The Truth About Muhammad: Difference between revisions
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://books.google.com/books?id=LpMEkIZ1kQIC&printsec=frontcover Preview this book in Google Books] |
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=LpMEkIZ1kQIC&printsec=frontcover Preview this book in Google Books] |
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*[http://schnellmann.org/War_is_deceit_The_Truth_about_Muhammad.pdf Chapter 7 "War is deceit" (1.6 MB)] |
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*[http://schnellmann.org/Casting_terror_into_their_hearts_The_Truth_about_Muhammad.pdf Chapter 8 "Casting terror into their hearts" (1.4 MB)] |
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*[http://schnellmann.org/Victorious_through_terror_The_Truth_about_Muhammad.pdf Chapter 9 "Victorious through terror" (1.5 MB)] |
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===Videos=== |
===Videos=== |
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDUp0pqJmvQ Robert Spencer talks about the book] - Youtube.com (Duration: 03:58) |
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDUp0pqJmvQ Robert Spencer talks about the book] - Youtube.com (Duration: 03:58) |
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Revision as of 22:52, 3 April 2010
| Author | Robert Spencer |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Regnery Publishing |
Publication date | September 15, 2006 |
| Publication place |  United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 978-1596980280 |
The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion (2006) is a controversial book by Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch.
In the book the author proposes to present a "scrupulously accurate account of what Muhammad said and did" examining the writings of the early biographers of Muhammad such as Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi, Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari as well as the Qur'an and the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim. In the examination of the early sources, Spencer attempts to elucidate the events of Muhammad's life which are invoked by contemporary Islamic clerics, governments, advocates and jihadists such as the Muslim Brotherhood's "spiritual" leader, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi today as a standard for their behaviour which may be viewed as violent and incompatible with Western values of human rights.
The book examines Muhammad's modern legacy examining his influence on modern day practices sanctioned by law in various Islamic countries, such as child marriages and divorce laws, punishments such as stoning for adultery and amputation for theft, execution for apostasy as well as the jihad and dhimmi doctrines adopted towards non-Muslims.
The book was on the New York Times Best Seller list for the week ending October 14, 2006.[1]
Response
Karen Armstrong criticizes the book as follows:
Like any book written in hatred, his new work is a depressing read. Spencer makes no attempt to explain the historical, political, economic and spiritual circumstances of 7th-century Arabia, without which it is impossible to understand the complexities of Muhammad’s life. Consequently he makes basic and bad mistakes of fact. Even more damaging, he deliberately manipulates the evidence.[2]
To this Spencer replied:
This is, of course, a familiar tactic of Leftists, jihadists, and those who sympathize with them: characterize any accurate report of their activities as "hatred." Never mind that my book works strictly from the earliest extant Islamic sources, and only reports what they say. If there is any "hatred" in it, it comes from those sources, not from me. [...] Reading this, I doubt Armstrong actually read the book. Or maybe she just wants to make sure no one else reads it. In fact, anyway, the beginning of chapter three, and many other passages throughout the book, are devoted to explaining "the historical, political, economic and spiritual circumstances of 7th-century Arabia." [3]
The government of Pakistan confiscated all copies of the book and banned it on 20 December 2006 citing "objectionable material" as the cause.[4] Spencer responded that the book does not assert anything that is not readily verifiable in the sources he provides.[5]
See also
References and notes
External links
Videos
- Robert Spencer talks about the book - Youtube.com (Duration: 03:58)
- C-SPAN Video presentation at the Herigage foundation: Lecture on The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion
- Video: Robert Spencer talks Islam with Laura Ingraham on O’Reilly