Muhammad: The Story of a Prophet and Reformer

by Sarah Conover, Eboo Patel (Foreword by)

Overview

"I recommend this book to all those who are honestly struggling against bigotry and ignorance. This is a useful tool in the hands of truth seekers and peace makers." —Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, National Director, Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances, Islamic Society of North America

In the pages of Muhammad: The Story of a Prophet and Reformer, young readers will encounter a man very different from the figure often presented in Western popular culture. Drawing from biographies, the Quran, and hadith, Sarah Conover, co-author of Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents, relates the story of a radical prophet who challenged the rich and powerful, guided his community of followers through a dangerous time of persecution and exile, formed alliances with people of different beliefs, and preached "love for humanity what you love for yourself."

Before he became one of the most venerated, and most misunderstood, religious leaders in history, Muhammad was an orphaned child and a shepherd. Written for readers 12 and up, and with a foreword by Eboo Patel, Muhammad: The Story of a Prophet and Reformer will educate and inspire youth and adults of all faiths.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558967045
Publisher:	Unitarian Universalist Association
Publication date:	03/01/2014
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Sarah Conover has written six books on world wisdom traditions and the spiritual education of families. Her interests lie in building bridges of understanding between people of differing world cultures and wisdom traditions. As a former high-school teacher, she strived to bring multicultural perspectives to her students by collaborating with other educators worldwide. She was the recipient of two U.S. State Department grants that brought U.S. teachers to the Middle East to initiate classroom collaborations between students in the two regions. Sarah lives in Spokane, Washington, where she teaches creative writing and Buddhist meditation.

Read an Excerpt

Foreword

As I read this book, I kept thinking of one of my favorite lines in Islam: “God is beautiful and loves beauty.” The book you hold contains a beautiful story beautifully told. I wish this were the case more often, but the truth is that the tale too often told about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in our times is twisted to the point of deformation—which just makes Muhammad: The Story of a Prophet and Reformer that much more meaningful and powerful.

I was told the target audience of this book is young people, and so I started reading it with two sets of eyes: the eyes of a Muslim father who is constantly on the lookout for material that will give my young boys a deeper under-standing of their faith and the eyes of an interfaith leader whose organization, Interfaith Youth Core, focuses on inspiring young people to bridge the faith divide. Both sets of eyes found much to love and admire here. I especially appreciated the way the author brought to life the key role that non-Muslims played in the life and Prophethood of Muhammad. How two Christians, Bahirah and Waraqah, were among the first to recognize Muhammad’s spiritual significance. And how a pagan, Muhammad’s uncle Abu Talib, risked his own life to protect the Prophet from those who wished him harm. So frequently we hear the perversion that Islam is a tradition that seeks either separation from others or domination over them. These stories high-light the relational dimensions of Islam, an important les-son for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Which brings me to my next point: Even though I started reading this book with the eyes of a father and interfaith activist, I found myself enjoying it, and learning a great deal, as a writer and teacher on Islam. This is to say that, like the best books meant for young adults, there is much here for those who are older and fancy themselves wiser. I personally found the description of Muhammad’s private life with his wife Khadija and their daughters especially moving.

It occurred to me about halfway through this book that it felt a bit short to be a full biography of Muhammad. After reading how the author told the tale of the initial revelations, the early days of the Prophet’s preaching, the unconditional love and support his wife Khadija dis-played, the generosity with which Muhammad engaged his detractors, I was eager to read about the episodes in the Prophet’s later life. Alas, the book ends in 622, the year the Prophet makes the Hijrah from Mecca to Medina, about halfway through his Prophetic mission. I confess to letting out a deep sad sigh when I realized that I would not get the author’s take on those final ten years in this book. Part of me wished the publisher had demanded the whole biography. But I suppose there is no higher compliment for a reader to pay a writer than to say, “I wish the book were longer.”

—Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith Youth Core

Table of Contents

Foreword Eboo Patel xi

The Orphan 1

The Shepherd 5

City of Gods 9

Signs 13

Al-Amin, The Trustworthy 19

At the Center of the World 25

Home 29

The Angel 33

Companions 39

Not for the Sun 45

Raise the Dead! 49

The Refusal 53

The First to Flight 57

The Boycott 65

The Prophet of Arabia 67

The End of the Ban 69

Year of Sorrow 71

The Vision 75

Insha'Allah 77

The Helpers 81

Flight 83

The Assassins 85

The Cave 89

Freedom 93

Epilogue 99

Author's Note 101

Background Information and Resources 105

Chapter Notes 111

Editorial Reviews

Conover, author of multiple religion books including the prize-winning Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents, adds herself to the growing list of biographers of the Prophet Muhammad. Her approach has a twist, though: aiming at teen readers, she adds imaginative, descriptive details and writes narratively—a departure from straightforward exposition. Conover makes an effort to include accurate sayings and customs (hadith) of Muhammad, interspersed with details of desert life. Stories well known to Muslims, such as how a spider at a cave’s mouth saved Muhammad’s life, and how Muhammad’s camel picked the location of the prophet’s Medina house, shore up areas where she took poetic liberties in, for example, dialogue. Carefully separating the facts from the liberties in an appendix, which also includes a time line and glossary, Conover ends her tale with the arrival of Muhammad in Medina, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In her talented hands, Muhammad’s story stays rooted in tradition, but takes on new dimensions that all readers, even seasoned ones, will appreciate and enjoy. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

This is a luminous introduction to the life and mission of the Prophet Muhammad. I enjoyed every word of it. It will inspire people of all backgrounds and ages.”—Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith Youth Core, and author of Acts of Faith

"This book is uniquely precious and timely. Filled with grace and beauty, this highly engaging story will stimulate minds and open hearts." —Imam Jamal Rahman, author of Spiritual Gems of Islam: Insights and Practices from the Qur'an, Hadith, Rumi and Muslim Teaching Stories to Enlighten the Heart and Mind

"I would like to congratulate Sarah Conover for this beautiful and inspiring book on Prophet Muhammad. Applying her storytelling skills, she has successfully done what every Muslim aspires to see, depict Prophet Muhammad as a human being in real historic terms, neither less nor more, yet project his Prophetic role through his daily activities and interaction with other human beings. People of other faiths will be equally fascinated to know the real man of God, leader, reformer, problem solver, and bridge builder without him being demonized or misrepresented by those who are biased or who want to justify their own agendas. I am glad to see that the author sought the guidance of knowledgeable Muslims in seeking accuracy, and the book has been reviewed by scholars and educators who are respected in our community. I recommend this book to all those who are honestly struggling against bigotry and ignorance. This is a useful tool in the hands of truth seekers and peacemakers. We are thankful to Sarah Conover for this great gift." —Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, National Director, Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances, Islamic Society of North America

“There aren't many books about Muhammad's life written for youth. Conover has taken on the task, beginning with the prophet's childhood adoption by Bedouins and ending with his arrival in Medina. Along the way, the author details Muhammad's education, his first marriage, the revelation of the Qur'an, and the anger he faced from his community. Throughout, Conover cultivates a strong sense of place with colorful descriptions of the desert setting, and she draws the events, characters, and some dialogue from established biographies of Muhammad, hadith, and the Qur'an. . . . Conover's sensitive, respectful approach is carefully researched, and her emphasis on Muhammad's peaceful, wise nature adds nuance to the all-too-common myopic perceptions of Islam in contemporary culture. . . .” —Sarah Hunter, Booklist

“Conover, author of multiple religion books including the prize-winning Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents, adds herself to the growing list of biographers of the Prophet Muhammad. Her approach has a twist, though: aiming at teen readers, she adds imaginative, descriptive details and writes narratively—a departure from straightforward exposition. Conover makes an effort to include accurate sayings and customs (hadith) of Muhammad, interspersed with details of desert life. Stories well known to Muslims, such as how a spider at a cave's mouth saved Muhammad's life, and how Muhammad's camel picked the location of the prophet's Medina house, shore up areas where she took poetic liberties in, for example, dialogue. Carefully separating the facts from the liberties in an appendix, which also includes a time line and glossary, Conover ends her tale with the arrival of Muhammad in Medina, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In her talented hands, Muhammad's story stays rooted in tradition, but takes on new dimensions that all readers, even seasoned ones, will appreciate and enjoy. Ages 12-up. —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

"I recommend this book to all those who are honestly struggling against bigotry and ignorance. This is a useful tool in the hands of truth seekers and peace makers." —Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, National Director Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances Islamic Society of North America

Reviews

2013-08-15
Respectful of Islamic tradition, this biography from the Unitarian Universalist Association's publishing imprint presents a coherent narrative of the prophet's life. The main incidents from birth to the flight to Yathrib (now Medina) in 622 are here, but disappointingly, the author omits the last 10 years of Muhammad's life. Within her narrative, Conover carefully delineates information taken from the Quran, from hadith (traditional sayings and deeds) and from early biographies, although the books in her bibliography are recent. The author notes when she has totally invented a scene in concluding chapter notes and freely admits that "sensory and scene details have been added" throughout. The smooth text is accessible to those with no prior knowledge of Islam. There are no illustrations, but a decorative pattern in green, the Islamic symbolic color, surrounds each chapter title. The book ends before the battles in Medina, thereby eliding the controversial aftermath of the "Battle of the Ditch," in which a Muslim general had Jewish men who supported the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, the prophet's enemies, put to death. Though incomplete, this slim volume provides a readable account of how the orphan boy and young trader developed into the prophet. (timeline, glossary, bibliography, notes) (Biography. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews