The Life of Muhammad

Muhammad Husayn Haykal was one of the most renowned Islamists in 2Oth-century Egypt, and an accomplished scholar and writer. Having studied in Egypt and Paris, Haykal mastered the techniques of historical research and scholarship. At first, he was a vocal protagonist of westernizing modernism, and authored a prodigious amount of literary production. Two decades of involvement in Egypt's struggle for liberation from colonial Britain, however, caused him to gravitate to lslamic studies. He devoted the rest of his career to the study of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and of his companions. Five masterpieces were the result: The Life of Muhammad, The lslamic Revolution, The Life of Abu Bakr, The Life of 'Umar al Faruq, and The Home of Revelation.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:

Professor Isma'il al-Faruqi, 1921-1986, was a pioneer of lslamic studies on the North American continent. He was widely recognized by Muslims and non-Muslims as an authority on lslam and comparative religion. Prior to the creation of Israel, he was governor of Galilee. He received his M.S. degree at Harvard, and his Ph.D. in Western philosophy at Indiana University, Bloomington. He taught at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, International lslamic University in Pakistan, and at many universities in North America. Dr. al-Faruqi authored a large number of scholarly articles and books, including The Cultural Atlas of Islam, lslamic Dawah: Its Nature and Demands, Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life, Islamization of Knowledge: General Principles and Work Plan, and Christian Ethics.