Armstrong, Karen, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.

aren Armstrong!s "iography of Muhammad has "een characteri#ed as

$sympathetic%, and it is that. Her "oo& seems an e'ce((ent resource to study the (ife and
teachings of Muhammad )ithout the usua( *estern "ias.
Muhammad did not recei+e any re+e(ations unti( he )as ,- years o(d ./1- 012,
and these re+e(ations continued o+er a period of 33 years unti( short(y "efore his death in
/33 01. 4t seems that most of his re+e(ations, especia((y after the emigration of Mus(ims
from Mecca to Medina .the Hijra in /33 012, addressed the acts of Muhammad as a
de+e(oping (eader of the re(igious community .the umma2, first as a mediator or 5udge,
and then as a tri"a( chieftain of a gro)ing group of tri"es in Ara"ia.
His re+e(ations )ere radica( "y the standards of his time, and from the "eginning
)ere +io(ent(y opposed "y most others )ho )ished to &eep the traditiona( pagan faith of
their fathers. A((ah )as the chief god of the pagans, "ut there )ere other gods, too, 5ust
as the ear(y He"re)s had gods other than 6ah)eh. Both re(igions e'perienced a
transition period from recogni#ing the numerous "ut (esser gods to the one and on(y 7od.
8he cu(ture of the time a((o)ed po(ygamy, and after the death in /19 of his first
and most "e(o+ed )ife, hadi5a .she )as 3- or more years o(der than Muhammad2, he,
too, "ecame po(ygamous, and had a harem that ena"(ed Muhammad ha+e an intimate
re(ationship )ith )i+es of different tri"es, "ut )hich a(so "rought )ith it some scanda(,
e+en "y the standards of those days.
8here )ere t)o distinct phases in the (ife of Muhammad and the de+e(opment of
the 9u!ran and 4s(am: the first )as in Mecca, from the time of the first re+e(ations ./1-2
unti( the Hi5ra ./332, )hi(e the second or cu(minating phase )as in Medina from /33
unti( the death of Muhammad in /33. Muhammad!s participation in )arfighting, po(itica(
intrigue, and his harems dominated the second .Medina2 phase.
4n the first phase Muhammad resem"(ed the He"re) prophets in admonishing the
Ara" pagans, )hi(e in the second phase he resem"(ed the He"re) patriarchs and )arriors
.e.g. :oshua and ing ;a+id2 as he "att(ed the pagans and conso(idated po(itica( po)er in
Ara"ia. Muhammad came c(osest to :esus in the first phase of his ministry, )ith the
+io(ence and po(itica( acti+ities of the second phase in star& contrast to the teachings of
:esus, especia((y his massacre of a tri"e of :e)s in /3< )ho had "etrayed him.
Armstrong rationa(i#es the massacre as "eing (ess "ruta( than others of that time,
and no )orse than ing ;a+id!s massacre of 3-- Phi(istines .not to mention :oshua!s
massacre at :ericho2= "ut she ac&no)(edges that Muhammad!s actions cannot "e a mora(
standard for modern times.
8herein (ays the pro"(em. 8he suras of the 9u!ran seem insepara"(e from the (ife
and actions of Muhammad, 5ustifying his mi(itary and po(itica( actions as 7od!s )i((,
much as the >8 5ustified the actions of :oshua and ing ;a+id as 7od!s )i((. 8he
teachings of :esus condemn such actions as those of Satan, prince of the )or(d!s po)ers.
8he (atter part of Muhammad!s (ife )as peacefu(, conso(idating his po)er after
defeating his enemies= "ut the peace )as "ui(t on +io(ence and po(itica( intrigue. :esus
taught that +io(ence .other than in se(f?defense2 cannot "e 5ustified. Armstrong
rationa(i#es the actions of Muhammad as se(f?defense in the conte't of the Ara" cu(ture
of the <
th
century= "ut that is stretching the concept of se(f?defense "eyond the "rea&ing
point, as did President Bush )hen he in+aded 4ra@ in 3--3.