Muhammad, the world-changer : an intimate portrait

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Jebara, Mohamed

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

350 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Summary:

"An accessible and fresh biography boldly arguing that Muhammad's entrepreneurial mindset helped unleash the modern world "A beautifully written, immaculately researched meditation on the impact of the Prophet Muhammad on the modern world. I loved this book!" -Reza Aslan, author of No God but God and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth A six-year-old cries in his mother's arms as she draws her last breaths to urge him: "Muhammad, be a world-changer!" The boy, suddenly orphaned in a tribal society that fears any change, must overcome enormous obstacles to unleash his own potential and inspire others to do the same. Fusing details long known to Muslim scholars but inaccessible to popular audiences, Mohamad Jebara brings to life the gripping personal story of Islam's founding prophet. From his dramatic birth to nearly being abducted into slavery to escaping assassination, Muhammad emerges as an unrelenting man on a mission. Surrounding the protagonist are dynamic women who nurture Muhammad; Jewish and Christian mentors who inspire him; and the enslaved individuals he helps liberate who propel his movement. Jebara places Muhammad's life in a broader historical context, vividly evoking the Meccan society he was born into and arguing that his innovative vision helped shape our modern world"--

Contents:

Introduction: Muhammad Beyond Stereotypes -- Part I. Roots of the Mindset: 1. A Unique Name: Burdened with a Bold Mission -- 2. The Orphan -- 3. The Apprentice-- Part II. Forming the Mindset: 4. The Impresario: Becoming a Man Who Makes an Impact -- 5.The Prophet: Inspiring Others -- 6. Boycott: Transforming Oppression into Opportunity -- Part III. Applying the Mindset: 7. Medina -- 8. The Ultimate Test -- 9. Triumph: Establishing Arabia's New Meritocratic Order -- 10. Islam: Preserving Core Idealsfor Posterity -- Epilogue: The Elusive Legacy of Muhammad's Mindset -- Source Materials -- Index.

Publication Info:

New York : St. Martin's Essentials, 2021.

Subject:

Muḥammad, Prophet, -632 -- Biography

SAILS ISBN:

9781250239648

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	297.6 MUHA	NONFICTION	Searching... Unknown

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On Order

Summary

" An accessible biography of Muhammad, Islam's founding prophet, tracing his development from orphan to political leader and providing insights into his personal life and tastes." -- New York Times Book Review

"A joyous read, presenting the Prophet Muhammad both as human and humane. Insightful , thoughtful and thought provoking ! " -- Azar Nafisi, New York Times bestselling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

"A beautifully written, immaculately researched meditation on the impact of the Prophet Muhammad on the modern world. I loved this book!" -- Reza Aslan, author of No God but God and Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

A six-year-old cries in his mother's arms as she draws her last breaths to urge him: "Muhammad, be a world-changer!" The boy, suddenly orphaned in a tribal society that fears any change, must overcome enormous obstacles to unleash his own potential and inspire others to do the same.

Fusing details long known to Muslim scholars but inaccessible to popular audiences, Mohamad Jebara brings to life the gripping personal story of Islam's founding prophet. From his dramatic birth to nearly being abducted into slavery to escaping assassination, Muhammad emerges as an unrelenting man on a mission. Surrounding the protagonist are dynamic women who nurture Muhammad; Jewish and Christian mentors who inspire him; and the enslaved individuals he helps liberate who propel his movement.

Jebara places Muhammad's life in a broader historical context, vividly evoking the Meccan society he was born into and arguing that his innovative vision helped shape our modern world.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

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.)

Booklist Review

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.

Library Journal Review

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

Author's Note	p. xi
Introduction: Muhammad Beyond Stereotypes	p. 1
Part I Roots of the Mindset
1 A Unique Name: Burdened with a Bold Mission	p. 21
2 The Orphan	p. 44
3 The Apprentice	p. 67
Forming the Mindset
4 The Impresario: Becoming a Man Who Makes an Impact	p. 95
5 The Prophet: Inspiring Others	p. 120
6 Boycott: Transforming Oppression into Opportunity	p. 151
Part III Applying the Mindset
7 Medina	p. 187
8 The Ultimate Test	p. 219
9 Triumph: Establishing Arabia's New Meritocratic Order	p. 251
10 Islam: Preserving Core Ideals for Posterity	p. 279
Epilogue: The Elusive Legacy of Muhammad's Mindset	p. 303
Source Materials	p. 319
Index	p. 341

Available:

Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents