The Truth About Muhammad

The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion (2006) is a book by Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch. 
In the book the author proposes to present a "scrupulously accurate account of what Muhammad said and did" examining the writings of the early biographers of Muhammad such as Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi, Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari as well as the Qur'an and the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim. In the examination of the early sources, Spencer attempts to elucidate the events of Muhammad's life which are invoked by contemporary Islamic clerics, governments, advocates and jihadists such as the Muslim Brotherhood's "spiritual" leader, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi today as a standard for their behaviour which may be viewed as violent and incompatible with Western values of human rights.
The book examines Muhammad's modern legacy examining his influence on modern day practices sanctioned by law in various Islamic countries, such as child marriages and divorce laws, punishments such as stoning for adultery and amputation for theft, execution for apostasy as well as the jihad and dhimmi doctrines adopted towards non-Muslims.
The book was on the New York Times Best Seller list for the week ending October 14, 2006.
Best Sellers - NYT
== Criticism ==
* Karen Armstrong criticizes the book as follows: Like any book written in hatred, his new work is a depressing read. Spencer makes no attempt to explain the historical, political, economic and spiritual circumstances of 7th-century Arabia, without which it is impossible to understand the complexities of Muhammad’s life. Consequently he makes basic and bad mistakes of fact. Even more damaging, he deliberately manipulates the evidence. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4a05a4a4-f134-11db-838b-000b5df10621.html 
== Banning in Pakistan==
The government of Pakistan confiscated all copies of the book and banned it on 20 December 2006 citing "objectionable material" as the cause.Pakistan bans Roberts book about Prophet Muhammad - KUNA Spencer responded that the book does not assert anything that is not readily verifiable in the sources he provides.Banned in Pakistan - FrontPageMag
==See also==
*Criticism of Muhammad
==References and notes==
==External links==
* Preview this book in Google Books
===Videos===
* Robert Spencer talks about the book - Youtube.com (Duration: 03:58)
* C-SPAN Video presentation at the Herigage foundation: Lecture on The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion
* Video: Robert Spencer talks Islam with Laura Ingraham on O’Reilly
===Audio===
* Robert Spencer discusses "The Truth about Muhammad" on Shire Network News (Part 1)
* Robert Spencer discusses "The Truth about Muhammad" on Shire Network News (Part 2)
Category:Books critical of Islam
Category:2006 books
Category:Muhammad
Category:Censorship in Pakistan