Muhammad: Man of God

As a person who knew little about Islam before taking a class in college, I thought this book was very interesting. It's short, but it's full of detail!

While the book itself spans over about 60 or so odd pages, there are two aspects of Muhammad's life that are treated with meticilious care. The noctrunal journey, or his ascension, which he regards as "the example of spiritual ascent and the model for spiritual life", is treated in 8 pages. The horizontal ascent that took him from Mecca to Jerusalem and his eventual vertical ascent from Jerusalem to the heavens, is shared in detail with writings of both Shi'i and Sunni'i scholars, thus highlighting the importance attached to this event depicted in the Quran, vide XVII:1. He also upholds the metaphysical nature of this journey, criticising that modern science tends to study the "physical" reality, and not spiritual.Perhaps the underlying tone of the book is the constant jihad (exertion) of Muhammad against the heathens of Mecca, against all odds that opens up various levels of meanings to the affairs that seem very mundane in the biographical accounts of his life. Striking symbolism with events are unfolded with the writings of Rumi and Sa'di.The most striking piece is with reference to the last sermon of Muhammad, delivered at Ghadir Khumm, where he exemplifies the "universalityy" of Islam and her ordainment as a "chosen" religion by God, vide Quran V:3. He brings to reference a Shi'ite text of the sermon, that characterizes the nomination of 'Ali, as a point of departure between the Shi'ites and the Sunnis over the issue of succession after Muhammads death. He admits that while both Shi'i and Sunni'i attest to the truthfulness and the veracity of the sermon delivered at Ghadir Khumm, proclaiming 'Ali as the 'mawla', they differ on interpration over the word 'mawla'.Lastly, he concludes the title with a section on the relevance of Muhammad's life, his treatment of the Youth and the normativeness of his life, i.e the sunnah, "a vast treasury of examples of behaving and acting in various circumstances".Before I end it would be worthwhile to comment on his treatment of the Shi'i and Sunni split over the matter of the caliphate. Elsewhere in a book [Shi'a, 10-11, Tabatabai] in the Preface he states: "The Sunni-Shi'ite dispute over the successors to the Holy Ptophet could be resolved it it were recognized that in one case there is the question of administering a Divine Law and in the other of also revealing and interpreting its inner mysteries. The very life of Ali and his actions show that he accepted the previous caliphs as understood in the Sunni sense of khalifah (the ruler and the administrator of the Shari'ah) but confined the function of walayat after the Prophet to himself. That is why it is perfectly possible to respect him as a caliph in the Sunni sense and as an Imam in the Shi'ite sense, each in it's own perspective."That title will some day will be a review in iself,Thank you for reading. ...

This little work by Dr. Nasr is an excellent little introduction to the life of the Beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) which concentrates on the spiritual nature of his perfect life. In this manner it is different from most other biographies which concentrate on the political events. This book is important also in that it relays a little of the awe and total respect in which Muslims have traditionally held their Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Also, though Dr. Nasr, is a Shia he does not allow that to cloud his objectivity.Commenting on one of the earlier reviewers I will say that orthodox Sunnis too believe the Prophet of Islam to be perfect, and infallible and sinless both before the proclamation of Prophethood and after it.This book is a good introduction, especially for younger readers or those who do not have the time to read a longer book.

The book vividly illustrates why the Prophet of Islam continues to influence the world today and into the future, more directly and with more impact than any person in history. Nasr is an inspired writer.

The article was delivered fairly quickly and as described, thank you. I was notified of the progress status every time there was a change in the delivery process.