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Revelation: The Story of Muhammad
The first textbook of its kind in the English-speaking world, Revelation draws on the most authoritative sources to present a detailed yet refreshing guide to the life of the Prophet and the story of Qur'anic revelation.
SIRAH TEXTBOOK
Discover how complex forces shaped the Prophet's life. Each segment of the Sirah is presented in a refreshingly succinct and high yield approach that guarantees mastery of the most authoritative sources of the Prophetic biography.
QUR’ANIC VERSES
Experience the Qur'an unfold, with 400+ verses that are chronologically woven into an authentic narrative of Prophet Muhammad’s life (pbuh).
FIGURES & VISUAL AIDES
Retain critical details with the help of 90+ original figures (maps, family trees, and infographics) that simplify complex material and boost retention.
COMMENTARY POINTS
Examine the very best commentaries on important and challenging topics by a diverse array of respected scholars and authors including Hamza Yusuf, Tariq Ramadan, Karen Armstrong, Adil Salahi, and Reza Aslan.
GLOSSARY OF NAMES
Connect the dots with an extensive glossary of 400+ entries that highlight each individual, their relationship with others, and the role they played.
SIRAH TIMELINE
Memorize the Sirah timeline in 10 minutes by gaining access to an innovative system that bypasses years of rote memorization.
SIRAH TEXTBOOK
Discover how complex forces shaped the Prophet's life. Each segment of the Sirah is presented in a refreshingly succinct and high yield approach that guarantees mastery of the most authoritative sources of the Prophetic biography.
QUR’ANIC VERSES
Experience the Qur'an unfold, with 400+ verses that are chronologically woven into an authentic narrative of Prophet Muhammad’s life (pbuh).
FIGURES & VISUAL AIDES
Retain critical details with the help of 90+ original figures (maps, family trees, and infographics) that simplify complex material and boost retention.
COMMENTARY POINTS
Examine the very best commentaries on important and challenging topics by a diverse array of respected scholars and authors including Hamza Yusuf, Tariq Ramadan, Karen Armstrong, Adil Salahi, and Reza Aslan.
GLOSSARY OF NAMES
Connect the dots with an extensive glossary of 400+ entries that highlight each individual, their relationship with others, and the role they played.
SIRAH TIMELINE
Memorize the Sirah timeline in 10 minutes by gaining access to an innovative system that bypasses years of rote memorization.
429 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2015
82 people are currently reading
915 people want to read
About the author
Meraj Mohiuddin
1 book14 followersDr. Meraj Mohiuddin is an American physician and writer. The son of Indian immigrants, he was raised on the East Coast with a strong emphasis on sports and education. With a college background in neuro-science and medical degree from Northwestern University, he moved to Boston to complete his training in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. While teaching at Harvard Medical School and its affiliated hospitals, Dr. Mohiuddin developed an interest in international relief work and created a curriculum to encourage young American doctors to share their skills in the developing world.
Dr. Mohiuddin has no formal training in the Islamic sciences. He considers himself a mainstream American-Muslim who believes that every prophet lived a timeless example of moderation and integrity. He has no political agenda other than to close the gaps of disharmony between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. “By getting to know our prophets,” he writes, “we can hope to attain a more compassionate, more gracious version of ourselves.”
Dr. Mohiuddin is an avid reader and is particularly interested in studying how modern advances in cognitive and behavioral sciences can deepen our understanding of classical Islamic thought.
Ultimately his love for the outdoors brought him to Phoenix, Arizona where he enjoys trail-running, archery, and camping. He lives with his wife and son, and his parents live down the street.
Dr. Mohiuddin has no formal training in the Islamic sciences. He considers himself a mainstream American-Muslim who believes that every prophet lived a timeless example of moderation and integrity. He has no political agenda other than to close the gaps of disharmony between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. “By getting to know our prophets,” he writes, “we can hope to attain a more compassionate, more gracious version of ourselves.”
Dr. Mohiuddin is an avid reader and is particularly interested in studying how modern advances in cognitive and behavioral sciences can deepen our understanding of classical Islamic thought.
Ultimately his love for the outdoors brought him to Phoenix, Arizona where he enjoys trail-running, archery, and camping. He lives with his wife and son, and his parents live down the street.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 3, 2016
Having heard the author speak about this book during ISNA’s annual convention, I was really looking forward to reading it. There have been very few original seerah books written in English and with the rave reviews this book had received, I fully expected it to set a new standard for English seerah works.
I was disappointed.
On the first page of the preface, the author states, “I am neither an Islamic scholar nor an amateur historian”. Indeed, the rest of the book bears ample testimony to this fact.
My misgivings about the book began right with the introduction, where the author lists the seerah books he went through in order to compose this work. Here is the list:
Safi ur Rahman Mubarakpuri
Martin Lings
Montgomery Watt
Karen Armstrong
Tariq Ramadan
Reza Aslan (!)
Adil Salahi
Hamza Yusuf (audio series)
As a student of history, I have strong reservations about using Watt, Aslan, and Armstrong when writing a seerah book. It’s clear the author does not have a solid grounding in historiography, as these would not be the first books to reference when writing a seerah book. What I found especially concerning is that the author mentioned that he thought he had studied all the best modern seerah commentaries and then was introduced to Adil Salahi’s book via a young Texan imam. This is akin to saying someone had read all the best modern Qur’an translations and was then introduced to Muhammad Asad’s translation. It really shakes confidence in the author’s research when he misses one of the heavy hitters in modern seerah literature and then only stumbles upon it via a recommendation from an imam. To make matters worse, the author states that the main benefit he derived from Salahi’s book was his discussion of the age of Aisha and the execution of Banu Quraydha…..the two parts where Salahi’s otherwise excellent seerah is marred by revisionism.
With the exception of Watt’s book, which I’ve only skimmed, I’ve read all the seerah he references above. More than anything, I was astounded by which books he did not use. I mean, English seerah books any one writing seerah should have read and consulted. Ibn Kathir’s The Life of Prophet Muhammad. Abul Hasan an-Nadwi’s Prophet of Mercy. Muhammad Hamidullah’s The Life & Work of the Prophet of Islam. Ali Sallabi’s The Noble Life of the Prophet. Ibn al-Qayyim’s Provisions for the Hereafter. Muhammad Ghazali’s Fiqh as-Seerah.
Putting my ample reservations aside, I began reading the actual book, hoping the remainder would prove my initial hesitation wrong. On the contrary, the further I read into the book, the more I wondered how anyone with knowledge of seerah could endorse it.
The book has three main sources of content. One is the author’s writing. The second is voluminous quotes from the author’s references. The third is figures and charts designed by the author. I’ll address these one by one.
As far as the author’s written text goes, it is mediocre at best. To be more honest, it falls flat. Prose is simple and the text is light on details and heavy on quotations. The entire story of the new qiblah is covered in two paragraphs written by the author. The book looks deceptively large. If appendices and quotations were to be removed and the huge margins reduced, this book would be slightly over a hundred pages longs. In short, this is not a book to read if you want a detailed book of seerah or a book which goes any deeper than a bird’s eye view. It reads more like an expanded outline than a well written book.
Perhaps the worst part of the book, however, is the heavy reliance on quotes from his references. In line with the rest of the text, the author poses questions and then answers them with an excerpt from one of the books he consulted. These are blocked off in a yellow background so as to distinguish themselves from the author’s text. It is within these quotes that absolutely ludicrous statements are made. Among such statements:
Muhammad was not yet establishing a new religion; he was calling for a sweeping social reform. He was not yet preaching monotheism; he was demanding economic justice.
And
In his desire to avoid a serious dispute, Muhammad did not, at this stage, emphasize the monotheistic content of his message. Like the hanifs, he was convinced that Allah was the only God, but he did not at first condemn the worship of the stone idols round the Kabah or the cult of the three gharaniq. Like most of the great religious sages, he was not much interested in orthodoxy. Metaphysical speculation tended to make people quarrelsome and could be divisive. It was more important to practice the “works of justice” than to insist on a theological position that would offend many of the people he was trying to win over.
And
It is contrary to our preconceived ideas of Islam that this theme of God’s goodness and power should be so prominent in the early passages. The preconceptions rest on the later developments of Islamic dogma, when the fact that God is unique was emphasized and idols were declared to be nothing. In other words Muhammad’s original message was not a criticism of paganism. It appears to be directed to people who already had a vague belief in God, and to aim at making this belief of theirs more precise by calling attention to par- ticular events and natural processes in which God’s agency was to be seen. The vague monotheism accepted by thoughtful Meccans of the day, and presumably at first by Muhammad, allowed them to regard the Lord of the Ka’bah (the shrine of Mecca) as identical with God.
And
That Muhammad came to Yathrib as little more than the Hakam in the quarrel between Aws and Khazraj is certain….His movement represented the tiniest fraction of Yathrib’s population.
And
Muslims had been driven out of Mecca because of religious intolerance, so they must avoid all exclusivity….It was idolatry to take pride in belonging to a particular religious tradition rather than concentrating upon Allah himself.
These quotes are absolutely absurd and bear no resemblance to historical reality. For someone who has studied seerah, this is obvious and needs to explanation. For those who are unfamiliar with seerah, i.e. the audience this book is aimed for, this book is great for confusion and distortion of the seerah. Tawheed was never an ancillary part of Islam. Whatever economic changes that came as part of Islam have always been secondary to the doctrine of monotheism preached by the Prophet (saws) and the sahabah.
These quotes seemed designed to fit the narrative of “God doesn’t care about your belief, just that you’re a ‘good’ person.” And having a good economy where poor people aren’t exploited becomes the prime purpose of any religious movement because that is what God cares about, not worshipping Him. Social justice is undoubtedly a part of Islam, but to state that the original message of Islam was not about criticism of shirk but rather a demand for economic justice is pure, unadulterated, ignorance. To state that it is “idolatry to take pride in belong to a particular religious tradition” is beyond nonsensical.
In addition, within these blocked off quotes, I found one which referenced Dr. Tariq Ramadan and made a similarly ridiculous sounding claim. Having read Dr. Ramadan’s book and not recalling such a quote, I checked the citation and looked up the relevant page in my copy of In the Foosteps of the Prophet. It was nowhere to be found.
While I was not reading the book with an eye to fact check, I did find a glaring error in the story of Hatib ibn Abi Balt’ah (referred as Hatib ibn ‘Amr in the book). He is described as the brother of a Qurashi clan chief! For those who are aware of the incident, Hatib’s entire motive for betrayal was because he had no blood ties with the Quraish and was afraid for his family’s safety.
The one redeeming quality (the only redeeming quality) of this book is the third source of content, the multiple figures and charts. Without a doubt, these are unprecedented in any seerah book I’ve read and give a nice visual supplement to seerah study. There is an appendix which may be useful for some people but in the era of smartphones and Google, such an appendix is perhaps a bit superfluous.
Perhaps one of the most disappointing aspects of this book is the absolute lack of critical thinking and analysis. The books reads as if a person who knows only rote memorization was asked to regurgitate facts. Stringing together multiple quotations is not critical analysis or higher level thinking. Academic rigor consists of interacting with difference sources. Analyzing them, critiquing them, synthesizing them, and then forming your own conclusions. In this books, quotations abound. Interaction, not so much.
I do commend the author for his work in making so many well designed figures and hope that in future editions of this book, he removes the many factually incorrect quotes that exist in the book.
In conclusion, this is not a seerah book I would recommend. It is overpriced, light on content, and heavy on errors. The sole reason to buy this book should be its charts and figures, perhaps as an adjunct resource to use while teaching seerah from a more reliable work.
I was disappointed.
On the first page of the preface, the author states, “I am neither an Islamic scholar nor an amateur historian”. Indeed, the rest of the book bears ample testimony to this fact.
My misgivings about the book began right with the introduction, where the author lists the seerah books he went through in order to compose this work. Here is the list:
Safi ur Rahman Mubarakpuri
Martin Lings
Montgomery Watt
Karen Armstrong
Tariq Ramadan
Reza Aslan (!)
Adil Salahi
Hamza Yusuf (audio series)
As a student of history, I have strong reservations about using Watt, Aslan, and Armstrong when writing a seerah book. It’s clear the author does not have a solid grounding in historiography, as these would not be the first books to reference when writing a seerah book. What I found especially concerning is that the author mentioned that he thought he had studied all the best modern seerah commentaries and then was introduced to Adil Salahi’s book via a young Texan imam. This is akin to saying someone had read all the best modern Qur’an translations and was then introduced to Muhammad Asad’s translation. It really shakes confidence in the author’s research when he misses one of the heavy hitters in modern seerah literature and then only stumbles upon it via a recommendation from an imam. To make matters worse, the author states that the main benefit he derived from Salahi’s book was his discussion of the age of Aisha and the execution of Banu Quraydha…..the two parts where Salahi’s otherwise excellent seerah is marred by revisionism.
With the exception of Watt’s book, which I’ve only skimmed, I’ve read all the seerah he references above. More than anything, I was astounded by which books he did not use. I mean, English seerah books any one writing seerah should have read and consulted. Ibn Kathir’s The Life of Prophet Muhammad. Abul Hasan an-Nadwi’s Prophet of Mercy. Muhammad Hamidullah’s The Life & Work of the Prophet of Islam. Ali Sallabi’s The Noble Life of the Prophet. Ibn al-Qayyim’s Provisions for the Hereafter. Muhammad Ghazali’s Fiqh as-Seerah.
Putting my ample reservations aside, I began reading the actual book, hoping the remainder would prove my initial hesitation wrong. On the contrary, the further I read into the book, the more I wondered how anyone with knowledge of seerah could endorse it.
The book has three main sources of content. One is the author’s writing. The second is voluminous quotes from the author’s references. The third is figures and charts designed by the author. I’ll address these one by one.
As far as the author’s written text goes, it is mediocre at best. To be more honest, it falls flat. Prose is simple and the text is light on details and heavy on quotations. The entire story of the new qiblah is covered in two paragraphs written by the author. The book looks deceptively large. If appendices and quotations were to be removed and the huge margins reduced, this book would be slightly over a hundred pages longs. In short, this is not a book to read if you want a detailed book of seerah or a book which goes any deeper than a bird’s eye view. It reads more like an expanded outline than a well written book.
Perhaps the worst part of the book, however, is the heavy reliance on quotes from his references. In line with the rest of the text, the author poses questions and then answers them with an excerpt from one of the books he consulted. These are blocked off in a yellow background so as to distinguish themselves from the author’s text. It is within these quotes that absolutely ludicrous statements are made. Among such statements:
Muhammad was not yet establishing a new religion; he was calling for a sweeping social reform. He was not yet preaching monotheism; he was demanding economic justice.
And
In his desire to avoid a serious dispute, Muhammad did not, at this stage, emphasize the monotheistic content of his message. Like the hanifs, he was convinced that Allah was the only God, but he did not at first condemn the worship of the stone idols round the Kabah or the cult of the three gharaniq. Like most of the great religious sages, he was not much interested in orthodoxy. Metaphysical speculation tended to make people quarrelsome and could be divisive. It was more important to practice the “works of justice” than to insist on a theological position that would offend many of the people he was trying to win over.
And
It is contrary to our preconceived ideas of Islam that this theme of God’s goodness and power should be so prominent in the early passages. The preconceptions rest on the later developments of Islamic dogma, when the fact that God is unique was emphasized and idols were declared to be nothing. In other words Muhammad’s original message was not a criticism of paganism. It appears to be directed to people who already had a vague belief in God, and to aim at making this belief of theirs more precise by calling attention to par- ticular events and natural processes in which God’s agency was to be seen. The vague monotheism accepted by thoughtful Meccans of the day, and presumably at first by Muhammad, allowed them to regard the Lord of the Ka’bah (the shrine of Mecca) as identical with God.
And
That Muhammad came to Yathrib as little more than the Hakam in the quarrel between Aws and Khazraj is certain….His movement represented the tiniest fraction of Yathrib’s population.
And
Muslims had been driven out of Mecca because of religious intolerance, so they must avoid all exclusivity….It was idolatry to take pride in belonging to a particular religious tradition rather than concentrating upon Allah himself.
These quotes are absolutely absurd and bear no resemblance to historical reality. For someone who has studied seerah, this is obvious and needs to explanation. For those who are unfamiliar with seerah, i.e. the audience this book is aimed for, this book is great for confusion and distortion of the seerah. Tawheed was never an ancillary part of Islam. Whatever economic changes that came as part of Islam have always been secondary to the doctrine of monotheism preached by the Prophet (saws) and the sahabah.
These quotes seemed designed to fit the narrative of “God doesn’t care about your belief, just that you’re a ‘good’ person.” And having a good economy where poor people aren’t exploited becomes the prime purpose of any religious movement because that is what God cares about, not worshipping Him. Social justice is undoubtedly a part of Islam, but to state that the original message of Islam was not about criticism of shirk but rather a demand for economic justice is pure, unadulterated, ignorance. To state that it is “idolatry to take pride in belong to a particular religious tradition” is beyond nonsensical.
In addition, within these blocked off quotes, I found one which referenced Dr. Tariq Ramadan and made a similarly ridiculous sounding claim. Having read Dr. Ramadan’s book and not recalling such a quote, I checked the citation and looked up the relevant page in my copy of In the Foosteps of the Prophet. It was nowhere to be found.
While I was not reading the book with an eye to fact check, I did find a glaring error in the story of Hatib ibn Abi Balt’ah (referred as Hatib ibn ‘Amr in the book). He is described as the brother of a Qurashi clan chief! For those who are aware of the incident, Hatib’s entire motive for betrayal was because he had no blood ties with the Quraish and was afraid for his family’s safety.
The one redeeming quality (the only redeeming quality) of this book is the third source of content, the multiple figures and charts. Without a doubt, these are unprecedented in any seerah book I’ve read and give a nice visual supplement to seerah study. There is an appendix which may be useful for some people but in the era of smartphones and Google, such an appendix is perhaps a bit superfluous.
Perhaps one of the most disappointing aspects of this book is the absolute lack of critical thinking and analysis. The books reads as if a person who knows only rote memorization was asked to regurgitate facts. Stringing together multiple quotations is not critical analysis or higher level thinking. Academic rigor consists of interacting with difference sources. Analyzing them, critiquing them, synthesizing them, and then forming your own conclusions. In this books, quotations abound. Interaction, not so much.
I do commend the author for his work in making so many well designed figures and hope that in future editions of this book, he removes the many factually incorrect quotes that exist in the book.
In conclusion, this is not a seerah book I would recommend. It is overpriced, light on content, and heavy on errors. The sole reason to buy this book should be its charts and figures, perhaps as an adjunct resource to use while teaching seerah from a more reliable work.
February 27, 2017
After a long period lasting more than two months, I've finally finished this book. In my defense, I almost always take a while to read books of Sirah, since I like to go back and reread a lot of things to make sure I understood them correctly before moving on.
This is definitely one of the better Sirah books I've read. The author himself, a medical doctor by trade, makes no pretensions about being a scholar, and therefore is very willing to defer to scholars both Islamic and academic. The knowledge he does possess shows in the layout of the book. It's purposely laid out like a textbook to facilitate ease that one wouldn't necessarily find in a book that was translated from Arabic, since that style can be quite different. The diagrams, side notes, and cited explanations from other sources all give this book an air of authenticity.
The unique division of the book into "Qur'anic Years" really helps to remember approximately when an event happened throughout the Prophet's ﷺ time on this Earth from the start of Qur'anic revelation when he ﷺ was 40 until his ﷺ passage from this life at age 62. The literally trademarked, roughly Q-shaped diagram, along with its accompanying mnemonic devices, further help to jog one's memory on roughly when an event happened. (This probably sounds confusing, but it'll make sense if you read the book.)
The book is not without its flaws, of course. The biggest one to me would be the use of the Yahiya Emerick translation for all Qur'anic ayat. His translation was made more "slangy" so that kids would understand it, and I really think this brings down the overall impact of the translation of the Majestic Book's verses. It's as if someone took a better translation and just changed some of the words to contractions, plus added way more information in the brackets than is actually in the original text itself - at least, way more than the average reader can interpret even when reading the original Arabic. I get why this translation was used - it's fairly simple - but I think any number of more "formal" translations would've done the Book (and this book) a better service.
With all that said, the book is really great overall. I recommend it to any Muslim who reads English, and also to any English-reading non-Muslim willing to read such a massive - and expensive - tome. If you have any interest in the life of the Prophet ﷺ, you'll be glad you didn't miss this one.
This is definitely one of the better Sirah books I've read. The author himself, a medical doctor by trade, makes no pretensions about being a scholar, and therefore is very willing to defer to scholars both Islamic and academic. The knowledge he does possess shows in the layout of the book. It's purposely laid out like a textbook to facilitate ease that one wouldn't necessarily find in a book that was translated from Arabic, since that style can be quite different. The diagrams, side notes, and cited explanations from other sources all give this book an air of authenticity.
The unique division of the book into "Qur'anic Years" really helps to remember approximately when an event happened throughout the Prophet's ﷺ time on this Earth from the start of Qur'anic revelation when he ﷺ was 40 until his ﷺ passage from this life at age 62. The literally trademarked, roughly Q-shaped diagram, along with its accompanying mnemonic devices, further help to jog one's memory on roughly when an event happened. (This probably sounds confusing, but it'll make sense if you read the book.)
The book is not without its flaws, of course. The biggest one to me would be the use of the Yahiya Emerick translation for all Qur'anic ayat. His translation was made more "slangy" so that kids would understand it, and I really think this brings down the overall impact of the translation of the Majestic Book's verses. It's as if someone took a better translation and just changed some of the words to contractions, plus added way more information in the brackets than is actually in the original text itself - at least, way more than the average reader can interpret even when reading the original Arabic. I get why this translation was used - it's fairly simple - but I think any number of more "formal" translations would've done the Book (and this book) a better service.
With all that said, the book is really great overall. I recommend it to any Muslim who reads English, and also to any English-reading non-Muslim willing to read such a massive - and expensive - tome. If you have any interest in the life of the Prophet ﷺ, you'll be glad you didn't miss this one.
May 3, 2018
This book revolutionized how I learned the Seerah. While I will forever appreciate the classics such as The Sealed Nectar, this book came as welcome add-on to the Seerah experience.
The book isn't perfect so it's best to go over it with a knowledgeable person, but overall, it's quite good. The numerous charts and visual aids make this purchase unique as well as the understandings from both traditional Islamic scholars and secular scholars that are present.
The book isn't perfect so it's best to go over it with a knowledgeable person, but overall, it's quite good. The numerous charts and visual aids make this purchase unique as well as the understandings from both traditional Islamic scholars and secular scholars that are present.
May 18, 2016
An innovative look at prophetic history through the eye of revelation. Read with an instructor in order to discuss material in yellow boxes, and to understand the sequence of events in the hijri calendar (the book follows the years after revelation).
June 24, 2017
Such a beautiful piece of work by Dr. Mohiuddin. I took my time to read this Seerah of the Prophet (saw) - paused my reading, to listen to the Surahs that were listed in the margins that were relevant to the text on the page, which enhanced the experience so much more. I have read Armstrong's and Lings' works, which were lovely in their own right of course, but the way this textbook is constructed just takes things to an entirely new level for the student of Seerah, which every Muslim should be in my opinion. Of course, it's a great learning tool for anyone looking to get a better understanding of the Prophet's life. I hope that one day, it is used in Islam classes at the university level and that an even broader audience is exposed to it just for the sake of learning and understanding, which is only becoming more important in these times of false, distorted information and yes, ignorance and fear. I know I will definitely have to go back and re-read parts and spend more time making connections, solidifying the roles in my memory, of so many more individuals that are so clearly talked about and defined in the light of the early days of Islam and the Prophet's life.
For my fellow Muslims, this HAS to be in your home library. No excuses. :)
For my fellow Muslims, this HAS to be in your home library. No excuses. :)
February 14, 2021
The best part about reading the sirah of the Prophet is that the numerous works on the subject would never be exhaustive. Each has always been a complementary material for the other.
What sets Revelation apart from the rest of the existing sirah writings is the generous number of colourful charts and tables throughout the book. Its explanation may not be a novel one (it is a consolidation of many sirah books in the English-speaking world, primarily the ones written by Watt, Lings, and Al-Mubarakfuri), but the graphics are undoubtedly a refreshing rendition of the life of the Prophet. Was totally geeked out over those!
Having read the widely-acclaimed Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum by Al-Mubarakfuri (it was almost a compulsory reading in our usrah) and the first few chapters of Lings’s Muhammad (loved the narrative style but couldn’t finish it as I only have the PDF version at the moment and screens often give me migraines), I find Revelation to be a great reference to understand some of the particulars mentioned in the two books, especially on the early history of Mecca and the many clans of Quraisy.
What sets Revelation apart from the rest of the existing sirah writings is the generous number of colourful charts and tables throughout the book. Its explanation may not be a novel one (it is a consolidation of many sirah books in the English-speaking world, primarily the ones written by Watt, Lings, and Al-Mubarakfuri), but the graphics are undoubtedly a refreshing rendition of the life of the Prophet. Was totally geeked out over those!
Having read the widely-acclaimed Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum by Al-Mubarakfuri (it was almost a compulsory reading in our usrah) and the first few chapters of Lings’s Muhammad (loved the narrative style but couldn’t finish it as I only have the PDF version at the moment and screens often give me migraines), I find Revelation to be a great reference to understand some of the particulars mentioned in the two books, especially on the early history of Mecca and the many clans of Quraisy.
July 5, 2016
Unlike any biography on the prophet I've ever read! Perfect in every way, from a gripping story telling style, to modernized graphs and illustrations that makes the point clear, and constant reminders and connections between the names that can sometimes get confusing, and multiple references a support explaining the differences between them and leaving it up to the reader's intelligence to infer what he wants. It's just perfect in every way! I highly recommend it!
April 9, 2025
This is a beautiful book outline the life of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The author uses charts and maps to help us get a visual of the clans and tribes, as well as their movements throughout the peninsula. It does not go as in depth as some other sirahs, but it makes this a great place to start learning about his life.
July 16, 2024
This book needs to come with warnings from the many errors it contains, which largely stem from some of the author's choices for sources, including non-Muslims like Karen Armstrong who states that Muslims have beliefs that Muslims do not have--straight blasphemies as well as many other errors from her liberal Orientalist background, non-Muslim Orientalists like Montgomery Watt, and Muslims with heretical beliefs like Reza Aslan. You need to know your 'Aqidah and your Sirah before reading this book, or you may end up led astray. While it seems that the author felt a certain way about the Sirah texts he had read in English, he is not a scholar in Islam or in history. At all. And it suffers greatly from his lack of knowledge of Deen and historiography. I am actual disturbed that more Muslims have not been vocally warning others about the errors in this book, again, for believing Muslims. These egregious errors are what earns it a 1 star rating. I have included a link to an excellent review from a blog that goes into these systematic errors in much more depth.
This necessary warning being stated, the author has done a service to the literature in English through the work he has put into the structure of the book, the charts, graphs, maps, etc. The organization and work put into the book on that level is commendable, and it really is a pity that more traditional and authentic sources couldn't have been relied on to make this a better and more sound book. There are many mnemonic aids in it that many Western educated folks will find beneficial. I learned a lot as I read it in coordination with other books on Sirah that I was reading or rereading. But the inclusion of heretical and non-trustworthy sources made me stop in my reading many times out of frustration. Scholars I know personally are mentioned on the back cover as endorsing this book, but if you look at what they endorse about it, it is not all of the book, but parts of it. And I'm very sure if they read it with a thoroughly critical eye that they would also put out a warning.
I wanted to give it more stars. I think it can be a useful book for Muslims. But they have to be able to read it critically and identify the problematic areas and the errors. Or else it is actually a book that will end up in misguidance. Until more Muslims see this and say this, I think I will have to keep the one star rating.
May Allah reward the author for the good in his intention and work, reward others for their support of it, and cause readers to benefit from it even with the abovementioned flaws, and forgive us all. May the author know that I respect his work and effort, and would love to see a thoroughly revised and updated and expanded edition.
Here is an extremely important critical review of the book:
https://theidealmuslimman.com/2016/08...
This necessary warning being stated, the author has done a service to the literature in English through the work he has put into the structure of the book, the charts, graphs, maps, etc. The organization and work put into the book on that level is commendable, and it really is a pity that more traditional and authentic sources couldn't have been relied on to make this a better and more sound book. There are many mnemonic aids in it that many Western educated folks will find beneficial. I learned a lot as I read it in coordination with other books on Sirah that I was reading or rereading. But the inclusion of heretical and non-trustworthy sources made me stop in my reading many times out of frustration. Scholars I know personally are mentioned on the back cover as endorsing this book, but if you look at what they endorse about it, it is not all of the book, but parts of it. And I'm very sure if they read it with a thoroughly critical eye that they would also put out a warning.
I wanted to give it more stars. I think it can be a useful book for Muslims. But they have to be able to read it critically and identify the problematic areas and the errors. Or else it is actually a book that will end up in misguidance. Until more Muslims see this and say this, I think I will have to keep the one star rating.
May Allah reward the author for the good in his intention and work, reward others for their support of it, and cause readers to benefit from it even with the abovementioned flaws, and forgive us all. May the author know that I respect his work and effort, and would love to see a thoroughly revised and updated and expanded edition.
Here is an extremely important critical review of the book:
https://theidealmuslimman.com/2016/08...
January 19, 2021
Hey beautiful Ummah of Muhammad ( peace be upon him ) . Assalamu Alaikum ! Brother and sisters who have a copy of this book I seek your attention please.. Im from Bangladesh , if you don't know about this country , its a developing country and Irony of fate is that there's no way I can buy this book online from my country. And also I tried to find it in book stores but failed to find one. though I have found a copy in amazon and there is away i can buy but it will cost me around 10000 bdt. which is nearly impossible to afford. I was voluntarily researching on my religion for my own benefit and also for my family. I came up with some amazing books but I failed to manage all of them. I am kind of disappointed to be a country like this but I have faith in Allah (sw). He sure wants me to read this book and continue to do research to better understand Islam and to devote my self into Dinn. So after being frustrated I came up to write in here to seek help from you brother and sisters. Can you beautiful Ummah of Muhammad(sm) help me by providing this books scanned copy? It will really be helpful. I know its against the author but I have no other options to ask you guys. I know scanning this book will cost a lot of time, but you can at least give me 10 pictures a day, that will also be helpful and I will forever be grateful to you guys. I have really no other options . thanks in advance. peace be upon you. Allah(sw) may grant us to the way that Allah(sw) revealed to Muhammad(sm) and grant us to be a good Muslim.
Heres my Email : fttlm9@gmail.com
Heres my Email : fttlm9@gmail.com
April 6, 2021
I read Revelation: The Story of Muhammad as part of a two-part Seerah class. The book is a very detailed history of Muhammad's life. The narrative is easy to follow, but there are a lot of notes, charts, and diagrams that also need to be reviewed. This is a study guide that combines six different sources in an attempt to help those who have trouble keeping the names and dates straight (like me).
While it is a very good study guide, it can be dry in places. However, it does help if you have time to read all the notes and study all the charts. If you are taking a class that uses this as the main text, please be sure to allow yourself time to do that. I found that any attempt to hurry thru the assigned reading before the next class left me confused during class.
I would also offer this advice: This book is not just for practicing Muslims. It is for anyone who is searching for a closer relationship with God in the midst of a chaotic world. If you look at the core of Muhammad's message, you will find that it is what most of us seek in very simple, practical knowledge. I think that is the best way to approach studying Revelation: The Story of Muhammad.
While it is a very good study guide, it can be dry in places. However, it does help if you have time to read all the notes and study all the charts. If you are taking a class that uses this as the main text, please be sure to allow yourself time to do that. I found that any attempt to hurry thru the assigned reading before the next class left me confused during class.
I would also offer this advice: This book is not just for practicing Muslims. It is for anyone who is searching for a closer relationship with God in the midst of a chaotic world. If you look at the core of Muhammad's message, you will find that it is what most of us seek in very simple, practical knowledge. I think that is the best way to approach studying Revelation: The Story of Muhammad.
March 22, 2024
"Revelation: The Story of Muhammad" by Dr. Meraj Mohiuddin is an absolute gem. What truly sets it apart is Dr. Mohiuddin's introductory chapter on the Quranic Year (QY) system. I recommend investing time into this system fully at the beginning, then strategically revisit it — a quarter at a time — at key chapter milestones: Early Mecca, Late Mecca, Early Medina, and Late Medina. This approach isn't just about reading; it's an active engagement that deepens your contextual fluency of the Seerah. It turns reading into an interactive experience, and by the end of the book you will have connected dots across the narrative and profound insights like never before. This book is essential, whether you're deepening your knowledge, teaching others, or simply exploring. It presents the journey of the Prophet's ﷺ life in an incredibly accessible and impactful way. Highly recommend diving in!
Want to read
October 2, 2020I would not give this book even one star! The language used in this book for our prophet is blasphemous! And contradicts and disrespects him. There are passages in the book that tell of prophet "questioning his sanity, having suicidal thoughts, throwing himself on rocks, and gibreal keeping contact with him during the period of silence from Allah! ... it also goes on to say that Abu Jahl "cracked" the prophets head to bleed, the authour could've been respectful and written that Abu Jahl " hit or attacked" our prophet on mountain of Safa
March 12, 2024
Fantastic. Marvelous. Brings a whole new perspective to the seerah. Really got me hooked and on a journey to learn more and share. The diagrams, charts, and visuals are superb. The mnemonics are incredibly helpful. High School textbook approach that doesn't overcomplicate. Simplicity is elegance and Dr. Mohiuddin really knocks it out of the park. A whole new approach that brings the source material alive. Hats if 6
Want to read
October 6, 2019I find this seerah book very informative for a young english language oriented mind living in non muslim countries. It is an easy read without any divisive bias, and simply narrates facts in an easily assimilative fashion. I'd recommend it for young Muslim Generation being brought up in an alien environment.
November 23, 2023
Great supplement to the seerah (life and biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)). This book is great for anyone who wants an introduction to the seerah and draws from several modern sources to guide the reader to the life and events of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The rich visualisations and commentary provide great direction to the reader and is great for visual learners.
September 2, 2024
There was lack of such an arranged form of Seerah material in the English world. So world was approximately unknown to the seerah of the prophet. This book covers each and every event of prophets life in a very illustrated and arranged form. Such a great work. May Allah bless writer and all his companions for this great work.
May 22, 2020
Excellent biography (seerah) of Prophet Muhammad, complete with diagrams to make it clear to the reader how the various tribes and individuals are connected. The diagrams is what make this book unique compared to other biographies of Prophet Muhammad.
December 1, 2020
A beautifully written book. The book has great content about one of the greatest men to have ever walked on Earth. It's cool to the eyes and is very easy to understand, for it has a textbook style of explaining complex concepts.
November 14, 2018
its good
June 10, 2022
Amazing
May 18, 2025
I haven't study it still but seems very good3book
December 30, 2020
A good refresher on on the Prophet life and sira, provide good research on the quranic context of the historical events during Prophet life.
June 27, 2019
Not all that glitters is gold. This is a beautiful presentation with poor sources and narrative.
The sources used are indirect (the author cannot read Arabic) and relatively few. The narrative, too, is reductionist and even inaccurate in parts. This all stems from the author’s admitted lack of expertise.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to some teachers, with the caveat that it should not be taken as gospel or the final word on the topic. The main advantages are the visual aids, which could actually supplement better books in English, such as those by al-Bouti and al-Nadwi.
The sources used are indirect (the author cannot read Arabic) and relatively few. The narrative, too, is reductionist and even inaccurate in parts. This all stems from the author’s admitted lack of expertise.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to some teachers, with the caveat that it should not be taken as gospel or the final word on the topic. The main advantages are the visual aids, which could actually supplement better books in English, such as those by al-Bouti and al-Nadwi.
March 12, 2025
One of the best-organized biographies of Muhammad I have seen. The entire thing is laid out like a textbook, with figures, maps, quotes by historians and experts, glossaries, and lists of important people. Excellent for reference.
December 15, 2016
Last book I fhinshed reading before I left for hajj on 9/1/16.
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