Critical Lives: Muhammad

Beautifully written in a story like formate, which was easy to follow and visualize. I would highly recommend to all readers interested in this topic!

I enjoyed reading this book very much. I felt as if I were right there with the Prophet pbh and the companions. I felt as if I were experencing every trial, victory, and defeat. Very well written reads like a narrative. Not political, choppy, wishy washy, or even biased. One is able to get a clear and fair understanding of the wars, executions, culture, and tribal customs of that time. I also appreciated the way Mr. Emerick was able to discuss the Prophets pbh lineage with out getting lost in translation or the details. I also felt he addressed belief issues by explaining the difference of opinion amongst scholars concerning the trip to the Dome of The Rock, not leaning toward either arguements. Which is why I felt he was fair. He didn't try to butter up the reality, hide anything as if something were wrong. If you're looking for a book to read about the Prophet Muhammad that will give you a clear understanding of who he was, and what his message was, I recommend this book. If you need an eman or faith boost I recommend this book.

I have Martin Ling's book too but whenever I open and try to read it, I get bored and quickly put it aside. But the moment I opened this one, I just had to read it to end. There is something about the way he writes. It is very simple and very magnetic. It is a great book for those who do not know and a good refresher for those who already know. It takes you from the 21 century and put you right there in the seventh century. The other good thing about it is it connects some Quran's verses with the historical context and circumstance of its revelations. And that clarifies where, how, and under what condition some verses of Quran were revealed. I highly recommend this book.

I would definitely recommend this work to all with an interest or curiosity of the beginnings of Al-Islam. I strongly agree with E.C. Luhurbudi's review of this book because I, myself, could not find the brakes to stop once I started reading it. The author does a fantastic job from start to finish as he gives an account of the life of the Holy Prophet (SAWS) and his lineage. There were many things that I learned and that I never knew about. This lead to a greater appreciation of what Islam is about, the trials and tribulations of Muhammad (SAWS) and, the overall significance of the holy month of Ramadan and also Eid Al-Ahda to name a few. To make a long story short (too late), this book is awesome.

This book is at the same level as Haekal's seminal work on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). My wife and I found it very easy to read and very inspiring. I almost cried when I read the book descriptions on the ordeals that the Prophet went through leading to the Hijrah. For Muslims, this book is full of info on not commonly known aspects of the Prophet life. For non-Muslims, because of his unique background, the author wrote lengthly and clear explanations on many issues sometimes not clearly explained in other books. Definitely a must read for everyone!