Great read, very, very informative. I scored this book three stars only because of its repetition. I strongly recommend this book.

For those who want a deeper understanding of the Muslim culture, especially the Black Muslim culture that was in vogue when Malcom X was alive. Although I won't follow the teachings of the "honorable" Elijah Muhammad, I will use them as a reference when trying to understand the history of African-Americans in this country.

This book is a wonderful book. It has changed my life and the life of many others. The universal wisdom in this book is much needed by everyone. He tells you precisely what foods are good and which are not food at all. A must for those seeking the truth and road to a healthy life. It is a saving grace for all of the lost muslims in America brought here during slavery and a saving grace to anyone who eats anything and wants to learn the right way.

Following the recent release of Hollywood's horrible 'ALI' movie, we have yet another book attempting to ride the Ali bandwagon. The best thing about this book is that it contains a lot of cool photographs that I hadn't seen before. Very little of the text is new or insightful, though. With few exceptions, these people just retrace the same old tired topics. Ali refused to go to Vietnam, Ali won the heavyweight title, Ali is funny, Ali is kind, etc... True, but how many different times do I need to hear somebody say this? Of all the people chosen to comment in this book, few of them have anything unique to say about the man. In addition, a lot of these people don't really seem to know fact from legend. For example, several references are made to the story about Ali throwing his Olympic medal into the river. This is complete fiction, dreamed up for the '70's book and movie, "The Greatest". In reality, he just lost the medal somewhere. There are a few good entries here, such as the ones by referee Arthur Mercante, Bert Sugar, Angelo Dundee, daughter Hana, ex-wife Veronica, and several people who fought against or helped train Muhammad. These cover less than 1/2 the book, though. Instead of getting some redneck comedian who's never even met the man, why not get Joe Frazier or Ken Norton or George Foreman or Ali's current wife Lonnie or his best friend Howard Bingham to comment? How about his brother, Rahman? Leon Spinks, even. The editing is atrocious, at least in the hardcover edition. If you really want to read something about Ali that's well written and well researched, I would suggest the great books 'Muhammad Ali, His Life and Times' by Thomas Hauser and 'King of the World' by David Remnick.

"Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World" is a fine documentation, which tells the story of a fine man. It was a good effort by Lennox Lewis, (a heavyweight champion), and Mark Collings; although that I didn't come across any new event or issue regarding the life of this greatest champion that sports has ever known. However, since most books that bear Ali's perspectives are hard to find in continental Europe, I was more than glad to lay my hands on this one.
I have either heard or read every story that I found on the pages of this book, yet, the refreshment it offered was great. I had a satisfactory pastime with it; and I guess that you'll cherish it too.
No matter how much you know about The Greatest, this book will certainly knit-up your weekend. The chapters are well-arranged, and the overall documentation is cute.

Muhammed Ali: Through the Eyes of the World by Mark Collings and Lennox Lewis helped me tremendously to understand the life of Muhammed Ali. This book kept me interested throughout. What was unique about this book that kept me wondering what was behind the next page was that it was told from many people's eyes, not the authors'. From his opponents to his four wives, you got the story from everyone. When someone's story started to get old, here it was, a new story. The different commentaries give you his whole life story. You hear about the way he fought, how he loved kids, his love for entertaining, his generosity, you hear it all. After reading the book I had the feeling that I knew Ali as a person. I give this book five stars. If I could, I would give it more.

Perhaps the most fitting title to this book would be "The Hate that Hate Produced," (after the 1959 NOI documentary). Righteous anger a'la Robert Williams and the Black Panther movement were understandable responses to the Black situation in America. But this wild combination of pseudoscience and rantings (for example, the chapter "The Making of Devil" which tells a ridiculous story of how a mad Black scientist created a "White devil race." a claim by Elijah that Moses used dynamite aginst the childrn of Israel, Elijah's claimm that God came in human form to him in Detroit to warn him of the White devil race, calling Dr. Martin Luther King ""ignorant" (mind you, Elijah never went past the 4th grade), etc. ad nauseum.

Granted, this mess was psychologically designed for the most ignorant of African-Americans in the ghettoes. But it must also be remembered that the NOI was infamous for fratracide. To those who claim that these crack pot teachings in this book helped reform a lot of people, I say, "Hitler also brought jobs to Germany and Mussolini made the trains run on time-BIG DEAL!"

Peace!

This book is probably the most profound writing in the 20th century. The book reads simplisticly so that the average reader can understand, but yet it has such tremendous depth that a scientist can grow from Elijah's teachings. Some whites may be offended by his words, but they need not be. Because, he gives justice to blacks and whites in this book. He actually critizes blacks more in this book!
You must remeber Elijah was standing up since the 1930's. A time that blacks were hung for looking at or commonly called "eye balling" a white woman. Coupled with segregation, and only being maybe 100yrs from chattle slavery. Elijah the master psychologist put a mirror to white people with a writing on it labled devil, and did to whites what they had been doing to blacks since coming on the shores of America. He keep whites out of their Sunday meetings, which angered whites even though they kicked blacks out of their restaraunts and kept them out of their churches. And, at the same time he put up a mirror to blacks and labeled that mirror God. This was to give confidence and definition to a people who for 300yrs were oppressed by slavery, and 100yrs after slavery suffered church bombings, lynching, segregation etc.
So, after analyzing his teaching he was simply was putting in check white superiority, and putting in check black inferority. In essence, giving justice to both races. Some may disagree with Elijah's teaching of the making of the devil, but I say the truth is stranger than fiction.
The Nation of Islam often lambased for teaching a ghetto religion only verifies what Elijah was teaching, and what the Bible teaches. Jesus was not a rich man as a matter of fact he was from the ghetto. According to the bible the rulers at that time asked, "what good can come out of Nazareth." Historically, most if not all great leaders rise from the most oppressed people. Examples range from Jesus,Muhammad, Ghandi, Jesse Jackson, Moses, etc., etc.
Elijah also destroys typical beleifs of God being a spirt, or as he likes to call it a "spook". And, offers Quranic and Biblical references to his findings which challenges not only Christianity, but the Islmaic world also.
In conclusion, excellent reading for anyone regardless of race, religion, or ethic backgound.

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE BENEFICENT THE MERCIFUL I BEAR WITNESS THAT ALLAH APPEARED IN THE PERSON OF MASTER FARD MUHAMMAD AND I FURTHER BEAR WITNESS THAT THE MOST HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD IS HIS LAST MESSENGER.

AS-SALAAMU ALAYKUM.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL BLACK PEOPLE AND OTHER NON-WHITES. IT IS SHOWING TODAY WHO ARE ENEMY IS. THE MESSENGER CALLS HIM OUR OPEN ENEMY. ALSO THIS BOOK OUTLINES A PROGRAM AND POSITION FOR US AS BLACK PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE BIRTH RITE OF MUSLIM NO MATTER WHAT.

AND IF YOU ARE A REGISTERED MEMBER OF THE NATION OF ISLAM THEN THIS BOOK ALSO BREAKS DOWN THE LESSONS YOU HAVE IN YOUR POSSESSION AND IF YOU ARE A 5%ER OR NATION OF GODS AND EARTHS MEMBER THIS BOOK BREAKS DOWN THOSE LESSONS.

EVERYONE NEEDS THIS BOOK, IF YOU ARE CHRISTIAN OR SUNNI MUSLIM, OR ONE WHO ADVOCATES A MYSTERY GOD THEN YOU NEED THIS BOOK SO YOU WILL NO LONGER BELIEVE IN SUCH FOOLISHNESS.

THIS BOOK ALSO CLEARLY DENOUNCES THE FACT THAT THE NATION OF ISLAM FOLLOWS QURAN AND SUNNAH. THIS BOOK IS THE SUNNAH FOR THE BLACKMAN. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE LAST PROPHET OF ALLAH AND THAT IS ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, NOT FARRAKHAN, NOR PROPHET MUHAMMAD IBD ABDUALLAH OF 14 THOUSAND YEARS.

SALAAMU ALAYKUM

This text does not discuss the myriad hadith in which Mohammed describes women as "deficient in intellect." The author also omits discussion of the assassination of poets and writers who offended Mohammed, or the many stonings, cruxifixations and amputations carried out under Mohammed's direct command.
Child marriage was reinstituted in Iran as a result of the example of Mohammed's "marriage" to Ayesha, consummated when Ayesha was 9 and Mohammed was in his mid-50's.

Al'hamdulillah What a read!! This is a book for everyone - Non-muslims, New Muslims and Muslims with some knowledge. Allah (SAW) has gifted Adil Salahi with a talent for excellant story telling from start to finish. When you begin to read this book you are fully immersed in the World of this Great and final prophet of God. This book makes you go through alot of emotions. Believe me I COULD NOT put this book down. A soon as I finished it I was dying to visit the land where it all happended. So I did, I went to Haj!!

Being a modern muslim I have wanted to learn more about theroots of my religion for a long time. Due to the inadequate supply ofEnglish translations or English written works this has proved to be a problematic journey.

I came across this book through searching Amozon one lonley night and it proved to be a thrilling read. The book provides and un-biased and factually based account of events that lead to the development of one of the worlds largest religions. 5 Stars

Sir John Glubb is uniquely qualified to write about Muhammad and the rise of the Arab peoples inasmuch as he lived most of his life as a desert-loving British officer leading the Arab Legion for the Kings of Jordan. Around the time that Israel was born, he took the fall for the increasing unpopularity of British forces from both sides -- Arab and Jew -- and was let go by the late King Hussein.

Far from being embittered by the experience, Glubb went on to write a number of exciting histories, an autobiography, and this life of Muhammad. In a way, it is good that this book is over 30 years old: It is untouched by any reference to September 11 and allows the reader an unprejudiced view of the Prophet and his followers without rancour or prejudice of any sort. At one point, the author states that he is a Christian, but feels as completely at home with sincere Muslims as with his fellow Christians.

Three features make this a particularly useful book. For one thing, there are a dozen excellent maps. For those of us who have difficulty distinguishing from Arabic name from another, there are summaries of Notable Dates and Personalities at the end of each chapter to help fix the facts in the reader's memory. Finally, there is a respectable bibliography for further study.

I was particularly gratified with Glubb's final paragraph, which very much speaks to us today: "If we Christians believe that we are more nearly executing the will of God than are adherents of other religions, it must surely be our duty to lead such lives as will draw all men of good will to ask the reason for our goodness. To treat them with arrogant contempt is more likely to convince them that ours is an intolerant and hard-hearted way of life." To which I can only add, Amen!

Sir John Glubb, who lived a long time in the middle-east and became proficient in the Arabic language, used original references to write this excellent book on the life of the prophet.

The book is easy to read, informative and provide a broad understanding of the subject. Sir John is not a Moslem but he understand Moslems and Islam. He writes with the detached historian's perspective and interprets events with a fresh outlook.

Enjoyable and highly recommended.

With the founding of Islam the prophet Muhammad (571-632 A.D.) brought the people of Arabia a new religion which would come to completely transform the Middle East and become one of the major religions of the world. In The Life And Times Of Muhammad, biographer Sir John Glubb (1897-1986 provides an informative, accessible, authoritative, highly recommended account of the life of Muhammad, including the social milieu, religious message, family life battles, personality, and far -reaching influence of the Prophet. The reader is provided invaluable insight into the atmosphere of the times (suffused with Jewish, Christian, and polytheist concepts and philosophies) in which Muhammad perceived his religious mission; his attitudes towards women, and his relationships with his wives. The Life And Times Of Muhammad is the ideal introduction to Muhammad for today's non-specialist general reader with a newly found interest in the origins and theology of Islam.

This is nothing less than the story of an African American man's struggle to define himself within the context of the 60's US black power movement exploited by a white Englishman. Mike Marqusee brings nothing new to the story of Muhamed Ali other than stilted prose and an uncritical eye. It fails as a book about boxing and is equally weak with respect to Ali's struggle with the white establishment of his day. Marqusee's attempt to embrace Ali's story serves only to water down the true struggle of an entire generation against the evils of institutional racism.

This book isn't so much about Ali as about Black radical politics of the 60's and 70's and the way Ali's public life reflected them. An excellent, thoughtful book that reads more like a monograph than a work of popular non-fiction (cf. David Remnick's "King of the World", a more accessible book with a different focus and scope). If you are interested in the Nation of Islam, the Black Panthers, the Black Power movement and the ways boxing historically has reflected the racial realities of its time, you will find this book engrossing and informative. If you are looking for a conventional "boxing book" (whatever that is), you will be disappointed.

I'm not a boxing fan, but after seeing the recent "Ali" movie, I was inspired to take Mike Marqusee's "Redemption Song" off my bookshelf and read it. I got the book because I heard Marqusee last year in a radio interview about Ali and the Black Power movement of the sixties and I was very interested in the culture and politics that both shaped Ali and was influenced by him.

I found "Redemption Song" a powerful and well written book that gives so much more depth than the new movie. The depth of Marqusee's research and analysis made me realize that the Ali movie would have needed to be a trilogy in order to do justice the champ's life. Ali's defiance of racist draft policies could have been an entire movie in and of itself. While "Ali" movie focuses on Ali's defiance, Marqusee's book provides the context for Ali's anti-war stance. His description and analysis makes the movie's focus a mere footnote to this part of Ali's history. When Ali argued, "Man, I ain't got not quarrel with them Vietcong," he was taking a religious and political stance on a personal, cultural/racial, and class level. He was not only echoing the developing anti-war movement, but giving voice to it, even though he never sought to be a leader within the movement. He was in sync with civil rights activists like John Lewis who complained, "I don't see how President Johnson can send troops to Vietnam...to the Congo...to Africa and can't send troops to Selma, Alabama," [where the civil rights of Black people were systemically and violently denied civil rights on a daily basis.] He was in line with Martin L. King who boldly declared and preached that the war "morally and politically unjust." His refusal to participate in the bombing of thousands of innocent children and women in Vietnam and Cambodia was a part of many anti-war demonstrations in which Stokely Carmicheal described Selective Services as "white people sending black people to make war on yellow people in order to defend land they stole from red people."

Marqusee reminds us most in his book that boxing in this country was linked to issues of race and power representation. Thus, Black boxers and other sports figures like Jackie Robinson were measured, promoted, and criticized by how patriotic they were to the White power structure in this country. They were expected to be like Joe Louis who stood "as a role model--for white America, for the black middle class and for much of the left--by enlisting for military service in World War II," or an anti-communist like Robinson. But Ali becomes a bug in the system. Guided by Black nationalist ideology of the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X specifically, Ali rewrote the script for how Black sports figures were to behave. He proclaimed, "I'm free to be what I want." But as Marqusee points and shows, "he did not invent himself out nothing. In his search for personal freedom he was propelled and guided by a wide array of interacting social forces." This search and influence is the heart of Marqussee's book.

I would imagine there's much that Marqusee leaves out his book. And at times he seems too apologetic about Ali's break with Malcolm X, his relationship with the conservative tide of the Nation of Islam, and the inherent contradictions between his religious convictions and his views about marriage. Marqusee could have also provided specific references for his research. His bibliography is simply not enough.

Despite these criticism, "Redemption Song" is a much needed work to offset efforts to depoliticize Ali's past. Read it before or after you see the movie.

This book jumps around to much. The information should be brought together in a smoother flow on how to program.

I really dig this book, and don't regret spend an enormous amount of money purchasing it. It's suprisingly clear and terse for a manual as complete as it is. There's only reason I can't give it five stars; there's no discussion of BIOS-level disk I/O. That's important stuff; some of us have operating systems to write!

This book is very thorough and easy to read and understand. Extremely well organized. If you are familiar with an other architecture or a high level language this book will teach you Intel assembly.

How can someone profess to be the torch bearer of the believe system which he himself oppose in letter and spirit. We all know that Elijah Muhammad was not advocating to crush the root cause of disease but that of sympton. Islam is a religion of peace it does deamonise a person because of his colour. Rather it is the other way round. Western civilization does have all the signs of decay but the root cause is not the inherent evil nature of its people rather their acts which have made them follow the wrong path. Allah Himself have said repeated in Quran that those who repent will be blessed with his mercy. To understand true Islam one should read Quran the actual and true source of all the knowledge. A book which showed the right path to people like Malcolm X!

The Evolution Of The Nation Of Islam: The Story Of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad is a compelling and informative biography written by the grandson of the famous, charismatic, founder and leader of the Nation of Islam, the well-known African-American religious movement. Presenting an up-close and very personal view by the family of Elijah Muhammad's strengths and foibles, The Evolution Of The Nation Of Islam offers a vivid and memorable picture of this controversial and influential twentieth century African-American religious figure.

I read Mr. Muhammad-Ali's book with fascination and illumination. The book provides many insights into the thought and personality of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. What Muhammad-Ali offers as a grandson is the kind of first-hand experience that no amount of scholarly investigation could otherwise provide. Judging by the plates in the book, it appears that Muhammad-Ali is an accomplished artist. This is required reading for anyone who is interested in the Nation of Islam.

Michael Lieb, author of CHILDREN OF EZEKIEL

If you want a Salafi version of the Quran, this one is for you. I'm amazed at the misrepresentations in the version. One would be far better of with Muhammad Asad's version.

...this is a translation you need to invest in. This is the version that is published in and distributed (usually for free) by the government of Saudi Arabia. If you wish to understand the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, this is the translation.

It is very clear and very succinct and easy to read. It includes many tafsir (explanations from Islamic scholars) and Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad that adds depth to how the various verses have been understood and how they are understood today.

There are several appendices (at least in the version I have) which help explain the concept of jihad and the understanding of Jesus/Christianity from an Islamic point of view.

All in all, this version is very literal and very 'fundamentalist' (not in a militant sense but in the sense that the Quran is taken very literally and very seriously). One can not help but be moved by it.

Again, if you wish to understand Islam better, especially the more 'fundamendalist' (i.e. no nonsense) understanding, this translation is a must have. On an aside, I would balance it out with some other versions (for example, Muhammad Asad and Yusuf Ali) to get a 'feel' for the diversity of how the Quran is understood and presented to non-Arabic speaking people.

This translation of the Qur'an is one of the most accurate and fluent up to date. Having said that some people do not like the explanatory brackets because it takes away from the fluidity! Only some people, however, have trouble with this - as a whole it is one of the two best translations available in english. I strongly recommend that no other translations be bought. The most popular translations sold on this site are unfortunately not very good. Abdullah Yusuf Ali's was the standard for a long time - but in light of this one it now falls into the background and should no longer be used. He was not a scholar and his mistakes are numerous. As for the others they are absolutely terrible!
The translators of this book are from Medina (the Prophet's city)and have had the work thoroughly checked by people of knowledge.

The second of the 2 best translations i mentioned, which in terms of english alone, is better than this one - is the 'Majestic Quran' published by Starlatch press. Unfortunately this book is not available on this website.

Unfortunately, Schacht's seminal work on the evolution of fiqh and the growth and fabrication of the hadith literature [ON MUHAMMADAN JURISPRUDENCE] is no longer in print. What is also unfortunate is the difficulty of Schacht's text to understand due to the large volume of material that he handles. Moreover, his citations are merely reference rather than extensively quoted. Many of his citations are difficult to obtain readily as well since they are comprised of extremely old sources and different versions of those very same sources. Overall, for over 50 years, the theories of Schacht, building on those of Ignaz Goldziher 50 years before him, remain basically irrefutable insofar as the bulk of his theories are materially, tangibly and textually substantiated.

al-Azami's book is an incredible resource for two reasons: 1) he quotes in both Arabic and English what Schacht mostly on cites and 2)it is perhaps the only response by an Arabic scholar to Western scholarship. Note, this 15 yr. old book has not as of yet been published in Arabic, neither has Schacht's work. Before I left Egypt this year, one of my professors had the manuscript for the Arabic translation [of al-Azami, not Schacht] of this book--meaning that the only Arabic-speaking speaking scholars will only be able to read the polemic, which is unfortunate.

al-Azami goes through Schacht's work in detail, but he just doesn't seem to 'get it'. By 'it', I mean the methodology embodied in Schachts work of critical scholarship. There seems to be a lack of understanding of what compromises evidence and proof. For example, al-Azami consistently uses texts written hundreds of years after the texts and people being discussed. The problematic of the hadith is never grasped fully. [to give everyone an idea, the hadith where not committed to writing until 200 yrs. after the fact ... like if we had just started to produce historical records of the American revolution today].

...P>Schacht's work is controversial to Muslims because as al-Azami states, there is a fear that he is trying to destroy the basis of their culture and civilization. The contrary is actually the truth. Schacht was a scholar that actually highly valued the system and genius of the Islamic tradition of law; however, he viewed this tradition as a HUMAN tradition. Schacht's criticisms of the origins of Islamic Law proving that it is neither prophetic nor divine but simply human does not destroy a civilization or tradition but opens it up to revision and modernized based on reason rather than religious fanaticism.

This is a very fine book which disects the theories of Schacht about unreliability of Hadiths. Author takes us step by step with Schacht's claims and provides contrary arguments to negate Schacht's assertions on the subject. Although he has made every effort to make the book independent of Schacht's book "Origins:, It is helpful to read both in paralell.Most of the time author has either summarized or replicated Schacht's claims before he attacked them. This book is very helpful in understanding why Schacht is considered as Orientalist, for instead of claiming that Schacht was wrong in this or that as a blanket statement, he proves why he was wrong.

This is a very important book in its field against the Orientalist onslaught against Islam and Muhammadan Jurisprudence. The author Muhammad Azami achived in his dissertation of refuting the orientalist Schacht's thesis on Muhammadan Jurisprudence. Schacht's Origins On Muhammadan Jurisprudence was highly acclaimed amongst Orientalists, such that H.A.R Gibb considered,"It will become the foundation for all future study of Islamic Civilisation and Law, at least in the West". Schacht's work in other words was regarded as the bible for the Orientalist attack on Islam, moreover, became a reference point of other Orientalists in refuting Islam. Muhammad Azami comprehensively repudiates Schacht's work by deconstructing his theories and arguement to the point of making it into mere fiction. Muhammad Azami elucidates on the lack of scientific approach taken by Schacht thus effecting his deduction. Schacht had two methods at his disposal 1. To draw conclusions from a study of the original sources of islam, the Quran or, 2. The writings of early scholars as sources. Schachts opts for the latter approach. Azami highlights in taking the second approach Schacht failled to consult the relavant literature and futhermore misunderstood the texts he quoted, even to the point of occassionally quoting out of context. Schacht's work as a result is full of contradictions and is completely opposed to History per se. The false methodology of Schacht concludes in the the total negation of Islamic jurisprudence by claiming the Hadith literature and its chain of narrators to be fogeries. Rather, Schacht concludes of a conspiracy to revive a non-existant legal history of the Prophet Muhammad in which the four legal schools in Islam get involved in perpetuating. The early scholars are accussed of putting words into the mouth of the Prophet Muhammad and interpretting the Hadiths to embody their own attitudes and doctrines... This particular book of Muhammad Azami dispels the theories of Schacht elegantly and in a lucid manner, leaving the reader in no doubt of the falsity and futility of Schacht's theories and accusations. This is a very important book for the Muslim, such that, it has been translated into the Arabic language which is a rare and an outstanding achievement. A must for every Muslim and non-Muslim interested in Islam and Hadith literature.