Product Description

In this startling new book, New York Times bestselling author Robert Spencer, provides a warts-and-all portrait of the Prophet of Islam and draws out what his life implies for reforming Islam and repulsing Islamic terrorists. Spencer relies solely on primary sources considered reliable by Muslims and evaluates modern biographies to show how Muhammad has been changed for Western audiences, lulling them into consoling but false conclusions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44170 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From the Inside Flap
Muhammad: a frank look at his influential (and violent) life and teachings

In The Truth about Muhammad, New York Times bestselling author and Islam expert Robert Spencer offers an honest and telling portrait of the founder of Islam-perhaps the first such portrait in half a century-unbounded by fear and political correctness, unflinching, and willing to face the hard facts about Muhammad's life that continue to affect our world today.

From Muhammad's first "revelation" from Allah (which filled him with terror that he was demonpossessed) to his deathbed (from which he called down curses upon Jews and Christians), it's all here-told with extensive documentation from the sources that Muslims themselves consider most reliable about Muhammad.

Spencer details Muhammad's development from a preacher of hellfire and damnation into a political and military leader who expanded his rule by force of arms, promising his warriors luridly physical delights in Paradise if they were killed in his cause. He explains how the Qur'an's teaching on warfare against unbelievers developed-with constant war to establish the hegemony of Islamic law as the last stage.

Spencer also gives the truth about Muhammad's convenient "revelations" justifying his own licentiousness; his joy in the brutal murders of his enemies; and above all, his clear marching orders to his followers to convert non-Muslims to Islam-or force them to live as inferiors under Islamic rule.

In The Truth about Muhammad, you'll learn

- The truth about Muhammad's multiple marriages (including one to a nine-year-old) - How Muhammad set legal standards that make it virtually impossible to prove rape in Islamic countries - How Muhammad's example justifies jihad and terrorism - The real "Satanic verses" incident (not the Salman Rushdie version) that remains a scandal to Muslims - How Muhammad's faulty knowledge of Judaism and Christianity has influenced Islamic theology--and colored Muslim relations with Jews and Christians to this day.

Recognizing the true nature of Islam, Spencer argues, is essential for judging the prospects for largescale Islamic reform, the effective prosecution of the War on Terror, the democracy project in Afghanistan and Iraq, and immigration and border control to protect the United States from terrorism.

All of which makes it crucial for every citizen (and policymaker) who loves freedom to read and ponder The Truth about Muhammad.

About the Author
Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch, a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Politically Incorrect GuideTM to Islam (and the Crusades), as well as four other books on Islam and terrorism, including Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions about the World’s Fastest Growing Faith and Onward Muslim Soldiers: How Jihad Still Threatens America and the West, as well as eight monographs and hundreds of articles. He lives in a secure, undisclosed location.

Customer Reviews

Boring and poorly researched.
Spencer may be known for writing relatively useless tabloids, but he clearly is not inept to author books as complicated as this. First of all, "The Truth about Muhammad" is simply a personal criticism and lacks any concrete evidence. The author has done a poor job researching the topic; furthermore, some of the authors sources can be classified as racist hate-literature.

Also, the book was poorly written and very boring. Only a white-supremacist would find this book worthwhile.

A Glance into the Abyss
Mr. Spencer has ably exposed the founder of Islam to the world in a clear, disturbing and concise work.

All of the leaders in the West need to grasp the nature of this medieval figure and his imperialistic ideology for our own security.

Kinder then I would be...
This book was my first serious study of the history of Mohammad and the Islamic religion. I was curious about the Islamic faith and it's premises and motivations. It's "dogma". My perceptions about Islam have always been benevolent and respectful. I had always been inclined to believe it was a benevolent and peaceful theology, much as the Christian theology that I had been raised with.
Throughout history though, there has been many aggressive conflicts which have a theological foundation. The conflicts in early history revolve around the Hebrews and early Christians in their plight to find religious freedom and racial autonomy. In these cases, once these goals are achieved, aggression subsides. There are of course exceptions which are generally motivate by greed and ambition on the part of individuals, but are not the essence of the foundation teachings of the religion in question and in practically all cases end with the individuals who are in pursuit of these objectives.
In my study of Islam and Mohammad I expected to find a similar set of circumstances. This has not been the case. The deeper one looks at Islam, the more aggressive and intolerant the subject becomes. The basis is "submission" to the word of God. A word transcribed in a book that claims divine inspiration, as in the Bible. But the differences are enormously striking. Unlike all the other religious dogmas presented in our cultures, Islam's teachings have an aggressive geopolitical agenda. I think perhaps the only one that does, though I cannot say with a scholarly depth.
This book inspired further research, which I believe it was intended to do. And from such research the reader begins to see the results of these teachings and how they shaped the course of history and the turmoil that was spawned from this "prophet" and his ambitions.
What religion in one breath preaches tolerance and honesty, and in the next promotes hatred, genocide, deception and aggression? Promotes murder for the objective of advancing it's agenda.
I came to the conclusion that Mohammad was not a prophet, but an opportunist who was armed with a rudimentary knowledge of the Judeo/Christian faiths and used it as a lever against the ignorant herdsman and villagers in the regions of the Arabian Peninsula. He was a 7th. Century Jim Jones who duped the locals into buying in on his flavor of divine guidance and dispensed it to meet his needs and ambitions.
His call to spread the faith by aggression and force of arms has been the direct or indirect result of all major geopolitical conflicts in Europe and Asia from the Islamic expansionism which began in the 7th Century, to the modern day conflicts of the 21st century. How do you deal with a theological dogma that says "join or die"? How do you peacefully coexist with a people who believe they have a divine mandate to rule you and enforce their theology upon you. You should read this book and see the basis of it's perspective. Your in for a revelation though not divine in it's nature.