Muhammad
Thursday, October 18th, 2007 @ 23:41
A Biography of the Prophet
by Karen Armstrong (1991)
Initially written in the height of Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses crisis in 1990 (with a new introduction for the post-9/11), the book was written not as an an all-inclusive biography, but rather as a readable introductory account of Muhammad’s (frequently misunderstood) life and teachings. There is, as such, much to find in the current context of the common (mis)conceptions of Islam, particularly in regard to the Rushdie affair, the question of jihad, polygamy, and female role in Islamic societies.
Armstrong threads on a thin line, and understandably, in this current tumultuous political climate with its bombastic, heavily biased media, managing respect and critical analysis without being accused of partiality would border on the impossible. As much as I understand and admire her particular aim of dispelling the usual misconceptions and misgivings against Islam and Muhammad that certainly the world need to learn about, I have to admit the constant comparisons to the bloodied medieval history of Christianity and Judaism annoy me slightly, not because of any religion partiality on my part, but more due to the repetitiveness of facts well-known to readers familiar with general religion history and the seemingly deliberate whitewashing and apologistic explanations. On the other hand, knowing the prevalent hard-headed prejudice against Muhammad and Islam, I don’t think I can fault her much.
