Murad HofmannAmana PublicationsComparative ReligionEnglishAdults(6" x 9")8/1/1997091595771X170Paperback.70697809159577126
Description:
Towards the end of his life the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) sent messages to surrounding rulers, such as the Negus of Abyssinia, Khosrow II of Persia (590-628) and the Eastern Roman Emperor Heraclius (610-641). Muhammad called upon them in simple and unambiguous terms to accept Islam for their own benefit of their peoples. This episode in diplomatic history marks the beginning of relations between Islam and the West—never broken off, nor ever relaxed, for 1400 years—relations which, despite many fruitful economic and intellectual contacts, have always been confrontational. It is for this reason, against the background of the historical Christian-Islamic conflict, that today West and East, Occident and Orient are usually regarded not as complementary but conflicting, even hostile worlds, facing each other fearfully and without comprehension. The collective memory of both parties is wide awake. The course of history, particularly the speed and extent of early Islamic expansion, explains a great deal: hardly had Muhammad died (632) before Syria and Palestine (634-35). Persia (637). Egypt (643-649). Armenia (652). Cyprus (653). The Maghreb (670) and even Spain (711) became Islamic. Constantinople suffered its first siege as early as 688.0n this occasion, in the figure of Abu Ayub al Ansari, the flag-bearer, one of the Prophet's companions was still present. In view of successes like these it is understandable that the West should cling to the notion that Islam is an aggressive religion that owes its expansion to ‘the fire and the sword’. It is true that from a military point of view the surrounding Christian and Iranian areas were unable to oppose the fearless religious fervor of the early Muslims. This book is firmly rooted in classical Islam and an intimate knowledge of the Arab world. That the author was a German diplomat and convert to Islam gives the work a unique importance to westerners who seek to understand Islam on a personal level. With the intention of building bridges, he tackles those difficult issues that have helped to form both the old and new images of Islam in the West.
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