From one of todays leading Muslim scholars, this compelling look at how the Prophet Muhammad has been portrayed throughout the centuries offers a fascinating history of the diversity of Islamic cultures and beliefs.

The Prophet Muhammad has been revered for more than fifteen centuries. Today, one in five people throughout the world calls for daily praises and blessings upon him and holds him up as a model of virtue.


In IMAGES OF MUHAMMAD, Tarif Khalidi examines the ways Muhammad has been depicted and revered from the immediate aftermath of his death to the present day. With scholarly authority, Khalidi explores how the biography of Muhammad has been constructed, reconstructed, and utilized in various Islamic cultures, and traces the influences that have shaped his image, including the profound effect of negative perceptions promulgated by the West. As he describes the great variety of Islamic beliefs and practices, Khalidi illuminates the values and ideas shared by the Sunni, Shia, and Sufi sects, as well as the differences among them, providing Western readers with a clear, objective perspective on the current conflicts within the Muslim world as well as their global repercussions.

About the Author
TARIF KHALIDI is Sheikh Zayed Chair in Islamic and Arabic Studies at the American University in Beirut. He is the author of The Muslim Jesus, and was previously Sir Thomas Adamss Professor of Arabic, director of the Centre of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and a fellow of Kings College, Cambridge. Born in Jerusalem, he now lives in Beirut, Lebanon.