Author: Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan knows how to write well. After all, he is a Professor of Creative Writing at UC Riverside. What he does so well in both this book and “Zealot” is transport you into a time and place where history was being made. In this case, it is the birth and life of Prophet Mohammed the founder of Islam. Reza makes sure you understand the prevailing customs and culture of the times so you interpret some of the actions and writing in the context that they were made in.
The book is a breeze to read as Reza seamlessly blurs the line between the narration of historical facts and storytelling. There are parts where you will find him saying “Muhammed pondered these..” I feel this is a small price to pay for a much more readable book and it takes little away from the history. However, it does leave you wondering how much of the book is made up.
Towards the end Reza takes the liberty to make some convenient interpretations of the Quran to show that Prophet Mohammed was very tolerant of Judaism and Christianity. While it is definitely a possible interpretation, it is unfortunate that it is not universally accepted by all those who follow the Muslim faith.
Overall this book is a great primer for someone curious and interested about the Muslim religion. It was well worth the two/three hour investment to get a better understanding of some of the tenets that make this religion so popular.
