Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time

by Karen Armstrong

Muhammad was born in 570 CE, and over the following sixty years built a thriving spiritual community, laying the foundations of a religion that changed the course of world history. There is more historical data on his life than on that of the founder of any other major faith, and yet his story is little known. Karen Armstrong's immaculately researched new biography of Muhammad will enable readers to understand the true origins and spirituality of a faith that is all too often misrepresented as cruel, intolerant, and inherently violent. An acclaimed authority on religious and spiritual issues, Armstrong offers a balanced, in-depth portrait, revealing the man at the heart of Islam by dismantling centuries of misconceptions. Armstrong demonstrates that Muhammad's life--a pivot point in history--has genuine relevance to the global crises we face today.

Genres: Religion, Islam, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Spirituality, Middle East

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Karen Armstrong is a British author and commentator of Irish Catholic descent known for her books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic religious sister, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and mystical Christian faith. She attended St Anne's College, Oxford, while in the convent and graduated in English. She left the convent in 1969. Her work focuses on commonalities of the major religions, such as the importance of compassion and the Golden Rule.
Armstrong received the US$100,000 TED Prize in February 2008. She used that occasion to call for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which was unveiled the following year.

Reviews

[Dženan Mušanović · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Armstrong izuzetnim stilom ispisuje jedan svojevrsni duhovni, politički, historijski portret nesumnjivo jedne od najvažnijih ličnosti koja je živjela: Poslaniku islama, Muhammedu, a.s. Ova je knjiga važno štivo, pisano perom jedne intelektualke, obrazovane, dobrohotne autorice koja je ekspert za religije svijeta, napose one abrahamske.

Armstrongova ima važnih zapažanja koja inače ne možemo primijetiti u sirama (سيرة نبوية) iznjedrenih iz pera autora izniklih iz islama. Njene su opaske britke, lucidne i na ponekim mjestima religioznom čitaocu mogle bi teško pasti. No, upravo ovakva literatura nam pomaže da spoznamo bogatstvo različitosti u našim interpretacijama istovremeno držeći kormilo u smjeru kojim zajedno idemo, oslanjajući se na iste temeljne tačke i ne odstupajući od njih.

Zašto onda 4 zvjezdice?

Smatram da je ova knjiga trebala biti opširnija, jer dok se na nekim mjestima zadržavala objašnjavajući korijene i uzroke, te genezu nekog problema, druga (važna) mjesta je preskakala i prelazila preko njih ne dajući im mnogo na važnosti. Također, na samo par mjesta sam primijetio navođenje autora koji navode izvijesne povijesne "činjenice" ili donose historiografske fakte sa kojima se većina ostalih historičara ne slaže, pa ta mjesta, iako potpomažu da priča dobije na progresu i imaju (donekle) smisla, oduzimaju na konačnoj, krunskoj poanti knjige.

Sve u svemu, moglo bi biti i 4.5, ali pošto te ocjene nema, neka ostane ovako. Svakako se radujem čitanju i drugih knjiga od ove izvrsne i nadahnute autorice. Volim kada se piše objektivno.