Call number
297.63 SPE
Status
Available
Call number
Pages
224
Description
In The Truth about Muhammad, New York Times bestselling author and Islam expert Robert Spencer offers an honest and telling portrait of the founder of Islam-perhaps the first such portrait in half a century-unbounded by fear and political correctness, unflinching, and willing to face the hard facts about Muhammad's life that continue to affect our world today. Spencer details Muhammad's development from a preacher of hellfire and damnation into a political and military leader who expanded his rule by force of arms, promising his warriors luridly physical delights in Paradise if they were killed in his cause. He explains how the Qur'an's teaching on warfare against unbelievers developed, with constant war to establish the hegemony of Islamic law as the last stage.… (more)
Publication
Regnery Publishing (2006), Edition: First Edition, 224 pages
Original publication date
2006-09-15
ISBN
1596980281 / 9781596980280
Collection
User reviews
LibraryThing member Karlus
This is a harsh and uncompromisng view of selected episodes from the life of the Prophet Muhammad with detailed examinations of a number of key revelations recorded in the Qur'an. The author asserts that all information is based on the three sources that are undisputed among scholars about the life
As the author explains, "This is not a comprehensive biography of the Prophet of Islam, although it does provide a general outline of the trajectory of his career. Above all it is an examination of of some aspects of his life that non-Muslims find problematic, and that are used by Muslims today to justify violent actions or other behavior not in accord with Western notions of human rights and the dignity of the person."
From the back cover, in polemical tones that reflect the content quite well, one reads "Spencer details Muhammad's development from a preacher of hellfire and damnation into a political and military leader who expanded his rule by force of arms, promising his warriors luridly physical delights in Paradise if they were killed in his cause." He "gives the truth about Muhammad's convenient revelations to justify his own licentiousness, his joy in the brutal murders of his enemies; and above all, his clear marching orders to to followers to convert non-Muslims to Islam -- or force them to live as inferiors under Islamic rule."
Clearly, Spencer and Karen Armstrong look at records of the same events and see things differently, as if looking at two opposite sides of a coin. It falls to the reader to provide their own perspective among such conflicting views, perhaps based on knowledge of Muslim acquaintances they may have and on news accounts that pervade the media, or on other writings. A balanced and authoritative appraisal of modern-day Islam is something this reviewer would like to read.
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of Muhammad (the Qur'an, the Hadith, and the Sira)As the author explains, "This is not a comprehensive biography of the Prophet of Islam, although it does provide a general outline of the trajectory of his career. Above all it is an examination of of some aspects of his life that non-Muslims find problematic, and that are used by Muslims today to justify violent actions or other behavior not in accord with Western notions of human rights and the dignity of the person."
From the back cover, in polemical tones that reflect the content quite well, one reads "Spencer details Muhammad's development from a preacher of hellfire and damnation into a political and military leader who expanded his rule by force of arms, promising his warriors luridly physical delights in Paradise if they were killed in his cause." He "gives the truth about Muhammad's convenient revelations to justify his own licentiousness, his joy in the brutal murders of his enemies; and above all, his clear marching orders to to followers to convert non-Muslims to Islam -- or force them to live as inferiors under Islamic rule."
Clearly, Spencer and Karen Armstrong look at records of the same events and see things differently, as if looking at two opposite sides of a coin. It falls to the reader to provide their own perspective among such conflicting views, perhaps based on knowledge of Muslim acquaintances they may have and on news accounts that pervade the media, or on other writings. A balanced and authoritative appraisal of modern-day Islam is something this reviewer would like to read.
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LibraryThing member K.J.
I bought this book with some trepidation, considering all of the fallout it has received. I have friends from all walks of life and I wanted to know more about the religion that some of them share.
The first thing that caught my attention was that the author drew his material only from sources
My conclusion is that this book should be read by every Westerner, and then discussed openly and freely. Robert Spencer laid out the facts and whether or not one agrees with his findings, it is impossible to ignore the hard truths in this book, and current events do nothing less than support his conclusions.
The first thing that caught my attention was that the author drew his material only from sources
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recognized by Islamic religious leaders, and did not draw from Western interpretations to illustrate his points. The second thing that became evident was the style in which the information was presented. It was balanced and formulated through a process of logic, without emotion and rhetoric.My conclusion is that this book should be read by every Westerner, and then discussed openly and freely. Robert Spencer laid out the facts and whether or not one agrees with his findings, it is impossible to ignore the hard truths in this book, and current events do nothing less than support his conclusions.
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LibraryThing member maimonedes
From the title and cover, I expected to find this book to be much more polemical than it was. In fact, it is almost scholarly in its citing and discussion of sources, such as the Qu'ran and other mainstream Muslim texts. The book makes the point that Muslims regard Muhammad as the "perfect" man;
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Muslim Hadith - the traditions that prescribe what the good Muslim should strive to emulate - is based on what Muhammad said, what he did, and what he approved or disapproved of in others. To the extent that Muhammad himself either preached or practiced intolerance of and violence toward non-Muslims, it is therefore evident that modern-day Islamic terrorism is not just a distortion of the values of Islam, as many apologists - amongst whom most Western governments - would have it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Voracious_Reader
The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion was informative, a little scary, and parts were boring. The author attempted to be scholarly and to keep it historical, as opposed to editorial in focus. I'm not as familiar with pieces about Islam (other than the Koran) and
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so I don't have much of a basis for comparison with other works, but it probably compares well with other works of the same type. Show Less
LibraryThing member yonitdm
Fascinating and insightful.
LibraryThing member bke
An honest and revealing portrait of the founder of Islam, and it aint pretty.
Shows how Islams' continuous war against unbelievers began and the bleak prospects for the future.
Shows how Islams' continuous war against unbelievers began and the bleak prospects for the future.