Founding not only a world religion but also an empire and a civilization, the prophet Muhammad was undoubtedly one of the most influential men in history. Amid the swirl of current judgments regarding Muslims and their religion, this book by Daniel Peterson offers a concise, objective, accessible biography of the first Muslim.
Blending the texts of traditional sources into an engaging narrative, Peterson begins with the impoverished and orphaned childhood of Muhammad, highlighting his evident strength of will, character, and resourcefulness. Peterson then moves through the prophet's...

In Chapter 38:21-25, the Qur'an relates a very short narrative about the biblical King David's seeking and receiving God's forgiveness. The earliest Muslim exegetes interpreted the qur'anic verses as referring to the Hebrew Bible's story of David's adultery with Bathsheba, as related in 2 Samuel 12:1-13. Later Muslims, however, having developed the concept of prophetic impeccability, radically reinterpreted those verses to show David as innocent of any wrongdoing since, in the Muslim tradition, he is not only a king, but a prophet as well. David in the Muslim Tradition: The Bathsheba Affair...