The First Muslim

Description

In The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad, Lesley Hazleton retraced the historian-turned-writer’s adventure tracing the early years of Prophet Muhammad and from such life moments up to the revelation of Islam till becoming the founder of one of the world’s greatest religions.

Summary
Early Life The Book opens with a description of Muhammad’s birth in Mecca around 570 CE when social inequality and religious pluralism dominated the community. Now an orphaned boy, Muhammad grows up in poverty but is perceived as one who is honest and truthful and so nicknames him as “Al-Amin”, meaning “the trustworthy”.

Revelation and Obstacles: Muhammad is exposed to his first revelation from the angel Gabriel at the age of 40 in the cave of Hira. With this revelation, his prophethood is established. Hazleton looks into how Muhammad faced self-doubts, fear, and the enormous task of spreading God’s message. His monotheism and social justice message threatens the Meccan order of life, making him a victim of all kinds of hostility by the ruling elites.

The Migration (Hijra): Oppression in Mecca becomes too much for Muhammad and his followers, so he becomes a migrant forced to flee to Medina in 622 CE, an event referred to as the Hijra. In Medina, Muhammad becomes the prophet of a religious community but also a spiritual leader who became a political and military leader who united the warring tribes, creating the first Muslim community.

The Struggle and the Victory: The writer elaborates upon fights, diplomatic maneuverings, and hardships as Muhammad attempts to bring unification of Arabia under Islam. He finally emerges triumphant over his foes, returning to Mecca, forgiving his former enemies, declaring Kaaba as the center of Islamic worship.

Death and Legacy: Muhammad dies in 632 CE; his religious and political movement expands rapidly with no surviving heir. Hazleton considers how the life and message of Muhammad transformed the world.

Themes:

The Humanity of the Prophet: Hazleton depicts Muhammad as a very human figure—flailing in doubts and emotions and bearing the weight of his divine mission and makes this human life more relatable and accessible.
Faith and Revolution: The book tells the story of how the revelations of Muhammad created a religion and social revolution for itself as it challenged the powers of his time and spoke to issues regarding equality, justice, and compassion.
Complexity of Leadership: The book recounts how Muhammad became a spiritual guide who then became a political leader and strikes a delicate balance between these two roles in the book.
Hazleton’s story is rich and readable, informed by good historical research but tempered as well by flair for telling a story. She seeks to make the life of Muhammad intelligible to readers of all backgrounds, drawing on both the Islamic accounts and secular, historical sources.

This biography comes together to provide a thoughtful, empathetic account of Muhammad’s life, and really explores origins of Islam and the man behind the message.