The First Muslim. The story of Muhammed

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What do I love about: The first Muslim, the story of Muhammad?

Hmmmm I know right !!!! . I get that reaction when my Christian friends see this book.  I am happy to say that this is one of the best decisions I have made. Having read so much about the history of Christianity and how it was politicized overtime, I always wondered about Islam. Like any other monotheistic religion, Islam evolved in a highly politicized era.

I learnt a lot reading this piece. Such as the fact that the Hajj/ pilgrimage were part of the history of ancient Arabs even before the advent of Islam. This book also portrays the fact that Islam and Christianity tried to accommodate each other. But often, parties loathe at each other when one religion tries to play dominance.

By the time, I got to the middle of this book,  I was very skeptical about Mohammed’s character. Because, he seemed to have been overly concerned about folks accepting his authority and never questioning his judgments. Innocent souls were killed and properties were seized just to further reiterate his authority. A lot of Islam practices such as the veil, marrying multiply wives (Mohammed’s wives were gift from various alliances) and the Jihad were not actual revelations from God, but practices along the way from the early leaders of the religion. But I must say that at certain point in time, Mohammed exuded some pretty commendable leadership tactics. Most were similar to Sun Tzu military tactics. He kept his enemies closer, ignored common heuristics, and made allies in unexpected places.

The biggest problem was the interpretation of the Quran or perceived messages from God. Due to the nature of the language, several versions of messages were propounded as the context suit the individuals in question.

This is not all that surprising as many other monotheistic religion suffered this same dilemma. This book is very enlightening.  And I would recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their knowledge.

What do I not love about: The first Muslim, the story of Muhammad?

Zilch

Who should read: The first Muslim, the story of Muhammad?

Anyone curious to understand other monotheistic religions especially Islam will find this book pretty insightful.

Who should not read: The first Muslim, the story of Muhammad?

Since it is a book attributed to a religion, some people may typical shy away from such reads.