Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet
"Without guides who reached higher consciousness, the world would be bereft of its greatest visionaries - fatally bereft, in fact. Muhammad sensed this aching gap in the world around him. He appeals to me most because he remade the world by going inward. That's the kind of achievement only available on the spiritual path. In the light of what the Prophet achieved, he raises my hope that all of us who lead everyday lives can be touched by the divine. The Koran deserves its place as a song of...
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In this riveting novel, beloved international bestselling author Deepak Chopra captures the spellbinding life story of the great and often misunderstood Prophet. Islam was born in a cradle of tribal turmoil, and the arrival of one God who vanquished hundreds of ancient Arabian gods changed the world forever. God reached down into the life of Muhammad, a settled husband and father, and spoke through him. Muhammad's divine and dangerous task was to convince his people to renounce their ancestral idols and superstitious veneration of multiple gods. From the first encounter, God did not leave Muhammad alone, his life was no longer his own, and with each revelation the creation of a new way of life formed and a religion was born. Muhammad didn't see himself as the son of God or as one who achieved cosmic enlightenment. His relatives and neighbors didn't part the way when he walked down the parched dirt streets of Mecca. There was no mark of divinity. Orphaned by age six, Muhammad grew up surrounded by dozens of cousins and extended family to become a trusted merchant. Muhammad saw himself as an ordinary man and that is why what happened to him is so extraordinary. Rooted in historical detail, Muhammad brings the Prophet to life through the eyes of those around him. A Christian hermit mystic foretells a special destiny, a pugnacious Bedouin wet nurse raises him in the desert, and a religious rebel in Mecca secretly takes the young orphan under his spiritual wing. Each voice, each chapter brings Muhammad and the creation of Islam into a new light. The angel Gabriel demands Muhammad to recite, the first convert risks his life to protect his newfound faith, and Muhammad's life is not a myth but an incredible true and surprisingly unknown story of a man and a moment that sparked a worldwide transformation. Publishers Weekly Chopra, an iconic figure in American popular culture, proves with this biography of Muhammad that he is more than just a New Age talking head. Varying by chapter the narrative viewpoints and using actual characters from the life of Muhammad, such as Muhammad's first wife, Khadijah, and his daughter Fatima, Chopra tells the story of Muhammad's life in this "teaching novel." Similar volumes by Chopra have already profiled Buddha and Jesus. While technically this is fiction, several historical events--including ones dear to many Muslims' hearts--are related. The result is one of the most imaginative and touching biographies of Muhammad. For instance, in the prelude, inventively narrated by the Angel Gabriel, the angel bringing the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad, describes the illiterate caravan trader who had married his wealthy female boss. The next chapter, narrated by Muhammad's grandfather Abdul Muttalib, tells the legend of the Zamzam well, which Muslims visit to this day in their annual hajj pilgrimage. Chopra goes on to describe a people yearning for a message that would liberate them from polytheistic tribalism and the messenger, a trustworthy but frightened man who became a prophet. Chopra's grasp of Muhammad's mission and life is accessible and extends his range in a surprising direction; his popularization is welcome. (Oct.)
\ Publishers WeeklyChopra, an iconic figure in American popular culture, proves with this biography of Muhammad that he is more than just a New Age talking head. Varying by chapter the narrative viewpoints and using actual characters from the life of Muhammad, such as Muhammad's first wife, Khadijah, and his daughter Fatima, Chopra tells the story of Muhammad's life in this "teaching novel." Similar volumes by Chopra have already profiled Buddha and Jesus. While technically this is fiction, several historical events--including ones dear to many Muslims' hearts--are related. The result is one of the most imaginative and touching biographies of Muhammad. For instance, in the prelude, inventively narrated by the Angel Gabriel, the angel bringing the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad, describes the illiterate caravan trader who had married his wealthy female boss. The next chapter, narrated by Muhammad's grandfather Abdul Muttalib, tells the legend of the Zamzam well, which Muslims visit to this day in their annual hajj pilgrimage. Chopra goes on to describe a people yearning for a message that would liberate them from polytheistic tribalism and the messenger, a trustworthy but frightened man who became a prophet. Chopra's grasp of Muhammad's mission and life is accessible and extends his range in a surprising direction; his popularization is welcome. (Oct.)\ \ \ \ \ The Daily Beast"...the finest of his long shelf of books. ...Chopra returns in his own attractive voice with one of the more level, tough-love, discussions of Islamic religion available."\ \ \ Spirituality & Practice"...profound summation of his life, teachings, and service of humanity..."\ \ \ \ \ Booklist"Compellingly told, this is not only good storytelling, it also helps readers, especially non-Muslims, better understand the complexities and contradictions surrounding Islam."\ \ \ \ \ The Arizona Republic"It is a positive portrait that nonetheless points to human flaws and complexities."\ \ \ \ \ The Historical Novels Review"[Chopra] produces an imaginative, evocative rendition of what it must have been like to be in the company of such an individual, making his way in an environment in many ways so alien to our own."\ \ \ \ \ Irshad Manji"Chopra shows that neither revering nor reviling Muhammad will unlock the meaning he embodied. So what will? Chopra’s answer is bound to challenge Muslims and non-Muslims alike."\ \ \ \ \ Greg Mortenson"Chopra takes us into the past through the Prophet Muhammad’s journey, and brings wisdom and perspective to an often misunderstood figure. His compassionate and clear depiction is a courageous undertaking, and a valuable effort against the enemy of ignorance. An important and timely book, indeed."\ \ \ \ \ Harvey Cox"I am grateful that Deepak Chopra, instead of adding to the often useless pile of [Muhammad] biographies, has instead crafted an absorbing novel based on Muhammad’s life. Any reader will come away better informed both about the prophet himself and about Islam, the world’s second largest religion."\ \ \ \ \ Ayaan Hirsi Ali"It’s worth discovering Muhammad through Deepak Chopra."\ \ \ \ \ Dalia Mogahed"His approach is as engaging as it is informative and deeply humanizing. The first-person narratives each paint a new layer onto the picture of the Beloved of God, in all his humanity and complexity and perfection."\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalProlific best-selling author/New Age motivational speaker Chopra (www.chopra.com) provides listeners with an absorbing and enlightening fictitious account of the life of the titular Islamic prophet. Mecca during Muhammad's days is vividly portrayed through the use of multiple first-person narrators including Muhammad's first wife, his daughter, and even the Archangel Gabriel. Chopra, who has also written the biographical novels Buddha (2007) and Jesus (2008), begins and ends this novel with an author's note and an afterword that offer both a short history of Islam and reflections about the current state of the Muslim world. Appreciators of religious fiction and anyone wishing to understand Islam better will enjoy this compelling work, smoothly narrated by the author. [The HarperOne hc, which was published in September, was a New York Times best seller.—Ed.]—Beth Farrell, Cleveland-Marshall Coll. of Law Lib., Cleveland State Univ.\ \
