Lessons from the Life of Muhammad - In the Footsteps of the Prophet

Having studied Islam at university, I bought a number of books about Islam and Islamic thought and culture, and this is one of the books I bought. Some of the books have been negative in nature, often by Muslim and Arab writers, but this book by Mr Ramadan is a positive book about Muhammad and what he means to Islam, and perhaps to the wider world.

It isn't so much the history of Muhammad but more the understanding of Muhammad's life and teachings and the theology and meanings that come from Muhammad's life, teachings and experience. However, I enjoyed reading it and I think it would be valuable for non-Muslims like myself as well as Muslims. I do get a little tired of the constant stream of bad press Islam gets and feel that even if there are negative aspects to Islamic culture and society, we need someone to look at it positively, for balance. Not every Muslim is a terrorist anymore than any Christian or Buddhist or Orthodox Jew.

As a Christian, I don't have to believe in Islam or Judaism or Buddhism, or anything other than Christianity; I am a Christian after all. However, I think I can respect another person's belief and their right to be whatever they want to be and whatever they want to believe in; if I respect a Muslim, he or she might respect me as a Christian. If we want to live in a world of tolerance, we have to learn to be tolerant. Religion should be summed up in four letters: L O V E!

If I have one criticism of the book, it is that it is often uncritical of certain things that are purported to have happened in the development of Islam, and Islamic theology and Islamic culture. No culture is perfect, West or East, Islamic or Christian; there are warmongers and extremists on all sides. Perhaps the moderates, the true believers in a merciful and compassionate and loving God, who truly wants the best for all of us, can claim back some of the territory we so often cede to the haters? I pray for it.

Muhammad is by far the person who has exerted the greatest influence upon the world. it is therefore incumbent upon us all to learn about him. But one thing we must take note of is that,one can write about Muhammad from many perspectives. You can write about Muhammad the law giver or Muhammad the Prophet, or Muhammad the saint, or Muhammad the orator etc. The reason is that Muhammad is the most well documented man in History. Details about how he sat, how he ate , how he spoke, how his hair looked, etc. are all recorded in early Muslim sources.This book seeks to focus more on the spiritual angle of his life which is often downplayed by modern biographers of him, and that is why i thing this book is of utmost importance to read both for Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.if there was a 6 star i would definitely give it to this book.

For anyone who wants to know more about the Prophet Muhammad, this is the book you're looking for. It contains alot of verses from the Quran along with prophetic hadith (sayings). A must read especially if you are a muslim.

So many beautiful, helpful and important insights into the Prophet's life that are vital to understand how the teachings of Islam should be applied and followed. A great resource for those who wish to expand their understanding on Islam- Muslim or not.

Loves the insights. Great commentary a suggestions especially for Contemporary Muslims. Wish there was more actually, and I'm gonna check out more of Ramadan's works. As for a seerah book, it's not the best or most detailed and doesn't have anything you haven't read elsewhere. Martin Lings' Muhammad or The Sealed Nectar are still the best for dedicated English seerah works. But this would be a good recommendation for non-Muslims or those looking for a simplified introduction to Muhammad's life and views.

A good, worthwhile read about the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), what he believed and what he taught. An especially important and meaningful read for Christians wanting to understand Islamic belief and tradition. Especially important.

Christians readers will be surprised, perhaps shocked, to find the similarities of Jesus' teachings and those of Muhammad (pbuh). There is more Christian thought and principle in the Quran than in some "Christian" churches of today.

Yes, there are some differences in the two faiths, some of them major, but learning all that Christians and Muslims have in common, gives hope that we--Christians and Muslims--might find a way to live in peace and harmony with each other---just as both Jesus and Muhammad (pbuh) taught.

As Dr. Ramadan mentions, there are many books on the life of the prophet. However, what this book adds is the meaning, wisdom and lessons to be learned from the events in the life of the prophet. It is an easy to read book, easy to follow and is extremely engaging.

In a world where people are starved for a model to follow that is full of love, mercy and forgiveness, yet firm when it comes to the core message, this book presents this model clearly. The ideal character of a leader, a father, a husband, a friend is demonstrated in this book. It teaches the balance in life between work, family and spiritual demands. This book even explains to the reader the importance of taking care of your body; being an instrument on loan to us from God to us through this life. I cannot numerate the excellent moral lessons I leanred from this book.

Regardless of ones religion, this is a good book to read, understand and follow.

Absolutely sensational read. I recommend for all Muslims and non-Muslims. Regardless of the background of faith, we as a people can derive much wisdom from the experiences of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the most influential person of all time as stated in "The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History" but Michael Hart.

Ramadan is a highly intelligent and philosophical man, so it is surprising that his biography of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassalam is rather pedestrian and lacking in philosophical depth. Perhaps because this is a short biography, and Ramadan wanted to say something about all major events in the Prophet's life, it has a sketchy, fast-moving feel. It seldom pauses to explain the things it describes. Having said that, it is written in an easy, accessible style that allow the narrative to rattle along at a steady speed.

This biography of Prophet Muhammad can be called a "spiritual biography" that tells the story of a life but emphasizes decisions, revelations, and the spiritual and emotional lessons therein. Emerick's biography of the Prophet and that by Karen Armstrong are good, this is better. Incidentally, it hints at the paranoia of those in government who cancelled the author's visa while he was en route to teach at Notre Dame University. (I taught there briefly and can assure you that it is not a hot bed of radicalism.)

The position of women, place of jihad, role of law, and relations with non-Muslims are totally different than the media caricatures and also different from some Fundamentalist politicization and corruptions.

Under duress and attack we see un Islamic practices claiming to be Fundamental (the Western media is more than happy to second that claim). One needs to know that the Shari'a is partly a product, close to two centuries later, that evolved to empower scholarly elite promoting its own interests by which time patriarchal elements had also degraded practice regarding women some - although women had right of inheritance not much available in the West until the 19th and 20th centuries except for royalty.. Also, the most infamous practices predated Islam in much of the Mediterranean - the stoning of adulterers was now much harder to prove that before.

It is reading for those who have an open mind and would learn more, for those who aren't quite sure what to believe after the pervasive toxic climate of criticism. Christians and Jews are very much at a disadvantage in that Muslims know far more about their faiths naturally from reading the Qur'an than they would know without significant effort. Moses, Noah, Jesus and Mary are Prophets of Islam (Mary appears in the Qur'an more times than the Bible).

It should be reading for the many shamefully ignorant critics like Robertson, Graham, Hagee, Falwell who do not have the least basis for their declarations. Their ignorance is itself a measure of disrespect and narrowness that spreads widely among their followers. Equally it could begin to educate those who should know better and who make decisions based on fear and hate - including those who seem superficially have some knowledge when talking about "abrogation" of versus in the Qu'ran etc. Bashing Islam is a profitable cottage industry and so much easier than a small measure of understanding or empathy.

Prophet Muhammad lived ihsan (beauty appreciated and demonstrated) with charisma even before the first revelation. His role is not like that of Jesus in important ways: neither he nor his followers claimed Divinity: he had immense practical worldly family and political responsibilities that Jesus never had; he provided no redemption or way of evading personal responsibility.

Ramadan's scholarship, appreciation for pluralism, personal faith and passion for his Muslim heritage infuse this wonderful book. He takes us on a brief journey through the life of the prophet Muhammad and pauses to reflect on the way the Prophet used specific events to teach his contemporaries and on how those events and teachings have formed the Muslim community over the centuries.

As an American, I appreciated how the book responds to Western mis-understandings of Islam (for example, the greater jihad is the personal struggle to follow Allah; the lesser jihad is armed struggle) without being defensive. As a Christian, I appreciated "going along" with Ramadan as he reflects on his faith and makes it accessible because it comes from the heart.

This is probably the best and most accurate book ever written in English about the Prophet Muhammad, because of its deep meaning. Also, it takes a very spiritual view of his life (i.e. it's not just a rehash of facts and dates). Highly recommended for all readers of any ethnicity or faith. This book is a must-read and is a true celebration of the love that Muhammad conveyed to all humankind.

Tariq Ramadan is one of the foremost Muslim thinkers in our modern world and it is always a pleasure to read his writings. Scholarly, articulate, and truly polished just barely touch the surface of his incredible writing skills. Thank you, sir, for another enlightening work!

The only accurate biography about Muhammad and Islam is very first by Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, published in English as The Life of Muhammad by Guillaume. Ishaq's remarkable text was censored by Ibn Hisham.
The next most accurate is by Tabari, who used Ishaq's uncensored version for his History.
Read them both, Ishaq and Tabari, with the relevant Hadith, traditional stories by Bukhari and Muslim.
Guillaume made the fatal mistake of using the title of Ilah-God for Allah the god. Allah is not God.
In English, Allah is 'the god' the pagan god of Arabia and Islam.
In Arabic and the Qur'an, God is always Ilah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious.
That is why the Book is called The Criterion, the criterion between good and evil.

The the store bio needs an update here it is
The latest news on Tariq Ramadan does not come from France, where he is in prison awaiting trial, after several women (Muslim) accused him of rape and extreme sexual violence. You surely remember his very first accuser, one Henda Ayari, who had earlier written about Ramadan in her book J’ai choisi d’être libre (“I Chose To Be Free”), giving him the alias “Zoubeyr” because, at that point, she was still terrified of what he might do to her, given how violently he had already treated her in their encounters. Ramadan is both very powerful and, as she knew, very sinister. In fact, her fears were justified, for once she bravely accused him publicly, she received more than 3,000 death threats within just a few days. She now is forced to live under round-the-clock guard.
Here is how she had described Tariq Ramadan, giving him the name “Zoubeyr”:
“This man, Zoubeyr, transformed before my very eyes into a vile, vulgar, aggressive being – physically and verbally,” she wrote. And then she explained that she was now giving him, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, his real name: Tariq Ramadan. “For modesty, I will not give the precise details here of the acts he made me submit to. But it is enough that he took great advantage of my weakness and the admiration I felt for him. ”

For Christians the story of Jesus amounts to more than just the facts. The same is true for Buddhists of the Buddha, and Muslims of Mohammed. Believers affirm the uniqueness of the lives of their founders as proof that his way is divine, or in the case of Buddhists enlightened. But in their ardor to be worthy followers, they burnish the founder's image to such a degree that he is no longer interesting. There is no drama in his life because the founder is incapable of error. If he does err he does so only marginally and only so it can be shown what a humble and down-to-earth person he really was. The outcome, though, is never in doubt.

If this is the kind of treatment of Mohammed you are looking for, then you won't be disappointed by Tariq Rammadan's "In the Footsteps of the Prophet." The great value I see in this approach is in making non-Muslims familiar with the ways in which Muslims understand the story of their founder. Those looking for something meatier are likely to be disappointed by Ramadan's sentimental hagiography, similar to what you might find in the Islamic equivalent of Sunday Bible School lessons.

To alleviate the tediousness of the story I found myself halfway through looking for alternate lessons, different ways of interpreting Mohammed's life. The prophet is said to have respect for animals, saving a litter of puppies, but engages in animal sacrifice. The prophet has respect for the religious practices of others, but goes about smashing the art of unbelievers and blackmailing his adversaries into converting to Islam. He preaches love and forbearance, but orders the execution of 600 captives. He abhors slavery, but on capturing a city doles out the women as loot to his army.

Perhaps the greatest lesson from Mohammed's life is that uniting illiterate tribes into a state requires charisma and a grand theme of conquest.

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What Moses said when predicting future prophets :
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him."
(Deuteronomy 18:15).

What Jesus said -
" beware of false prophets disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruits, that is, by the way they act. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles?"
(Matthew 7:15-16)

According to the above, is Muhammad anything like Jesus and Moses or is he a vicious deceiving false prophet ?

See for yourself :

1.) Unlike Jesus and Moses, Muhammad performed NO miracles.
2.). Muhammad married a 6 year old girl and sexually fondled her for couple of years before he had intercourse with her at age 9.
3.). Muhammad had 15 wives and beat them.
4.). Muhammad raped his slaves.
5.). He stole his adopted son's wife.
6.). He ordered mass killing, beheading and enslaving.
7.) He ordered forced conversions to Islam on pain of death.
8.). He ordered mass enslaving and constant rape of captured women of other religions.
9.). He allowed mass castrations (eunuchs) of men of other religions- most of whom didn't survive the bloody procedure.
10.). He ordered killing of other Muslims who weren't fanatical enough.
11.). He instructed his followers to lie and deceive people in order to kill them.
12.) He ordered the killing of those who insulted him.
13. ) He died in the middle of sex with his youngest wife.

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(Click the links within the link)

An Islamist apologist through-and-through. While couching the traditional Islamic double-speak in PC terms appealing to many in the West, distorts the true history of Muhammad's actions and words, as well as the real method by which Islam spread which was by the sword and not by persuasion.

His condemnation of intentional attacks on civilians is tempered by an innocuous-seeming suggestion: that they will cease when European, U.S., and Israeli foreign policies bend to terrorists' underlying demands.

There is nothing of worth here or in any similar work which seeks to justify Islamist aspirations and methods, while ignoring the real problem which is the reformation of Islam, necessary in order to allow it to live in peace with other beliefs and customs.

The book is written from the viewpoint of an
admirer of the Prophet of Islam. For a viewpoint
of the victims of Islam, one can read the book,
"The Prophet of Doom." The book can also be read at the following web site:

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