Muhammad, the World-Changer

This intimate portrait of the Prophet Muhammad provides a well researched look at his childhood and how the events that transpired propelled him forward to be a world changer.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for an ARC.

Mohamad Jebara's "Muhammad, the World-Changer: An Intimate Portrait" will likely most deeply resonate, both intellectually and emotionally, with those having a somewhat foundational knowledge of its subject matter the Prophet Muhammad.

Fusing details long known to Muslim scholars yet for a large part inaccessible to wider audiences, Jebara has crafted a remarkably researched yet beautifully written portrait of of Islam's founding prophet. Jebara takes the major benchmarks of Muhammad's life and paints a portrait of remarkable adversity, relentless perseverance, absolute vision and mission, and ultimately a man whose values and entrepreneurial spirit served as a bridge to the modern world.

"Muhammad, the World-Changer" will, however, still have deep meaning for those of us, myself included, who are less familiar with Muhammad but who are inundated with "facts," opinions, media portrayals, and social media campaigns that often arrive with agendas and very little else. Jebara writes accessibly and introduces the reader to the world of Muhammad and the world of the Qu'ran. Complex writings are made understandable and Jebara rather incredibly also makes understandable the culture in which Muhammad's life unfolded.

While I'd read the Qu'ran previously, Jebara's work here gives it a necessary context that one who is non-Muslim, as is true for me, simply won't have. Having finished this work, I'm encouraged to return to that sacred text with greater knowledge and understanding of the world in which Muhammad lived and the culture in which the Qu'ran was initially developed.

"Muhammad, the World-Changer" is remarkable in its depth and detail but equally remarkable because of its emotional resonance and engaging language. It's a book that encourages deeper diving into this material yet also a book that makes you feel as if you understand Muhammad and Islam with greater clarity.

Jebara also powerfully captures the Meccan society of the time and brings to life the world in which Muhammad grew including the women who nurtured him in childhood and adulthood, Jewish and Christian mentors who inspired him, and the enslaved individuals whose freedom he would constantly pursue.

"Muhammad, the World-Changer" is both intellectually and spiritually satisfying, both exegesis of the life of Muhammad and meditation on its meaning.

I was very eager to read this book. It is so well-researched and easy to read. The topic is one I have long been interested in and yet everything I read was contradictory. Not this.

I am quite certain Muslim academics knew and understood the subject o Muhammad, the rest of us were a bit confused. Who exactly was he and what shaped his view of the world?

This was nothing like any other book I have read. It was researched and what came out of that was a man I could understand. Surrounded by women, some Jewish and Christian, He was inspired by the experiences he had and the people he met. I understood why there are no images of him. He truly was an inspirational man who believed in a worldview and had a vision of what the world should look like.

Did he change the way the world moved forward? I would say he did. From his birth to his death he was a most remarkable man. With all the translations having different meanings, it is difficult to sort fact from fiction. This was eye-opening work for me.

NetGalley/ October 12th, 2021 by St. Martin’s Essentials

This was my first foray into Islamic history and it was a helpful portrait of the early religious development of the Islamic worldview. At times the work feels less like biography and more like a hagiography, storytelling to paint a particular picture. I think this helps the book feel accessible but it also made me curious about reading a more historical/biographical perspective as well.

A well researched and personal biography on the life of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Even as a believer in another faith, I found this book helpful in understanding the origins of Islam. It is always good to be well educated about other peoples and their faith. It makes for a more tolerant and peaceful world.

Thank you to St Martins and Netgalley for the ARC.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.