The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad

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Allen Lane, 2007 - Islamic ethics - 242 pages
Named by Timemagazine as one of the 100 most important innovators of the century, Tariq Ramadan is a leading Muslim scholar, with a large following especially among young European and American Muslims. In his first book written for a wide audience, he offers a biography of the Prophet Muhammad, highlighting the spiritual and ethical teachings of one of the most influential figures in human history.

Capturing a life that was often eventful, gripping, and highly charged, Ramadan provides both an intimate portrait of a man who was shy, kind, but determined, as well as a dramatic chronicle of a leader who launched a great religion and inspired a vast empire. Underscoring the historical importance and meaning of Muhammad, The Messengeraddresses the significance of the Prophet for some of today's most controversial issues, such as the treatment of the poor, the role of women, Islamic criminal punishments, war, racism, and relations with other religions.

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About the author (2007)

Professor Tariq Ramadan received his doctorate in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Geneva. In Cairo, Egypt he received one-on-one intensive training in classic Islamic scholarship from scholars at the Al-Azhar University. Having taught Islamic Studies and Philosophy at Freiburg University in Switzerland for many years, he was offered the post of Professor of Islamic Studies in the Classic Department and Luce Professor of Religion Conflict and Peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame in the United States. He had to resign the post after the US refused to allow him entry. He is currently challenging their decision with the support of the ACLU and PEN and is Senior Research Fellow at Lokahi Foundation and Visiting Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford.

Through his writings and lectures Tariq Ramadan has contributed substantially to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. He is active both at the academic and grassroots levels, lecturing extensively throughout the world on ethics of citizenship, social justice and dialogue between civilizations. A member of many international organizations and steering committees, he is President of the European think tank the European Muslim Network.

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