NonFiction is our Friend

I don't always remember this but it's true. I've finally (after many years away) found a work of nonfiction that is fascinating and engaging and yet about real people and real things.* Incredible!

So, go right now and buy or check out: "Muhammad, a biography of the prophet" by Karen Armstrong. It's great so far and I want to keep reading. This is key because often about half way through text books and such I want to poke my eye out but feel obligated (paid for the class or promised someone) to finish.

The introduction is a bit blah blah blah this is important blah blah blah. Sorry, but this is how it came across to me. The author failed to mention "hold on, the actual book is a great read". I think the main problem is that she is trying to force a WHOLE LOT of important information into a small space and the sheer amount of this to know and understand is too much for this average mortal. Once the chapters get going, however, information spreads out and there is room for my little brain to start absorbing things.

And the things to absorb; they are amazing and thought provoking. Ms. Armstrong begins by giving a history of the hatred, by Western peoples, of Islam. I didn't know of most of this so it was disheartening and intriguing. It also explains SO much.

Chapter two takes the reader into the "the way of things" at the time of Muhammad's life. As well as a brief history leading up to. Also fascinating. Did you know that, until the Qu'ran was written, there was no sacred texts for the Arabic and desert peoples? This only happened 1400 years ago. Christians and Jews have been blessed with sacred texts for oh so much longer. We better start appreciating.

There have been several other pieces of information that have really stuck with me. One being that the biographers of Muhammad, in writing about him and his life, were extremely honest and as accurate as possible. Warts and all (to borrow an expression). Historians made no attempt to deify or "clean up" Muhammad for the masses. Ms. Armstrong likens this to biblical prophets such as Moses, David, and Solomon; all deeply religious but also flawed men**.

I really appreciate this approach to great movers and shakers throughout history. I know people aren't perfect, even our spiritual leaders, and it's frustrating when people pretend that they are or were. Case in point, Joseph Smith had many wives, failed banking attempts and liked to rough house. Some people loved him and many hated him. My testimony of him as a prophet isn't shaken by knowing this. He still did the other things he did, he was also just an actual person. No one gets it right every time. (I hope Grace holds on to that sentiment when she's an adult.) Anywho, (stepping off soap box) moving right along.

Another point, and this wasn't entirely new, is that humans always seem to need someone to hate and persecute. Sometimes it's the Jews, much of the time it's Muslims, sometimes it's ______(fill in the blank). Interesting though, Ms. Armstrong points to several Muslim societies where Christianity and Judaism were permitted and welcomed into Islamic regions. No one bothered anyone about what they were doing religiously. For awhile anyway. All good things tend to end at some point. Still, wouldn't it be nice if we could all just get along and not feel threatened by difference?

This is waxing long. I'm going to end here and write again when I've read more. So long and thanks for reading.


* I think the last one was "The things they carried", that I picked up at Tom's house, a very good read. Difficult to read but for a different reason. I tend to find most war books "difficult". I also tend to think they should be. edited to add: oops, that was nonfiction. But it was good!
**This phrase is from somewhere in Karen Armstrong's book. I don't know what page but it's not mine. Just so we're clear.