Muhammad Prophet And Statesman

A biography of Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

For the historian, sociologist, student of religion as well as the general reader.

Heretic and impostor or reformer and statesman? The contradictory Western visions of Muhammad In European culture, Muhammad has been vilified as a heretic, an impostor, and a pagan idol. But these aren’t the only images of the Prophet of Islam that emerge from Western history. Commentators have also portrayed Muhammad as a visionary reformer and an inspirational leader, statesman, and lawgiver. In Faces of Muhammad, John Tolan provides a comprehensive history of these changing, complex, and contradictory visions. Starting from the earliest calls to the faithful to join the Crusades against the “Saracens,” he traces the evolution of Western conceptions of Muhammad through the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and up to the present day. Faces of Muhammad reveals a lengthy tradition of positive portrayals of Muhammad that many will find surprising. To Reformation polemicists, the spread of Islam attested to the corruption of the established Church, and prompted them to depict Muhammad as a champion of reform. In revolutionary England, writers on both sides of the conflict drew parallels between Muhammad and Oliver Cromwell, asking whether the prophet was a rebel against legitimate authority or the bringer of a new and just order. Voltaire first saw Muhammad as an archetypal religious fanatic but later claimed him as an enemy of superstition. To Napoleon, he was simply a role model: a brilliant general, orator, and leader. The book shows that Muhammad wears so many faces in the West because he has always acted as a mirror for its writers, their portrayals revealing more about their own concerns than the historical realities of the founder of Islam.

Following the example of Prophet Muhammad is extremely important to all Muslims who view him as the best of humanity and in the words of the Quran ''...an excellent model of conduct'' (Quran 33:21). This book will seek to present many different aspects of Prophet's Muhammad's noble personality which Muslims can use as a guide for their own lives and relationships. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad is unique amongst all the holy men of God, in being not only an exemplary father, husband, grandfather, relative and neighbour for instance, but also an incomparable statesman, peacemaker and judge in addition to his role as the Messenger of God to mankind. In the Prophet's life we can learn endless lessons such as the value of patience, the merits of forgiveness, the power of compassion, the strength of humility and the rewards of absolute trust in God's wisdom. The book is divided into chapters each focusing on different parts of the Prophet's life as a family man, ruler and general, judge and jurist and devout servant of Allah and ends with a beautiful collection of Hadith that have a real capacity to stir the hearts and souls of readers. The focus in this text is upon on the personality of the Prophet, in a way that will help the reader build their character as well as expand their knowledge. This work will inspire readers by introducing them to the Prophet in very personal way, making them feel as though they have lived and walked with him.

For the historian, sociologist, student of religion as well as the general reader.