BIOGRAPHIES of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) hold an irresistible fascination, for his followers and also for those who do not follow his faith. For the former the Prophet remains a celestial source of inspiration and guidance; for his detractors he is the object of intense jealousy due to his exploits. And for the objective observer, he is a hero. Karen Armstrong is among the most recent non-Muslims to write his biography.

Explaining the raison d'etre for her venture, she says she was shaken to the core by the appalling ignorance about the Prophet and Islam among Christians as evidenced in the furore following Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses and Imam Khomeini's fatwa for his death.

She, therefore, set about writing a critical and objective study of the Prophet's life aimed at clearing all distortions. The first edition of the book was published in 1991. The second, in 2001, was propelled by the 9/11 tragedy.

Armstrong claims her work is different from others because, unlike Martin Ling's book though it is a classic, it addresses the 'proselyte'. Montgomery Wyatt's work is for those who already have some background knowledge on the subject, whereas Maxim Rodinson has focused largely on the military and political aspects of the Prophet's life, which does not help readers to understand the spiritual side of his character.

Armstrong denies the charge that she is an apologist for the Prophet. In fact, what she has done is expose the inherent flaws in western thinking with reference to the writings of theologians and draw parallels from Judeo-Christian scriptures. For this her past as a nun comes to much advantage.

This approach helps to place events in perspective and facilitate understanding about events such as the massacre of the Jewish tribe of Banu Quraizah in Madinah, on the order of the Prophet, which is often held against him by his
critics. The event was 'less brutal than others of that time, and no worse than King David's massacre of 200 Philistines (not to mention Joshua's massacre at Jericho).'

The first chapter, 'Muhammad, whom Europe regards as its enemy', traces the history of Christian enmity towards Muhammad and Islam in detail; from the earliest times to the present, the factors that fueled it and the ways in which it has found expression. 

One can find an echo of it today in Jerry Falwell's fulminations, the Danish cartoons and Geert Wilders' controversial documentary. The book takes up from the state of the Arab community during jahiliyya and chronicles every event in the Prophet's life from his birth to his last moments on earth. But she does not accept everything on face value.

'When we see Muhammad waging war against the city of Makkah we shall have to ask whether he really did found a religion of the sword and how a man of God could be prepared to fight and kill,' she says. 'When we consider Muhammad's relationship with his wives and daughters, we must ask whether he really was a chauvinist who founded a misogynist religion.'

She examines all such contentious issues against the backdrop of her own religion to satisfy herself and then presents her thesis that Muhammad was the epitome of perseverance, determination and compassion who introduced people of the world to peace.

Every now and then the author picks up current events to underscore the relevance of the Prophet's life in today's world, because as her thesis states, it is not only Christians who are ignorant of his message but also some Muslims, which leads them to perform acts of terror.

Therefore, although this book is written primarily for non-Muslims, it is outstanding reading for Muslims as well. Naeemullah Malik has done an equally outstanding service with his superb translation of the book in Urdu. He has also added an index which is a rare feature in an Urdu book.

Muhammad A biography of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
(RELIGION)
By Karen Armstrong
Translated by Naeemullah Malik
Abuzar Publications, Lahore
370pp. Rs450