In this new biography, Omid Safi, a rising scholar of Islam, presents a portrait of Muhammad that reveals his centrality in the devotions of modern Muslims around the world.
In reaction to Islamic extremists, the majority of Muslims have spent much time emphasizing their monotheism (to fit in with Jews and Christians) and participating in interfaith dialogues (looking at what they have in common with Biblical figures) that what is particular about the Islamic tradition hasn't really gotten conveyed. In addition, so many of the controversies today (Salman Rushdie, Danish Cartoon controversies) are about the Prophet, yet very few non-Muslims seem to understand why and how Muhammad fits into Islam.
Covering such hot button issues such as the spread of Islam, holy wars, the role of women, the significance of Jerusalem, tensions with Jews and Christians, wahabbi Islam, and the role of cyberspace in the evolution of the religion, Memories of Muhammad presents Muhammad as a lens through which to present the unfolding of both Islamic history and Islamic religion. It is titled "Memory" of Muhammad, because it offers the opportunity to move from telling Muhammad's own story to talking about how different Muslims throughout Islamic history have remembered and contested Muhammad's legacy.
