Download Muhammad Prophet of God Daniel C Peterson 9780802807540 Books
Download Muhammad Prophet of God Daniel C Peterson 9780802807540 Books
Download As PDF : Muhammad Prophet of God Daniel C Peterson 9780802807540 Books
Founding not only a world religion but also an empire and a civilization, the prophet Muhammad was undoubtedly one of the most influential men in history. Amid the swirl of current judgments regarding Muslims and their religion, this book by Daniel Peterson offers a concise, objective, accessible biography of the first Muslim.
Blending the texts of traditional sources into an engaging narrative, Peterson begins with the impoverished and orphaned childhood of Muhammad, highlighting his evident strength of will, character, and resourcefulness. Peterson then moves through the prophet's life, detailing Muhammad's visions and revelations and examining the beginning of a religion that continues to affect the entire world in dramatic ways. Respectful and readable, Muhammad, Prophet of God opens a clear window on the life and influence of the founder of Islam.
Blending the texts of traditional sources into an engaging narrative, Peterson begins with the impoverished and orphaned childhood of Muhammad, highlighting his evident strength of will, character, and resourcefulness. Peterson then moves through the prophet's life, detailing Muhammad's visions and revelations and examining the beginning of a religion that continues to affect the entire world in dramatic ways. Respectful and readable, Muhammad, Prophet of God opens a clear window on the life and influence of the founder of Islam.
Download Muhammad Prophet of God Daniel C Peterson 9780802807540 Books
"This is an excellent biography of the Prophet Muhammad for a general Western audience. It assumes you know nothing and takes you through the whole story in a clear and interesting way. It begins with an overview of the political situation between the Byzantine and Sassanid empires before Muhammad, and the political, cultural and religious situation in the Arab Peninsula into which Muhammad was born, and then goes through Muhammad's life. You get a good sense of who Muhammad was as a person. It finishes with his death and so does not touch on the succession issues (which are covered brilliantly in Wilferd Madelung "The succession to Muhammad"). This book is written by a competent academic, is not biased for or against, but is sympathetically written. It is written in an interesting style, with examples to keep the text grounded, and is not dry and intellectual. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know what Islam is all about, without being preached at by the converted or turned off by detractors."
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Tags : Muhammad, Prophet of God [Daniel C. Peterson] on . <DIV>Founding not only a world religion but also an empire and a civilization, the prophet Muhammad was undoubtedly one of the most influential men in history. Amid the swirl of current judgments regarding Muslims and their religion,Daniel C. Peterson,Muhammad, Prophet of God,Eerdmans,0802807542,Islamic Studies,Muhammad,-632,BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY,Biography,Biography Autobiography,Biography Autobiography / Religious,Biography / Autobiography,Biography general,GENERAL,ISLAMIC HISTORY,Islam - General,Middle East/North Africa,Muòhammad,,Non-Fiction,Prophet,,Religion,Religion / Islam / General,Religion/Ethics,Religion/Islam - General,Religious,SOCIAL SCIENCE / Islamic Studies,Saudi Arabia,Scholarly/Undergraduate,United States
Muhammad Prophet of God Daniel C Peterson 9780802807540 Books Reviews :
Muhammad Prophet of God Daniel C Peterson 9780802807540 Books Reviews
- Perhaps the best way of understanding the quality of this book is to compare it with the recently published "Zealot" by Resa Aslan (which I read more or less concurrently). Like so many historical biographies, Aslan comes at Jesus like a prosecuting attorney, creating interpretations of selective historical data to advance a narrative. Peterson, on the other hand, acts the scholar rather than the polemicist, but with a reverence for the mythology of Muhammad. By this I don't mean 'lies' as many moderns understand the term mythology, but rather the classical use of the term; the truth that transcends the facts. I would be surprised if a Muslim reader would find it in the least bit objectionable.
The book is far from Islamic apologetic. It is an intensely scholarly work which is less interested in proving a point than illuminating the subject from as many angles as possible. Especially interesting to me, and largely absent from other works I've read on the subject, is Peterson's sensible description of the social and religious climate from which the Prophet and his message arose. Islamic apologetics tend to promote a narrative that has Muhammad spring green and fruitful from a irreligious waste land. The era before Muhammad is called Jahiliyyah, or the age of stupidity (foolishness), yet Peterson successfully synthesizes the evidence to arrive at a view that 'Ahmad' (from the same root as Muhammad) was both prophesied and expected by the Arabs and that rather than the ex nihilo creation of monotheism among pagans, Muhammad and the Qu'ran were a natural evolution of contemporary religious and social development.
Great book, and an essential volume for anyone serious about understanding the development of Islam. - This is an excellent biography of the Prophet Muhammad for a general Western audience. It assumes you know nothing and takes you through the whole story in a clear and interesting way. It begins with an overview of the political situation between the Byzantine and Sassanid empires before Muhammad, and the political, cultural and religious situation in the Arab Peninsula into which Muhammad was born, and then goes through Muhammad's life. You get a good sense of who Muhammad was as a person. It finishes with his death and so does not touch on the succession issues (which are covered brilliantly in Wilferd Madelung "The succession to Muhammad"). This book is written by a competent academic, is not biased for or against, but is sympathetically written. It is written in an interesting style, with examples to keep the text grounded, and is not dry and intellectual. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know what Islam is all about, without being preached at by the converted or turned off by detractors.
- I, like most westerners, have a very shallow understanding of the story of Muhammad. I've read chapters of him in textbooks, and have picked up bits and pieces of his life and influence through various channels. I wanted to learn a bit more, so I picked up this book based on some recommendations.
Peterson has done a great job is this short biography explaining the background and major events in the life of Muhammad. He highlights the many strengths of this great man and puts what we westerners would consider weaknesses into the context of the times. It would be hard to find other leaders of the time that made such a positive impact on society. Peterson didn't highlight the aftermath of his life, but Muslim culture far outshone western culture for hundreds of years.
Is Muhammad a true prophet? Peterson rightly leaves that for others to answer. Was he an honest and sincere man? It appears that most scholars agree that he was.
I recommend this book for anyone seeking to understand more about Muhammad. I have a much clearer picture of his history now that I have read this book. - Easiest read on Islam or Muhammad out there. Superb author who really knows how to draw his reader in. Doesn't read like a history book at all, almost like a novel. If all history was this great I would have had a different major.
- The prophet of Islam is as misunderstood by followers and students alike, in many of the ways that Jesus is misunderstood today. Jews, Christians and Muslims each have their foundational works, their subsequent traditions, commentaries and, at last, historians, theologians and disciples. Each has its factions; however, Islam is by far the most fervent, fanatical and, in these modern times, bloody. Still, there's the man who stands at Islam's door, shrouded in mystery and who left no successors. He was the "seal" (interpreted by many as "the last") of the prophets. But who is he? And what was his story? What did he say he saw, and what are the ramifications of his teachings to the millions who followed in the faith and the billions who didn't?
Dr. Daniel C. Peterson seeks to focus this mysterious "messenger" of Allah and separate the facts and the fiction, which, admittedly, all biographers attempt. Muslims may find a man somewhat different than the one they've been taught to revere, and non-Muslims may find "the prophet" to be a far cry from what they've read in history books, religious texts and, of course, the media.
This is a book I wish had been written years ago when I was seeking such a book. It's not only very well researched, it's a good read from someone with an honest passion for the man and the prophet. I'm buying two, one to lend out and one to keep in my library! - I bought this book because, although I am a Christian, I am a direct descendant of the prophet and wanted a better understanding of Islam and its beginnings. This bbook wss what I needed.
- A great study from the LDS point of view. Enlightening!
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