Muhammad - (Enlightenment) by Deepak Chopra (Paperback)

About the Book

The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Buddha" and "Jesus" captures the life of Muhammad in this page-turning and soul-stirring story of the man who inspired the world's fastest-growing religion.

Book Synopsis

"Compassionate and clear...a courageous undertaking." --Greg Mortenson, New York Times bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools

"As a scholar and storyteller extraordinaire, Deepak Chopra portrays a morally courageous yet highly human messenger of God." --Irshad Manji, Director, Moral Courage Project, New York University

From the New York Times bestselling author of Buddha and Jesus comes the page-turning and soul-stirring story of Muhammad. Deepak Chopra--easily one of the most influential spiritual leaders in the world today--delivers this stunning, sincere, and highly accessible portrait of the Prophet of Islam. Chopra's Muhammad is an outstanding resource for everyone who thinks they should know more about the man who inspired the world's fastest-growing religion.

From the Back Cover

In this riveting novel, beloved international bestselling author Deepak Chopra captures the spellbinding life story of the great and often misunderstood Prophet.

Islam was born in a cradle of tribal turmoil, and the arrival of one God who vanquished hundreds of ancient Arabian gods changed the world forever. God reached down into the life of Muhammad, a settled husband and father, and spoke through him. Muhammad's divine and dangerous task was to convince his people to renounce their ancestral idols and superstitious veneration of multiple gods. From the first encounter, God did not leave Muhammad alone, his life was no longer his own, and with each revelation the creation of a new way of life formed and a religion was born.

Muhammad didn't see himself as the son of God or as one who achieved cosmic enlightenment. His relatives and neighbors didn't part the way when he walked down the parched dirt streets of Mecca. There was no mark of divinity. Orphaned by age six, Muhammad grew up surrounded by dozens of cousins and extended family to become a trusted merchant. Muhammad saw himself as an ordinary man and that is why what happened to him is so extraordinary.

Rooted in historical detail, Muhammad brings the Prophet to life through the eyes of those around him. A Christian hermit mystic foretells a special destiny, a pugnacious Bedouin wet nurse raises him in the desert, and a religious rebel in Mecca secretly takes the young orphan under his spiritual wing. Each voice, each chapter brings Muhammad and the creation of Islam into a new light. The angel Gabriel demands Muhammad to recite, the first convert risks his life to protect his newfound faith, and Muhammad's life is not a myth but an incredible true and surprisingly unknown story of a man and a moment that sparked a worldwide transformation.

Review Quotes

"Combining western scientific knowledge with eastern spiritual wisdom, Deepak Chopra has developed his own unique form of complementary, mind-body medicine. A hugely successful one-man industry with his own California-based Chopra Center for Wellbeing, the Indian-born physician has also made time to write some 49 books ranging from spiritual and medical advice to fiction. " - U.S. News & World Report
"It's worth discovering Muhammad through Deepak Chopra." - Ayaan Hirsi Ali, bestselling author of Infidel and Nomad
"...an intricate, deeply considered depiction of the Prophet's life. At a time when Muhammad is largely misunderstood outside (and sometimes inside) of the Muslim world, the novel gives a vivid voice to his story." - The Daily Beast
"We know more about Muhammad than any other ancient prophet, but we understand him the least. Until now. As a scholar and storyteller extraordinaire, Deepak Chopra portrays a morally courageous yet highly human messenger of God. Chopra shows that neither revering nor reviling Muhammad will unlock the meaning he embodied. So what will? Chopra's answer is bound to challenge Muslims and non-Muslims alike." - Irshad Manji, Director, Moral Courage Project, New York University
"Deepak Chopra's Muhammad is a revelation. It succeeds in bringing new mythical light to the story of the last Prophet. Chopra provides a gripping, kaleidoscopic narrative which deconstructs, disentangles and illuminates seventh century Arabia and its transformational figure, the Prophet of Islam. Deepak's pen weaves a timeless tale of mystical consciousness which dazzles the mind and elevates the soul. A must read for anyone who yearns to see with the heart. Muhammad is perhaps Deepak Chopra's most provocative and most inspiring historical novel yet. A masterpiece of literary fiction." - Salman Ahmad, founder of Pakistani rock band Junoon, and author of Rock & Roll Jihad
"Chopra shows that neither revering nor reviling Muhammad will unlock the meaning he embodied. So what will? Chopra's answer is bound to challenge Muslims and non-Muslims alike." - Irshad Manji, Director, Moral Courage Project, New York University
"I found beloved figures from my history come to life through the eyes of an outside observer, all the more compelling for me as a believer. His approach is as engaging as it is informative and deeply humanizing. The first-person narratives each paint a new layer onto the picture of the Beloved of God, in all his humanity and complexity and perfection." - Dalia Mogahed, in a Huffington Post review
"His approach is as engaging as it is informative and deeply humanizing. The first-person narratives each paint a new layer onto the picture of the Beloved of God, in all his humanity and complexity and perfection." - Dalia Mogahed, in a Huffington Post review
"Muhammad by Deepak Chopra--A nearly random download on my Kindle--just before boarding a plane--I found Deepak Chopra's novel the finest of his long shelf of books. It's a sleeper novel still in search of its audience. Think Siddhartha for the Muslim set. Existing in that free zone between young adult and "serious" fiction, Muhammad presents its charged story from multiple perspectives, each chapter told by a different main player: Muhammad's first wife, Khadijah; his grandfather Abdul Muttalib; and, most inventively, the Archangel Gabriel, credited with bringing to him the revelation of the Koran. In its epilogue, Chopra returns in his own attractive voice with one of the more level, tough-love, discussions of Islamic religion available." - The Daily Beast
"...the finest of his long shelf of books. ...Chopra returns in his own attractive voice with one of the more level, tough-love, discussions of Islamic religion available." - The Daily Beast
"[O]ne of the most imaginative and touching biographies of Muhammad....Chopra's grasp of Muhammad's life and mission extends his range in a surprising direction; his popularization is welcome." - Publishers Weekly
"[Chopra] produces an imaginative, evocative rendition of what it must have been like to be in the company of such an individual, making his way in an environment in many ways so alien to our own." - The Historical Novels Review
"Chopra takes us into the past through the Prophet Muhammad's journey, and brings wisdom and perspective to an often misunderstood figure. His compassionate and clear depiction is a courageous undertaking, and a valuable effort against the enemy of ignorance. An important and timely book, indeed." - Greg Mortenson, New York Times bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools
"The prophet of Islam has been reviled and caricatured in the West for centuries. No wonder so few people know who he really was or how his life shaped his mission. I am grateful that Deepak Chopra, instead of adding to the often useless pile of biographies, has instead crafted an absorbing novel based on Muhammad's life. Any reader will come away better informed both about the prophet himself and about Islam, the world's second largest religion." - Harvey Cox, Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, and author of The Future of Faith
"I am grateful that Deepak Chopra, instead of adding to the often useless pile of [Muhammad] biographies, has instead crafted an absorbing novel based on Muhammad's life. Any reader will come away better informed both about the prophet himself and about Islam, the world's second largest religion." - Harvey Cox, Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, and author of The Future of Faith
"Compellingly told, this is not only good storytelling, it also helps readers, especially non-Muslims, better understand the complexities and contradictions surrounding Islam." - Booklist
"It is a positive portrait that nonetheless points to human flaws and complexities." - The Arizona Republic
"...profound summation of his life, teachings, and service of humanity..." - Spirituality & Practice