In reality no Biography of Prophet Muhammad can really suffice to know him for he was all together someone else, the like of which humanity never saw before, never will in future. Language falls short to describe his appearances let alone the splendor of his character, the utter compassion flowing from his heart, the excellence of his mind, his ethical behavior and unmatched generosity and his unparalleled skill as a teacher of truth. Yet many prominent scholars have studied his life and produced remarkable works."You have good example in God's Apostle for anyone who looks to God and the Last Day and Remember God always." - The Quran
Here are some books and references introduced by authorites on Islamic thought.
- Muhammad, his life based on the earliest sources by Martin Lings
- And Muhammad is His Messenger by Annemarie Schimmel
- Memories of Muhammad by Omid Safi
- The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Hamza Yusuf
- Following Muhammad by Carl W. Ernst
- Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet (1991) by Karen Armstrong
- Muhammed: All That Matters (2012) by Ziauddin Sardar
- Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (2006) by Karen Armstrong
- Short chapter on the Prophet in "Of Heroes and Hero Worship" by Thomas Carlyle
- Al-Itqan Fi 'Ulum Al-Qur'an by Imam Suyuti (Download PDF)
- The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah by Alfred Guillaume (access to the Book)
- In the Footsteps of the Prophet (Lessons from the Life of Muhammad)
- Memories of the Prophet (Why the Prophet Matters) by Omid Safi
- Muhammad the Prophet of God (detailed) by Khawaja Shamsuddin Azeemi (Link for Book)
- The Life of the Last Prophet (concise) Yusuf Islam (translated into French by Iman and Tariq Ramadan)
- The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum) by Safi-ur-Rehman Mubarakpuri (download PDF)
Some of the Testimonial about Prophet Muhammad by Scholars and Thinkers of the past
“The world is in dire need of a man with the mind of Muhammad; religious people in the Middle Ages, due to their ignorance and prejudice, had pictured him in a very dark way as they used to consider him the enemy of Christianity. But after looking into the story of this man I found it to be an amazing and a miraculous one, and I came to the conclusion that he was never an enemy of Christianity, and must be called instead the savior of humanity. In my opinion, if he was to be given control over the world today, he would solve our problems and secure the peace and happiness which the world is longing for.” - George Bernard Shaw, the British playwright
“It is impossible for anyone who studies the personality of the great Prophet of the Arabs, and come to know how this prophet he used to live, and how he taught the people, but to feel respect towards this honorable prophet; one of the great messengers whom Allaah sent” - Annie Besant, wrote in ‘The Life and Teachings of Muhammad’
"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. Philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas, Restorer of Rational beliefs... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire -- that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?” - Alphonse de La Martaine wrote in ‘Historie de la Turquie’
“Muhammad was a shining example to his people. His character was pure and stainless. His house, his dress, his food - they were characterized by a rare simplicity. So unpretentious was he that he would receive from his companions no special mark of reverence, nor would he accept any service from his slave which he could do for himself. He was accessible to all and at all times. He visited the sick and was full of sympathy for all. Unlimited was his benevolence and generosity as also was his anxious care for the welfare of the community.” - Dr. Gustav Weil writes in ‘History of the Islamic Peoples’
“It is a great shame for any one to listen to the accusation that Islaam is a lie and that Muhammad was a fabricator and a deceiver. We saw that he remained steadfast upon his principles, with firm determination; kind and generous, compassionate, pious, virtuous, with real manhood, hardworking and sincere. Besides all these qualities, he was lenient with others, tolerant, kind, cheerful and praiseworthy and perhaps he would joke and tease his companions. He was just, truthful, smart, pure, magnanimous and present-minded; his face was radiant as if he had lights within him to illuminate the darkest of nights; he was a great man by nature who was not educated in a school nor nurtured by a teacher as he was not in need of any of this.” - The British philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, who won the Nobel Prize for his book ‘The Heroes’ wrote:
“Us, Europeans, with all our concepts could not reach what Muhammad has reached, and no one will be able to precede him. I have looked in the history of humanity for an example and found that it was Muhammad, as the truth must be revealed. Indeed, Muhammad succeeded to subdue the entire world to monotheism”. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer
