One of my most controversial books (okay, they’re all controversial), Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry Into Islam’s Obscure Origins, has just been published in paperback by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. This edition is not only handy, portable, and paper-bound, but it also contains a brand new Foreword by Ibn Warraq, in which he surveys the reaction to the book, compares it to Reza Aslan’s Zealot, and chides the mainstream media for its eagerness to deconstruct Christianity but carefully respectful, even reverential, stance toward Islam. Don’t miss this one. You can get it at Barnes and Noble here and at Amazon here — as well as at any self-respecting brick-and-mortar bookstore.
A sampling of critical reactions:
“A well-written, sober, and clear account . . . The revisionist account is no idle academic exercise but, as when Judaism and Christianity encountered the Higher Criticism 150 years ago, a deep, unsettling challenge to faith. . . . May the revolution begin.” —National Review Online
“Without indulging in polemics or pushing a partisan political agenda, the author simply investigates the question of whether we can really trust the traditional Islamic accounts for the life of Muhammad and the supposed early days of Islam. . . . For too long, the topic of Islamic historiography has been confined to highly specialized academia, with the growing problem of Islamist intimidation. Thus, an accessible primer on the subject as we have here is most welcome. In addition, the project of translating this book into Arabic is to be commended. In the years to come, it would be good to see Spencer’s book prescribed as introductory reading for courses on Islam in schools and universities.” —American Spectator
“Careful, detailed, well-reasoned survey and analysis . . . [A] brave book.” —FrontPage Magazine
“[Spencer] has engaged in concerted detective work of a scholarly nature. His book is no polemic. It is a serious quest for facts. The ones wrapped up in the Muslim canon are, alas, elusive. . . . Well-written and moves right along.” —Washington Times
“In an impeccably researched book, Spencer shows that all our Arabic sources for the life of Muhammad are very late, tendentious, and unsupported by any archaeological or epigraphic evidence, while the non-Islamic sources are scant and ambiguous. Thanks to this book, skepticism regarding what we can know about Muhammad must now and forever be taken seriously.” —Ibn Warraq, editor of What the Koran Really Says
“This will send shockwaves through Islamic communities.” —The Blaze
“A surprising and eye-opening new book . . . Quite a convincing job.” —PJ Media
“Robert Spencer has displayed brilliant scholarship and fierce courage in his previous books. In this one he perseveres and confronts with deep erudition the most topical problem of our century.” —Bat Ye’or, author of The Decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam
“A super detective service for the West . . . Spencer leaves few rocks unturned in his search for the truth about Islam and Muhammad.”
—Capitalism Magazine