Muhammad, the world-changer An intimate portrait

There are many works chronicling the life of Prophet Muhammad. Pious Muslims learn about Muhammad's mannerisms, sayings, judgments, and actions as part of their religious journey, and over the ages many storytellers have embellished, altered, and reinterpreted the Prophet's life. Chronologically and in a conversational style, here scholar and visual artist Jebara outlines the life of Muhammad from just before his birth to after his death with the intent to understand the Prophet's mindset as a person who was open to change, sought the best for his people, and was unwaveringly devoted to his religious beliefs. Weaving a coherent narrative from several different sources, Jebara necessarily favors some narratives over others, and some details may be difficult to historically validate. Further, Jebara sometimes interprets Muhammad's actions in light of contemporary notions of equality and freedom. The epilogue outlines how early Muslims incorporated Muhammad's teachings into their lives, and the impact this has today on the author and other Muslims. This excellent biography presents a unique and personal perspective.

In this accessible debut, Islamic scholar Jebara delivers an intimate portrait of Muhammad as a spiritual figure and leader. Here, the prophet emerges as a man who "endured terrible setbacks and traumatic suffering, only to turn his brokenness into an asset, unlocking latent abilities to improve the world around him." Jebara traces Muhammad's footsteps in the deserts of Arabia to create an endearing account of his tumultuous journey from orphan to businessman to political leader. Jebara humanizes Muhammad with stories of him doing housework and building a lover's loft for his wife Khadijah, and by considering Muhammad's personal tastes, such as his favorite color: green. Along the way, Jebara depicts Muhammad as a hero who "laid the intellectual mindset for the modern world," and also explains the roots of Arabic words including Quran (the blossoming process), Muslims (those who repair cracks in the city wall), and Islam (the constant pursuit of completion). Those looking for an introduction to the life of the Islamic prophet would do well to start here. (Oct.)

In this book, Jebara, a historian of Islamic art, narrates the life of Prophet Muhmmad from just before the Prophet's birth to after his death. There are already several biographies of Muhammad to choose from, but Jebara's distinguishes itself by trying to provide a more personal and more intimate profile of Islam's prophet. It does this by describing thoughts and conversations that might have been had by the Prophet Muhammad and the people around him. Jebara's narrative enhances readers' (and his own) personal connection with the Prophet by reading like a novel rather than a history text; for instance, there are no footnotes in the main body. In an effort to create a historically accurate portrait of Muhammad, Jebara had to synthesize accounts of his life from different (sometimes contradictory) sources, leading to inconsistencies, and some aspects of Jebara's narrative lack adequate historical support. Jebara tries to straddle the line between historical reporting and storytelling and sometimes fills in details. In the end, the work reveals as much about the author as it does about its subject. VERDICT An excellent account of Jebara's personal understanding of the Prophet Muhammad that could inspire readers to undertake their own similar journey.--Muhammed Hassanali, Shaker Heights, OH