Muhammad: Man and Prophet

Warning! This entry is not meant to belittle the memory of 9/11 or lessen the soldiers who are fighting in Afghanistan. I intend only to discuss a wonderfully-written book I finished reading yesterday and wanted others to know about it. The fact that this blog post falls on 9/11/08 has not escaped my attention, but I never meant for anyone to make any malicious connections. Thank you and have a good day.
Anyway, I finished reading an awesome book called 'Muhammad: Man and Prophet', and I have to salute the author for bringing the Prophet, his world, his followers, friends, family, and foes to such intense, honest life. He made me understand how devout Muhammad and his followers were in those dawning years of Islam. It was this unshakeable passion and faith in Allah that kept Islam from faltering when it looked like its foes were going to snuff it in its cradle. I had no idea of the number of peoples out there who wanted very much to see the Prophet die, taking Islam along with it.
I liked how the author used more realistic spellings for Mecca and Medina in the book, and his retelling of anecdotes added much needed colour to what seemed to me like a most colourless religion. I think, though, the best and most important thing about this book was the fact that the author continually linked events in the book to chapters in the Qur'an, which added a whole new dimension to a book I have considered to be very dry, repetitive, and lacking. For anyone interested in seeing Islam's beginnings in a new light, do have a look at 'Muhammad: Man and Prophet'.
Just a word of warning, though. Not for the faint of heart, topping the chart at 741 pages. Better be serious about wanting to learn about the Prophet and his world before you dedicate yourself to reading this behemoth from cover to cover. The writing is good and there are both heroes and villains on this long and winding road. Definitely a book to visit and enjoy.
This concludes my review. Again, I hope nobody assumes I mean anything malicious by posting this on 9/11. It's just the way things worked. Thank you.