The Life and Religion of Mohammed

"The Life and Religion of Mohammed" (ISBN 1-929291-68-X) is a book by author J. L. Menezes. It was written in 1912 in India and provides an account of Mohammed's life and the religion of Islam.

Controversy

The book has been the subject of a dispute between the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and "National Review", in which CAIR has sought to have the book withdrawn from sale. CAIR has called the book "virulently Islamophobic," [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17523] citing in particular a passage that reads:

Mohammed posed as the apostle of God, the seal of the prophets; as the destroyer of idolatry; as preacher of one true God, and the reformer of morals: while his life is marked by innumerable marriages; and great licentiousness, deeds of rapine, warfare, conquests, unmerciful butcheries, all the time invoking God's holy name to sanction his evil deeds, ordering prayers and alms deeds and at the same time propagating Islam everywhere by fire and sword. [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17523]

Robert Spencer in a review of the book stated "In fact, however, The Life and Religion of Mohammed is not “anti-Muslim hate literature.” It was written over eighty years ago by Fr. J. L. Menezes, a Roman Catholic priest who was a missionary in India. I have read it, and there is nothing inflammatory or inciteful in it; in fact, it is suffused with a pastoral love for Muslims."

W. Gawthrop notes that although the book suffers from the absence of an Index, Bibliography and a detailed Table of Contents, it is an excellent primer even for secularists and Analysts wrestling with an ideological challenge. He goes on to outline the major topics in the five major sections as follows:

Part 1 - The Life of Mahommed:The Life of Mahommed - Arabia and its inhabitants;The Political State of Arabia Before the Advent of Mahommed;Birth of Mahommed and His Early Life;Mahommed and Khadija;Mahommed and Kaaba;Mahommed an Anchorite;Mahommed and his Revelations;The First Converts of Mahommed;Mahommed and the Koreish Tribes;The Koreish League - Mahommed and his Followers Boycotted;The Death of Khadija and the Abu Talib-Mahommed a Polygamist;Mahommed Meets the People of Medina;The Pledge of Acaba;Mahommed's Fiction: The Great Pretended Miracle;The Converts of Medina and the Second Pledge of Accaba;Koreish Fresh Persecutions - Mahommed Flied to Medina - `Hejira';Mahommed and the Sword;

Part 2 - Mahommed at Medina:The First Mosque of Islam;Mahommed and the Jews;Mahommed the Law Giver;Mahommed a Belligerent;The Battle of Badr;Mahommed and the Jews Again;Mahommed a Debauchee;The Battle of Ohod;The Battle of the Ditch;The Destruction of the Jews;Mahommed and Ayeshah;Mahommed Visits Mecca;Mahommed and the Khaibar Jews;Mahommed Poisoned;Mahommed and Neighbouring Chiefs;Mahommed and the Great Powers;Mahommed Visits Mecca;Mahommed Takers Mecca;Mahommed and the Greeks;Battle of Honian;Mahommed and Christians;The Ban Against Unbelievers;Mahommed and His Domestic Troubles;Mahommed Changes His Policy;Mahommed's Last Pilgrimage;Mahommed's Last Year;Mahommed's Last Illness and Death;Mahommed's Burial;Mahommed's Person and Character;The Successors of Mahommed;

Part 3 - The Koran:The History of the Koran;Traditions;Iman or the Creed of Islam;The Explanation of the Articles of Faith;The Duties of Islam (DIN);Negative Precepts of the Koran;Islam's Influence on Society;The Testimony of the Koran on the Old and New Testaments;The Divine Inspiration of the Koran;The Author of the Koran;Causes of the Early Success of Islam;

Part 4 - Sects in Islam(Detailed discussion of a large number of Sunni, Shia and other sects. Rich in details)

Part 5 -Conclusion