The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad

by TariqRamadan (Author)

• New

  Paperback
  2008

  $13.14

  In The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad, leading Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan considers the ways in which the Prophet's actions, words and teachings can guide us in the modern world. The life of the Prophet Muhammad, to whom the Angel Gabriel revealed the verses of the Quran, has provided inspiration to Muslims for hundreds of years. Interspersed with spiritual and philosophical meditations, this profound and stimulating biography shows how Muhammad's message can be used to address some of today's most controversial issues - from the treatment of the poor and the role of women to the interpretation of jihad and relations with other religions. It offers Muslims a new understanding of Muhammad's life and introduces non-Muslims to the story of the Prophet and to the riches of Islam. 'Fascinating ... punctuated by spiritual reflections, it tells Muhammad's life from orphaned childhood to his death, with Islam dominant across Arabia' The Times 'Draws lesson that are crucial for Muslims and non-Muslims alike' Financial Times 'Communicates a sense of spiritual transcendence' Guardian 'Important, readable and intelligent ... an eloquent account of the religion's founder and his core teachings' Scotland on Sunday Tariq Ramadan is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Oriental Studies and St Antony's College (University of Oxford). He is the Director of the Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (Doha) He is the author of The Quest for Meaning and The Messenger, and has been described as one of the 'most important innovators for the twenty-first century' by Time magazine.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2007

  $3.46

  Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important innovators of the century, Tariq Ramadan is a leading Muslim scholar , with a large following especially among young European and American Muslims. In his first book written for a wide audience, he offers a biography of the Prophet Muhammad, highlighting the spiritual and ethical teachings of one of the most influential figures in human history. Capturing a life that was often eventful, gripping, and highly charged, Ramadan provides both an intimate portrait of a man who was shy, kind, but determined, as well as a dramatic chronicle of a leader who launched a great religion and inspired a vast empire. Underscoring the historical importance and meaning of Muhammad, The Messenger addresses the significance of the Prophet for some of today's most controversial issues, such as the treatment of the poor, the role of women, Islamic criminal punishments, war, racism, and relations with other religions. Selecting those facts and stories from which we can draw a profound and vivid spiritual picture, the author asks how can the Prophet's life remain - or become again - an example, a model, and an inspiration? And how can Muslims move from formalism - a fixation on ritual - toward a committed spiritual and social presence? In this thoughtful and engaging biography, Ramadan offers Muslims a new understanding of Muhammad's life and he introduces non-Muslims not only to the story of the Prophet, but to the spiritual and ethical riches of Islam.