Book Review: Life of the Prophet in Makkah, by Zakaria Bashier

This is the first in a four-part series on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by the author and, funnily, the last in the series that I read. Like the other books in the series the author's intent is not to provide a comprehensive narrative of events in the period under discussion but to pick and discuss just a few events and themes. The period covered in this book is the early years of the Prophet's life right up to the migration of the Muslims from Makkah to Madinah. Within this period the author focuses on the following themes:

• The characteristics of the pre-Islamic Arabs.
• The personality of the Prophet (ﷺ) before the revelation of the Qur'an.
• The beauty and profound nature of the Qur'an.
• The names, characteristics and achievements of the first converts to Islam.
• The names and the motivation of the Arabs of Yathrib who stepped up and pledged unconditionally to support and protected the Prophet (ﷺ).

Consistent with the author's approach in the other books in the series it's a slightly more academic read than other Seerah books. So, if you're already familiar with the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) and don't mind a slightly more academic read, get this book. If, however, you're looking for a narrative of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) then this book probably isn't for you.

Below are some quotes from the book that stood out for me.

"If the Qur'an is to be shown to be a product of human endeavours, then something comparable to its charm, nobility and the elegance and gloriousness of its style, must be produced or shown to have existed before." 

"We have already quoted Sir William Muir's remark that 'it is strongly corroborative of Muhammad's sincerity that the earliest converts to Islam were not only of upright character but his own bosom friends and people of his household.' Sir William's remark represents a sound insight into human relations, because even if someone could deceive outsiders concerning his aims and character, it is very difficult, indeed next to impossible, for him to do so with respect to his intimates and members of his family for an unlimited time." 

"... the strongest proof of the sincerity of Muhammad's belief in the Divine nature of his mission is the Qur'an itself. Its noble language and teachings, its lofty moral directives, the exciting and revealing accounts which it conveys of former nations, their Prophets and anti-Prophets, their fates and their fortunes, the information which it contains about things to come and the fore-knowledge which it conveys about a diversity of subjects – these are some of the considerations which make it extremely unrealistic to pronounce it a product and an outcome of a hallucinatory and illusory vision. The purity, sweetness, rare force and beauty which characterise the Qur'anic language and literary style, render any suggestion to the effect that it is human-made untenable. Moreover, the world-view which the Qur'an incorporates, its elaborateness and internal consistency and cohesion, and the broad vision of life and human possibilities which it envisages compel reason and common sense to reject the suggestion that it is the mutterings and utterances of a visionary caught in the spell of hallucinatory dreams. Irrespective of whether he would eventually adopt the Qur'anic interpretation of Reality or reject it, an intelligent, unbiased reader cannot but admit that this interpretation, with its pure monotheism and its consummate integration of all aspects of life and reality is the result of a superior, authentic spiritual experience of the highest order." 

"To attain some understanding of the phenomenon of those very first Muslims, it is essential not to view them as rare individuals with inherently extraordinary personalities. Such an approach is not only superficial but fails to take into account the factors that moulded and enhanced their spiritual and moral force – that important inward force that controls the ultimate springs of action in every man. Such an understanding can be achieved if we view them as the cardinal sociological phenomenon of their time, and of all times. To characterise this phenomenon in a few words would be to say that they were a 'Qur'anic Generation' as Sayyid Qutb has put it. It was the Qur'an that exerted the primary educative influence upon the minds and souls of those early Muslims. Every time a set of verses were revealed to the Prophet he hurried to the Mosque; people were called to a special assembly, and the new verses read aloud by him. These Muslims then made it their urgent concern to understand the new revelation, memorising it by heart, if possible. Most importantly, it was their major characteristic that they strove to apply the Qur'anic guidance to their everyday affairs. They understood, better than any later generation, that following this guidance as closely as they could was the only way to procure God's pleasure and blessings and only by satisfying their Lord could they hope to succeed both in this life and in the Hereafter. Prompted by this understanding they sought to realise the Qur'anic vision in their daily lives." 

"In the early days, faced with the harsh opposition of the Quraysh idolators, they [the early Muslims] would resort to the House of al-Arqam b. al-Arqam. Huddled together they would, joyfully and serenely, embark on the reading of the Qur'an. The sound of it imparted calmness and peace to their agitated souls, and the explanation it rendered to them relieved and expanded their depressed and burdened hearts." 

"The first Muslims constituted a whole generation that was carefully and patiently nurtured on the Qur'anic revelations, and this nurturing continued throughout the Makkan phase (about thirteen years) and the Madinan phase (lasting for another ten years). The result was that they developed dispositions, attitudes and behavioural patterns which were superb examples of the guidance and the spirit of the glorious Qur'an – hence the description, the Qur'anic Generation." 

"[The Qur'anic guidance] is guidance which in both form (language) and content is precise and persuasive. It is not vague, cryptic or couched in unintelligible generalisations or metaphors. It is characterised by a sagacious admixture of common sense, based on the observed facts of Nature, and a rational metaphysical mysticism which never asserts anything that is demonstrably counter to reason."