, and may contain the best introduction to pre-Islamic Arabian society around, as well.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for Christians!
Review: A substantial number of biographies of Muhammad have appeared in the last 50 years. Some, especially the more recent works of W.M. Watt, M. Rodinson, and M. Cook, are excellent and represent major contributions to our understanding of the rise of Islam. In her introduction Armstrong argues, however, that despite the importance of previous work, none of the current biographies gives sufficient attention to the specifically religious dimension of Muhammad's life; in particular, none addresses with sufficient specificity the long history of Western bias against Islam and its prophet. Armstrong sets out to remedy what she sees as the inadequacies of the existing literature. Although she might be accused of a certain romanticizing tendency in her treatment of some aspects of Muhammad's life (e.g., his polygamous practices), on the whole she has done a quite creditable job. The result is a fresh, well-written, and often insightful account whose ten chapters give special attention to the religious roots, experiences, and motivations of Muhammad. It is based on the best scholarship currently available in English and contains rather full notes, selected bibliography, carefully prepared index, maps and genealogical tables. Despite its quasi-popular style, it is a work from which specialist and nonspecialist alike will benefit. Recommended to all college and university libraries as well as most public libraries.
Rating:
Summary: Concise, yet very impressive.
Review: The way Karen Armstrong sets the stage to tell the story of Muhammad is exceptionally good especially taking into consideration the size of the book. Without the cultural and economic background of Arabia at the time of Muhammad that she presents, the reader would have difficulty accepting the author views and judgments. Most of the controversial issues surrounding the life of Muhammad are covered in an elegant and logical manner. The part that deals with Muhammad's developing image in the western culture is of particular importance. One thing I've noticed in several of Karens' books, that's some entire sections are repeated from one book to the other. If you have "The History of God" you would notice that right away. In short I would recommend this book for any one interested as an objective, to the point and a real effort on the author part to understand more than just recount events. Once you're finished with the book it would be hard not to think of Muhammad the same way you think about Jesus, David or Budha.
Rating: 
Summary: A Biography Not To Give Offense
Review: When writing a biography of Muhammad, the founder and prophet of Islam, a Western historian, such as Karen Armstrong, is wise, perhaps, in choosing the middle-road, striving for objectivity and avoiding critical comment. She certainly has done this, in her informative work, "Muhammad : A Biography of the Prophet". For some readers, Ms. Armstrong's scrupulous toeing of the thin line of objectivity may seem too obvious, too much the bending backward to avoid giving offense. Certainly, there is enough in Muhammad's history: wars, raids, plundering, polygamy, misogyny, to warrant a critical aside now and then. But Ms. Armstong does not do this. Instead, she stays with what are -- in Islam -- considered the facts about the life of The Prophet. So, when Muhammad or his most ardent followers commit an act which offends Western sensibilities, Ms. Armstrong quickly points out that something similar or even more atrocious was committed in the name of Christianity. I found her attempts at even-handedness mildly distracting but certainly not disruptive of her narrative. As I read, however, I did want to know the source of the detail of Muhammad's life. Was the incident from traditional tribal stories, from independent research or from the Koran itself? We are left to wonder. A most interesting part of her book is the preface written by Ms. Armstrong in the edition published after September 11, 2001. Here she tells the need for Western people to learn to understand Muslims. True. But she does not raise the obvious counter question: is it not about time for Muslims to learn more about Western people?
Rating:
Summary: Very accurate
Review: Armstrong did an excellent job in describing the events centuries ago keeping viewer's mind open to understand the timeframe, local customs etc.
Many authors write about historical events while constantly judging according to today's (so called "civilised world") standards and values while keeping thier propective buyers in mind. Armstrong goes beyond her personal biases and popular thiking in explaining the prehistoric Arabia.
It may offend some but its a must read for anyone wanting to know about early Muslims.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: This is a wonderful book on Prophet Muhammed's life. It comprehensively covers his life's events before and after prophethood. There are few things though that I would like to point out.
The author writes that When Muhammed seprated from his wives for a month, there was a chance that his relation with Abu Bakar and Umer could be affacted because he was their son-in-law. Infact, the way both Abu Bakar and Umer had devouted themselves to Muhammed, no one can even think that they could even retaliate to Muhammed by any means.
In the Holy Peace chapter, the author writes that she clearly does not know why Muhammed plans to go to Tabuk for a fight with Romans. The reason for Tabuk expedition is that Muhammed comes to know that the Romans of Byzentine are gathering thier army at the northern border of arabia to fight with muslim, and Muhammed plans to meet them at the border.
Overall, it is an excellent book, and a must have item of one's personal library.
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