Muhammad ANNOTATION
Introduces Muhammad and the basic tenets of the Islamic faith.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Born in Mecca in the year 570, Muhammad grew into a sensitive and thoughtful man who believed deeply in the worship of one true god.
In his fortieth year, Muhammad experienced a revelation from the angel Gabriel that he, Muhammad, was the messenger of God. Over the next twenty-three years, he received many such revelations, all of which were written down by scribes at the time of revelation to become the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, a religion that is practiced by nearly one-quarter of the world's population and holds as its most sacred tenet that there is no god but God.
Through a clear text and stunning illustrations based upon those of traditional Islamic expression, the award-winning artist Demi here introduces the remarkable life of the Prophet Muhammad for young readers.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Demi (Gandhi; Buddha) presents a resonant, splendidly illustrated portrait of the "Messenger of Islam," to whom, according to Muslim belief, the angel Gabriel revealed the sacred words that became the Koran. The well-researched narrative opens with a chronicle of the kind, charismatic Muhammad's early years, leading up to his first encounter with Gabriel and his subsequent role as the primary "voice of Islam" proclaiming "the message of God, preaching the existence of only one God, the importance of equality for all people, and the necessity of freedom of thought and speech." Graceful text brings various Islamic religious and cultural traditions into clear focus and makes accessible the somewhat complex chronology of the Prophet's peripatetic life. Incorporating her signature meticulous detail, accents of brilliant color, intriguing background patterns and gold-leaf flourishes, Demi's art is rendered in the two-dimensional style of the Persian miniature. As amplified in a cogent foreword by scholar Laleh Bakhtiar, the illustrations honor Islamic tradition in that they do not contain any actual pictures of Muhammad himself; instead they creatively depict his image as a flat figure silhouetted in gold leaf. An Arabic symbol, identified as a "traditional form of benediction," follows each mention of Muhammad's name. This timely, exceptionally handsome biography serves as an excellent introduction to Islam. Ages 7-10. (July) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Karen Leggett
The title of Muhammad is gilded on a royal purple background dusted with gold. Brilliant yellows, greens and blues fill each page as Demi re-creates the look and feel of ancient Persian miniatures. Muhammad is shown from infancy to adulthood to that glorious cover as a silhouette in gold. "In keeping with Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad and his family have not been depicted in this book." However, even though the book is endorsed by several Muslim scholars and speakers, just the silhouette of Muhammad will offend other Muslims. This in itself reminds Americans that the Muslim faithful are as diverse as people who practice other major religions. Muhammad's name in the text is always written as devout Muslims would write it, followed by "peace be upon him" in Arabic. The vocabulary will sometimes be above the youngest readers ("eternal and infallible word of God"), but Demi's dramatic artwork does indeed illustrate the text. There is a reference to the "will of God, who is one being, not a Trinity" without explaining this Christian term, which even some Christian children may not understand. The book is not simply the description of Islam that you would find in a textbook, but a biography of Muhammad from a religious perspective. While Muslims will disagree about details of the presentation, the book is intended to honor the life and accomplishments of Muhammad as the prophet who first established the Islamic faith. The book is appropriate for elementary and middle school libraries, classroom use during holidays, and comparative religion classes even at the high school level. 2003, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster,
School Library Journal
A delicately illustrated presentation of the events that shaped Muhammad's life and his prophecies, complete with passages from the Koran. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Aside from a scattering of devotional and limited-distribution titles, this lusciously illustrated, deeply respectful account is the first full life of Muhammad in English for younger readers. Tracing her subject's ascent from brilliant youth to venerated religious and political leader, Demi follows Muslim tradition by never depicting him directly; instead, she notes his location with a golden silhouette, placed with growing groups of followers and multi-winged angels in Persian-miniature-style gardens and cityscapes. Along with his historical career, meeting with the angel Gabriel and journey to Heaven, she also summarizes his teachings, tucks in passages from the Koran, and closes with a homily on the Muslim view of God as All-Compassionate and All-Merciful. Despite occasional awkward turns of phrase, this powerful portrait, as timely as it is essential, brilliantly illuminates the origins and spiritual foundations of one of the world's most widely-held religions. (map, source list) (Picture book/biography. 8-10)
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