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Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
£15.20£18.00 (-16%)
Acclaimed worldwide as the definitive biography of the Prophet in the English language. Martin Lings life of Muhammad is unlike any other. Based on Arabic sources of the eighth and ninth centuries, of which some important passages are translated here for the first time, it owes the freshness and directness of its approach to the words of men and women who heard Muhammad speak and witnessed the events of his life. Martin Lings has an unusual gift for narrative. He has adopted a style which is at once extremely readable and reflects both the simplicity and grandeur of the story. The result is a book which will be read with equal enjoyment by those already familiar with Muhammads life and those coming to it for the first time. This book was given an award by the government of Pakistan, and selected as the best biography of the Prophet in English at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad in 1983. In 1990, after the book had attracted the attention of Azhar University, the author received a decoration from president Mubarak.Martin Lings, formerly Keeper of Oriental Manuscript in the British Museum and the British Library, is the author of three works on Islamic mysticism, A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century, What is Sufism? and The Book of Certainty, all published by The Islamic Texts Society.
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Additional information
| Publisher | 3rd edition (1 Jan. 1983), The Islamic Texts Society |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Mass Market Paperback | 362 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0946621330 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0946621330 |
| Dimensions | 23.5 x 3.8 x 15.8 cm |
by Amazon Customer
Every Muslim and non muslin should read this book. Comprehensive history of the most influential man in history (peace be upon him). We have ordered several copies to give away to friends and colleagues.
by MR BAX
One of the best written book and understood. I recommend it
by Deemi
Beautiful book ever had. Must read .
by Matloub Husayn-Ali-Khan
In recent weeks, made the point of reading this very important Seerah/Biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH-SAW) by Martin Lings entitled: Muhammad his life based on earliest sources after being reminded when the late Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8th September 2022 and her immediate successor monarch – eldest in seniority former Prince Charles now known as King Charles III – who highly recommended this book due to his historic views on ‘building Bridges between Islam and the west’.
As it is now the third Islamic month of Rabi-ul-Awal 1441 – according to the Islamic lunar calendar it is also the month of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH-SAW) was born and passed away on the 12th Rabi-ul-Awal and this is known as Mawlid An Nabi. Overall, the book by Lings is very easy to read and is brilliantly written, very informative and accessible.The book covers many significant moments in the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH-SAW) in simple short paragraphs.There are many details and events that are mentioned in this book which personally speaking was not aware of and maybe due to it being based on the earliest sources written in 1983 which earned him acclaim in the Muslim world and prizes from the governments of Pakistan and Egypt.His work was hailed as the “best biography of the prophet in English” at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad.Clearly, this Seerah/biography by Lings gives a very good account of the noble prophet Muhammad (PBUH-SAW) and portrays him as a living, talking and walking Qur’an during his life on this earth and a mercy to the worlds and everything that is in it.
There a couple of other Seerah/biography books on the life of prophet Muhammad (PBUH-SAW) including Betty Kelen: Muhammad the Messenger of God was not just a primer for famialirising yourself with Islam but it has a much deeper insight into the politics of Arabia at the time, than it appears. Highly recommend people to read this book by Betty Kelen as an independent account from a non-Muslim. As well as Sheikh Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpuri book entitled: Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar) – First Prize Winner book in Saudi Arabia in1979.This was also excellent biography of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which is a very detailed book that gives a very comprehensive account of the prophet’s life and times within a wider historical context of events that unfolded on the Arabian peninsula at the time.
In short, the book by Martin Lings is very easy to read and is brilliantly written, very informative and accessible and is highly recommended and a must buy!
by M Wan
The book about the life of Prophet Mohammad has been written by Martin Ling in a very interesting way. Unlike most biographies the account presented makes the reader “live” in that period. It’s a book based on facts but presented like a “Novel”, a rare combination which makes it very fascinating for anyone regardless of their faith. Highly recommended.
by A. G. Peck
Lings has set out to tell the story of Mohammed as a narrative, which is quite a relief given that so many Islamic texts make references to common knowledge that was prevalent at the time of writing, but has fallen from popular consciousness (the Quran doesn’t do a great job of telling stories at all, it just refers people to them and talks about God a lot).
If you’ve read “The Lord of The Rings” and are thinking “Islam/Mohammed… what’s that then?” you’ll be capable of dealing with this text and following the narrative style. It’s presented in a similar vein to popular fiction, with very little analysis going on, instead we start with the scene being set with a battle featuring an elephant and a water source being found in Meccah. Our reluctant hero is introduced (he’s into trade, and reflective sojourns in caves) and then he teams up with a variety of other larger than life characters (including Omar, a ruddy-faced shaven headed giant of a man, various bearded blokes and a freed slave who’s extremely special when it comes to throwing spears at people and seems to fill a similar niche in the narrative to that Irish guy in Braveheart). Battles are fought, visions are had and women are romanced. Eventually, following a period of quest and exile, the gang ride back into Mecca… it’s kind of a shame there’s not a scene with a volcano, but until Hollywood decide to grow a pair and bring Mohammed and his mates to the silver screen Martin Ling’s life of Mohammed is the most exciting treatment of the foundation of Islam that you’re going to find.
by R.A.
Beautifully written. Learning so much for our Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Thank you. Definitely recommend it.
by Balaaj
This is a really beneficial book! It tells you on the trials tribulations Prophet Muhammed went through, how Islam came about and overall his life!