The Making of the Last Prophet

Gordon D Newby

ISBN 10: 0872496236 / ISBN 13: 9780872496231

Published by University Of South Carolina Press Jun 2009, 2009

About this Item

Neuware - The sacred biography of Muhammad has shaped Muslims' perceptions of the place of Islam in the religious history of the world and located the Islamic founder and prophet as the last of God's messengers. As Muslims established political control over ancient Jewish and Christian communities, they also claimed hegemony over the panorama of biblical prophets and holy men. In the eighth century, the author of the first complete biography of Muhammad set out a plan for a history of the world that culminated with the advent of Muhammad and the religion of Islam. The biography not only gave the details of Muhammad's life but also retold the stories of past prophets from an Islamic perspective. The Making of the Last Prophet is an examination of the reshaping and retelling of the biblical past to form the image of Muhammad as the 'Seal' of the prophets of God. Through a translation of the reconstructed Arabic text, the sources, the form, and uses of the eighth-century biography are examined for the ways in which attitudes toward Muhammad were shaped in early Islam. The work particularly underscores the interplay of Jewish, Christian, and other Near Eastern religious ideals in the formation of Islam's notions of prophethood.

Seller Inventory # 9780872496231

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Making of the Last Prophet
• Publisher: University Of South Carolina Press Jun 2009
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0872496236
• ISBN 13: 9780872496231
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 228W x 152H x 18D millimeters 228 millimeters width by 152 millimeters height by 18 millimeters depth
• Weight: 467 grams

About this title

Synopsis

The sacred biography of Muhammad has shaped Muslims' perceptions of the place of Islam in the religious history of the world and located the Islamic founder and prophet as the last of God's messengers. As Muslims established political control over ancient Jewish and Christian communities, they also claimed hegemony over the panorama of biblical prophets and holy men. In the eighth century, the author of the first complete biography of Muhammad set out a plan for a history of the world that culminated with the advent of Muhammad and the religion of Islam. The biography not only gave the details of Muhammad's life but also retold the stories of past prophets from an Islamic perspective. The Making of the Last Prophet is an examination of the reshaping and retelling of the biblical past to form the image of Muhammad as the "Seal" of the prophets of God. Through a translation of the reconstructed Arabic text, the sources, the form, and uses of the eighth-century biography are examined for the ways in which attitudes toward Muhammad were shaped in early Islam. The work particularly underscores the interplay of Jewish, Christian, and other Near Eastern religious ideals in the formation of Islam's notions of prophethood.

About the Author

Gordon Darnell Newby is the chair of the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies at Emory University and a professor in the Graduate Program of West and South Asian Religions. His books include A History of the Jews of Arabia and A Concise Encyclopedia of Islam.