Blog


About


Books

 Latest Post: Flash!

Agnostic
A Spirited Manifesto
Available April 4, 2016

   Who is the AT?   Books by LH
  • Agnostic

  • The First Muslim

  • After The Prophet

  • Jezebel

  • Mary

  • More from LH

     

The Battle of the Muhammad Movies

Posted March 18th, 2013 by Lesley Hazleton

Coming soon to a screen near you:  not one but two biopics about the life of Muhammad.  One from Iran, one from Qatar.  In other words:  one Shia, one Sunni.

Oy.

And double oy.  Because how do you make a movie about someone you can’t show on the screen?  Images of Muhammad are a no-no in Islam.  Though a few medieval Persian miniatures do show his cloaked figure, his face is blanked out — a white oval in the otherwise vividly colored painting.

quinnNo surprise, then, that there hasn’t been a feature movie about Muhammad since 1976, when Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi — yes, that Qaddafi — funded “The Message,” starring Anthony Quinn (shown here at left) as Muhammad’s uncle Hamza.

Who played Muhammad?  Nobody.  The solution was not to show him at all.  Instead, the camera acted as his eyes.  When the camera panned, you were supposed to think that this was what Muhammad was seeing.  The result was… less than convincing.

What was all too convincing was the violence surrounding the movie’s planned US debut in 1977.  Twelve Nation of Islam extremists not given to fact-checking heard a rumor that Quinn had played not Hamza, but Muhammad himself.  They laid siege to three buildings in Washington DC, where they held 149 hostages and killed a journalist and a police officer until they were persuaded by the combined efforts of the Egyptian, Pakistani, and Iranian ambassadors to surrender.  (The whole miserable story is here.)

Of course the hostage-takers hadn’t seen the movie.  If they had, they might have been amazed by its stereotypical blandness.  And they’d never be aware of their ironic role in ensuring that the director, Moustapha Akkad, gave up on religious-themed movies after “The Message,” made a small fortune directing Jamie Lee Curtis in the famed “Halloween” sequels, and then in 2005 went to a wedding in Jordan and got blown up by a suicide bomber.

If it seems way past time that a better film about Muhammad be made, the question remains how it can be done without violence.  And the problem remains of how to do it without showing him.

The highly regarded Iranian director Majid Majidi (“Children of Heaven,” “Color of Paradise”) began work on his $30-million movie last October, and reportedly intends to show Muhammad’s cloaked figure, but not his face.  In short order, an outraged denunciation came from Cairo’s al-Azhar University, followed by the announcement of plans for a rival movie from Sunni-majority Qatar,  with the blessing of a top Muslim Brotherhood theologian and a budget ranging, in various reports, from $200 million to $1 billion.

So how will the two movies differ, aside from the obvious lavishness of production moola and the issue of cloaked figure or no figure?  If you’ve read After the Prophet, you’ll know that the Iranian movie will likely give a far greater role to Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law Ali, whom Shia believe Muhammad designated as his successor — his first khalifa, or caliph.  The Qatari movie will just as likely give a heftier role to Muhammad’s father-in-law abu-Bakr, who in fact became the first caliph of Sunni Islam.  In other words, the two movies are likely to act out the Sunni-Shia split.

I guess acting it out with cameras is far preferable to doing so with guns, but the risk of course is that angry denunciations such as that of al-Azhar will only encourage the latter.

croweMeanwhile, Hollywood seems determined not to be left out of the prophets (and, of course, the profits).  Two biopics of Moses are reportedly in the works, with names like Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and Ang Lee being bandied around with Hollywood abandon and zero confirmation.  And gird your loins for a biopic of Noah due for release next year, with the ark-builder being played by the star of “The Gladiator,” Russell Crowe.

Somehow I can’t quite imagine Russell Crowe with an olive branch…

Share this post:  Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
File under: art, Christianity, Islam, Judaism | Tagged: Tags: abu-Bakr, After the Prophet, al-Azhar, Ali, Anthony Quinn, biopics, Hamza, Iran, Majid Majidi, Qaddafi, Qatar, Russell Crowe, Shia, Sunni, The Message | 16 Comments
  1. Jerry M says:
    March 18, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    The story of Muhammed could make a compelling movie as long as they would play it straight. If you remember “The Last Temptation of Christ”, you will know that religious movies can be done that don’t turn the main character into a plaster saint. Unfortunately I don’t think anyone of Scorcese’s caliber is going to work on this movie. My own preference is for something on the order of “Lawrence of Arabia”. Stunning visuals and action scenes. I don’t think the backers have the guts to play the story straight.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 18, 2013 at 4:44 pm

      You surely remember the protests over The Last Temptation of Christ, even though it was clearly fiction, based on Kazantzakis’ novel.

      • Jerry M says:
        March 18, 2013 at 6:35 pm

        Yes, I do remember the protests. In fact when I saw the movie during an afternoon showing in New Jersey, I found out later that the evening showing was picketted. I was sorry I missed it.

  2. Ali Scott says:
    March 18, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    Bit of an aside but was shocked about the mention of Nation Of Islam members in the siege, since the NOI generally have a less than orthodox stance towards the Prophet (SAW) and were at least officially antiviolence, but then the wiki article said they were part of a “Hanafi Muslim Movement” which i have never heard of (in the context of the NOI, aware of the Sunni madhab). Do you know if they were closer to conventional Hanafis or an offshoot of NOI teachings and theology? Sorry, have a weird interest in that whole area of things.

    Looking forward to seeing both of these films if I can iA, it’s a fascinating story. Granted it will be slanted in whatever direction the directors’ affiliations lie, but that is to be expected. Feels like at this point he is as much a myth for us to project our desires onto as a historical figure. And will save a lot of the emotional and spiritual wrestling with the historical figure your last book provoked in me! Would be very difficult to watch the killings of the Banu Qurayza and the Medinan poets onscreen.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 18, 2013 at 10:04 pm

      Wish I could tell you more re that 1977 incident, Ali, but I was still in Jerusalem at the time it happened. (It does sound from that wiki entry as though Islam was being used as a secondary rationale, but I really don’t know.) It did kill general release of the movie, which nonetheless went on to become very popular in mosques and Islamic centers.
      I’m not sure whether to apologize or to be complimented that ‘The First Muslim’ provoked emotional and spiritual wrestling on your part. Maybe complimented, because it sounds as though you’ve come through it stronger. Re the movies now in the works, you’re right, of course. But I do hope they include at least some emotional and spiritual wrestling on the part of Muhammad, thus according him the depth and complexity of human reality.

  3. Hashmi says:
    March 18, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    You are so well read and have a deep insight into Islam and other religions plus the the high esteem the last Prophet (peace be upon him) is held in.. then why do you use his name so casually, disregarding all respect…

    • SusieOfArabia says:
      March 19, 2013 at 3:27 am

      Hashmi – With all due respect, the Muslim habit of always including PBUH with the mention of the Prophet’s name is something that Muslims do. Non-Muslims don’t do this, nor do we consider it disrespectful not to. Please stop taking offense where none is intended – and the world will be a better and more peaceful place.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 19, 2013 at 9:48 am

      I think it would be hypocritical of me to refer to Muhammad in the traditional Muslim manner, since I am not Muslim.

  4. Sam says:
    March 19, 2013 at 6:13 am

    Mustapha Akkad’s movie is not that bad…. also there are some manuscripts from the Mongol Period in Iran (especially the Ilkhanid period i am not too sure about the Timurid period) which have depictions of Prophet Mohammed without a veil a very famous one is The compendium of the World or Jami’h al-Tawarikh by Rashid ud-Din but there are other Miraj-Nameh (the story of the Isra wa al Miraj) for example which have copious amounts of depictions of the Prophet without any veil…
    http://www.amazon.com/The-Ilkhanid-Book-Ascension-Persian-Sunni/dp/184511499X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1363698618&sr=8-5&keywords=christiane+gruber

    http://www.amazon.com/COMPENDIUM-CHRONICLES-al-Dins-Illustrated-Collection/dp/019727627X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363698686&sr=1-2&keywords=sheila+blair+world

  5. Ali Scott says:
    March 19, 2013 at 6:27 am

    It was definitely a compliment. Loved the book even while struggling at times. I think all too often people want to strip away his humanity and just leave this semi-divine archetypal figure in his place. Which is obviously not cool, Islamically speaking. The Qur’an itself admonishes him for making mistakes. And he lived in a fundamentally different era in a different social context to the one we live in today. To me it is more about being inspired by who he was to the society he was in rather than imitating his actions literally. I think one does faith a disservice if not intellectually honest with it.

    The Medina period does seem quite incongruous, but power is a tricky thing. I struggle to reconcile Medina with my own morality and reason, but there’s still Mecca, and Islam for me is about far more than the Prophet (SAW) himself.

    I do think were the films to depict some of the more controversial events in Medina there might be a backlash, from islamophobes saying “See! I told you so!” and from some Muslims assuming they had invented them. Many of my friends aren’t really aware of that side of things. It’s a difficult topic that I don’t think I will ever have the answer to.

    Oh and meant to say I loved After the Prophet too! Thank you for your books, your words here and your TED talks, apologies for the monster comment!

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 19, 2013 at 9:53 am

      Thanks for confirming, Ali. Particularly appreciate your saying “I think one does faith a disservice if not intellectually honest with it,” and with your permission, intend to adopt it. — L.

      • Ali Scott says:
        March 19, 2013 at 2:24 pm

        I would be honoured if you did.

  6. Ali Scott says:
    March 19, 2013 at 6:27 am

    *monster-sized comment i mean

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 19, 2013 at 9:54 am

      Understood! Here be no monsters.

  7. saimma says:
    July 14, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Lesley – love your Ted talks and so happy to find your website. Excellent article and I look forward to making my way through the rest.

    BTW – I am a Muslim and I do not feel the need to say ‘Peace be upon him’ every time the Prophet’s name is said. You speak about him with more respect that most Muslims do in their behaviour. Respect and honouring is about more than four words.

    In gratitude

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      July 14, 2013 at 6:02 pm

      My feeling too — Thanks Saimma.

Q and A on ‘The First Muslim’

Posted January 6th, 2013 by Lesley Hazleton
Just posted on Religion Dispatches, this Q and A with me:
  • The First Muslim - CoverWhat inspired you to write The First Muslim?Basically, frustration! I’d read several biographies of Muhammad as background for my previous book, After the Prophet, but though they seemed to tell me a lot about him, they left me with little real sense of the man himself. There was a certain dutiful aspect to them, and this made them kind of… soporific. Which seemed to me a terrible thing to do to such a remarkable life.

    There was a terrific story to be told here: the journey from neglected orphan to acclaimed leader—from marginalized outsider to the ultimate insider—made all the more dramatic by the tension between idealism and pragmatism, faith, and politics. I wanted to be able to see Muhammad as a complex, multidimensional human being, instead of the two-dimensional figure created by reverence on the one hand and prejudice on the other. I wanted the vibrancy and vitality of a real life lived.

    But of course I was also impelled by a certain dismay at how little most of us in the West know about Muhammad, especially when Islam is so often in the headlines and there are so many competing claims to “the truth about Islam.” This one man radically changed his world—indeed he’s still changing ours—so it seemed to me vitally important that we be able to get beyond stereotypes and see who he really was.

    What are some of the biggest misconceptions about Muhammad?

    Let’s take just the two most obvious stereotypes: the lecherous polygamist, and the sword-wielding warmonger. In fact Muhammad’s first marriage, to Khadija, was a loving, monogamous relationship that lasted 24 years, until her death. The nine late-life marriages were mainly diplomatic ones—means of sealing alliances, as was standard for any leader at the time. And it’s striking that while he had five children with Khadija—four daughters and a son who died in infancy—he had none with any of the late-life wives.

    As for the warmonger image, Muhammad maintained a downright Gandhian stance of passive, nonviolent resistance to both verbal and physical assaults for 12 years, until he was driven into exile from his home in Mecca. The psychology of exile thus played a large role in the armed conflict over the subsequent eight years, until Mecca finally accepted his leadership in a negotiated surrender, with strong emphasis on avoiding bloodshed.

    Is there anything you had to leave out?

    I know there’s a tendency to elide certain issues of Muhammad’s life, not least among them the rapid deterioration of his relations with the Jews of Medina, which was especially hard for me, as a Jew, to write about. But to evade such issues seems to me to demonstrate a certain lack of respect for your subject. A biographer’s task is surely to create as full a portrait as possible. If you truly respect your subject, you need to do him justice by according him the integrity of reality.

    What alternative title would you give the book?

    Perhaps “Seeing Muhammad Whole.” Or “A Man in Full.” But since Muhammad is told three times in the Qur’an to call himself the first Muslim, I knew early on that this would be the title.

    Did you have a specific audience in mind?

    It kind of hurts to think of intelligent, open-minded readers as a specific audience…

    Are you hoping to just inform readers? Give them pleasure? Piss them off?

    Far more than inform! The pleasure for me lies in the “aha!” of understanding, of grasping the richness of reality, with all its uncertainties and dilemmas. It’s in the practice of empathy—not sympathy, but empathy, which is the good-faith attempt to understand someone else’s experience. Those who nurture images of Muhammad as the epitome of either all evil or all good may well be disconcerted, but then that’s the point: empathy trumps stereotype any time.

    What’s the most important take-home message for readers?

    The First Muslim isn’t a “message” book. If anything, since I’m agnostic, you might call it an agnostic biography. But I think many readers may be surprised at Muhammad’s deep commitment to social justice, his radical protest against greed and corruption, and his impassioned engagement with the idea of unity, both human and divine—major factors that help explain the appeal of Islam.

    How do you feel about the cover?

    I loved it the minute I saw it. Riverhead brilliantly avoided all the usual obvious images—domes, minarets, crescent moons, camels, and so on—and opted instead for the understated elegance of this classic “knot” tile design.

    Is there a book out there you wish you’d written?

    On Muhammad? No, and that’s exactly why I wrote The First Muslim. The book I wish someone else had written didn’t exist—one that brought psychological and political context to the historical and religious record, and one I actually wanted to read instead of feeling that I should.

    What’s your next book?

    I’m thinking it’s time to explore exactly what I mean by being an agnostic, and how this informs my ongoing fascination with the vast and volatile arena in which religion and politics intersect.

  • Return to Religion Dispatches Home
Share this post:  Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
File under: agnosticism, Islam, Middle East | Tagged: Tags: After the Prophet, biography, empathy, Gandhi, Muhammad, Religion Dispatches, Riverhead Books, The First Muslim | 26 Comments
  1. Sani says:
    January 6, 2013 at 12:23 pm

    Hi Lesley.
    Well, this interesting and important historical event, the banishment of the Levi clan of the children of Israel from Madina has been sidelined by the Jewish Rabbis and most historians. The world is hiding shamelessly this important historical event. I have given a brief account in my book available in website, sbpra.com//allamadrsanisalihmustapha. It was only the Levi clan that could be with Muhammad for they were needed to establish his Shari’a. When that was achieved their function seized and they had to leave Madina. Note that there is no compulsion in Islam that is obedience to Allah in following Muhammad. I hope you will the difference for your ancestors in Egypt were compelled to follow Moses to prepare them for the Shari’a.
    Please Lesley, do not forget your base! Compare the life of Muhammad with that of Moses.
    When Makka was conquered Abu Sufyan lamented saying, ‘A speck’ has conquered the world.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      January 6, 2013 at 1:23 pm

      Sani — This is not exactly how the earliest Islamic histories (ibn-Ishaq and al-Tabari) record matters. Further, I would have thought it clear that I consider my “base” to be the intelligent open-minded reader, of whatever faith or non-faith. But really, may I suggest — not only to you, but to anyone else tempted to comment prematurely — actually reading ‘The First Muslim’ before commenting on it?!

      • Sani says:
        January 6, 2013 at 2:25 pm

        Hi Lesley!
        I bought books through Amazon, but are yet to arrive. I prepare to buy your book direct from bookshops.
        The point is I have read about many books written by those who do not understand Revelation and the G-d of Abraham. They make mistakes like your assertion and understanding that Muhammad is the First Muslim. He is not certainly and cannot be. It is not allowed in the teaching of Muhammad to start an argument or say something that is not said by Him. He never described himself as First Muslim and no Sahaba ever described him as such.
        My dear Lesley from the beloved children of Israel, there is more than enough for you and those writing on Muhammad to understand the G-d of Abraham and believe in him from the Torah. You do not need the Qur’an to believe in the G-d of Abraham. I read the Torah a lot and find no difference in what is in the Qur’an.
        If you want to write on Muhammad, please write that he observed the 3 prayer times in Makka – morning, afternoon and evening as observed and prayed by the Jews, when he migrated he wanted to use the horn on calling people to prayers. He established the law of foreigners and made Madina like the six safe towns in the Torah. Tell us about Huayyy ibn Akhtab the leader of Banu Nadir (I think) who confessed that Muhammad indeed is that messenger mentioned in the Torah. I read both the books of at-Tabari and ibn Ishaq, but you may misunderstood them for reasons unknown. They wrote on a section of his history but not on his Sunna.

        • Lesley Hazleton says:
          January 6, 2013 at 3:20 pm

          As I pointed out on http://www.TheFirstMuslim.com (and in the book itself, of course), the title comes from the Quran, which tells Muhammad three times (6:14, 6:163, and 39:12) “Say, I am the first Muslim.” While I know certain Islamic traditions have it that Abraham was the first Muslim (and others, Adam), the Quran nonetheless refers to Abraham as “the first hanif,” or monotheist. I went with the source. Again, I recommend reading first, commenting after.

      • karachiwala says:
        March 27, 2013 at 3:35 am

        Hi
        Unfortunately this is what is happening in the modern times…..Commenting without reading the actual book. I was surprised to see the good Pastor who wanted to burn the Quran, come on TV and say that in fact he had not read the Quran at all
        it’s real sad

  2. Tea-mahm says:
    January 6, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    Accidental Theologist fans! I’m releasing a review of The First Muslim Monday Jan 5 on http://www.completeword.wordpress.com
    Check it out! What a great read. Tamam Kahn

  3. HandeBir says:
    January 7, 2013 at 12:19 am

    Dear Leslie,

    Looking forward to reading the book… I wish I had the time to do the translation into Turkish but I am sure someone will do that.

    It is a delicate topic this interaction of religion and politics. My home country is having its share on it for decades now. It may be more about power and religion but politics is seen as a means to power so it makes sense either way.

    After I started following your blog, I did try to find out what you mean by an “agnostic Jew” and did some reading on it. It is important for me because names, concepts are important; they not only provide clues to the others about you, but also shape the way you perceive yourself.. And if your perception hardly fits any category, you try to alter or change them. Not always an easy job… Anyway, I just want to say that I am very happy that you will write about this concept.

    Happy 2013!

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      January 7, 2013 at 9:29 am

      Thank you for getting the idea. Not easy, true, but then it wouldn’t be interesting of it was!

  4. Riz Haider says:
    January 7, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    As an agnostic Muslim I really enjoyed your TEDx talk, however, I regretfully agree with Sani about your interpretation of the 3 verses you quote from the Quran re 1st Muslim. I give to you the translation by M. Asad, an Austrian Jew convert to Islam who took great pains to be etymologically and semantically correct in his translation. It is considered by many scholars as one of the best. Definitely my favourite. ‘first’ and ‘foremost’ are not synonomous, would you agree?

    Asad: Say: “Am I to take for my master anyone but God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, when it is He who gives nourishment and Himself needs none?” Say: “I am bidden to be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto God, and not to be” among those who ascribe divinity to aught beside Him.” Q 6:14
    Asad in whose divinity none has a share: for thus have I been bidden-and I shall [always] be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto Him.” Q 6:163
    Asad and I am bidden to be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto God.” Q 39:12

    • Sani says:
      January 8, 2013 at 9:55 am

      Hi Riz. Indeed Muhammad encouraged nothing other than telling the truth abiding sticking and practicing it. I love the Jews because they were portrayed in the Qur’an as a national exposing the truth and never hiding it. Thus why many of them accept Islam that is their simplified version of the written and oral law. But Hesley is trying to forget her sound base.

  5. Riz Haider says:
    January 9, 2013 at 3:39 am

    Lesley
    I want to apologize for my earlier comment. In way of apology I would like to offer my explanation. First off, I feel like a bloody fool! I stumbled on your book whilst trolling the web and without any research on you, your background and your rather singular achievements I proceeded to send you my take on the what I realized later, was the title of your book. That in itself was rather rude and insensitive of me. Please accept my heartfelt apology. I subsequently found out more about you and just simply loved your Quran TEDx talk. I view the Quran in much the same way but could never in my life, have expressed it is so eloquently and charmingly. I don’t know why Sani has decided to interject himself into this with yet another badgering remark on you and your going back to your ‘base’. This is something I do not want to be associated with, as it is I’m feeling very sheepish. Looking forward to reading your books. Salaam Alaikum!

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      January 9, 2013 at 8:15 am

      Thank you, Riz — both for the apology (which takes courage) and for checking out the context (which takes time). Alaikum assalaam! — L.

    • Sani says:
      January 9, 2013 at 10:21 am

      Assalamu alaika Riz.

      Brother Riz, we have problem of education and giving the G-d of Abraham his Right. We have only one BOOK the Torah and no one can do without it. Muhammad never rejected it. My understanding is, it is part of the Qur’an and I do not discriminate between them. The Sunna of Muhammad that is his actions is a different field.
      I respect the Jews because of their history that shapes my belief and determination to obey the one chosen by Allah. I like Lesley because she was a Jew loved by Muhammad but despised for unknown cause by some of his followers. My interaction with some Jews in Europe make me belief that an understanding Jew as Lesley described herself cannot be a ‘Christian’ but can only be one to follow the actions of Muhammad.
      The translation of Muhammad Asad was coined from the Tafsir of Imam Shawkani and az-Zamakhshari. That is why it is standard. There are many forms of Tafsir.
      I am not against Lesley, but only telling her that I have spent 52 years reading the Torah and I have not find anything there in the Qur’an contradicting what Muhammad mentioned of it. 90% of the Muslim customs are Jewish. Read the way they bury their deceased. Any difference?
      I am calling on the Jews to understand those calling for their salvation and freedom. True followers of Muhammad were never their enemies and will never be. The ball is in their hand now.

      • Lesley Hazleton says:
        January 9, 2013 at 11:08 am

        Sani, please — This is NOT the place for da’wa. The verse to bear in mind is “to you your religion, to me mine.” Just as I respect your islam, I ask that you respect my agnosticism, and accept the fact that I have no interest in being “saved.”

        • Sani says:
          January 9, 2013 at 12:22 pm

          Sorry Lesley! Please forgive me my misunderstanding you right from the word go! Then you should never have written on Muhammad for to write on Muhammad is to call for da’wa. By the way, is you book not a book of da’wa since da’wa means calling or addressing people? This indeed paradox how you know Muhammad but denying the existence of the G-d of Abraham. You cannot separate Muhammad from the G-d of Abraham. Muhammad is mentioned whenever the G-d of Abraham is mentioned.

          • Lesley Hazleton says:
            January 9, 2013 at 8:32 pm

            Sigh… No, Sani, not da’wa. Not preaching. Not an act of devotion. Not at all. Read the book first, then comment.
            Have I said this before?

  6. Farrukh Kidwai says:
    January 15, 2013 at 5:28 am

    Hello Lezley,

    How can I get your book in India ?

    Regards,

    Farrukh Kidwai

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      January 15, 2013 at 7:59 am

      Thanks for asking, but alas, I don’t know. Publication for now (that is, as of Jan 24) is in the US and Canada, though the book is also available at amazon.co.uk. I wish I had a magic wand that let it be easily available everywhere, but as is, authors have little control — in fact none — so have it to leave it to the ingenuity of readers!

  7. Donald Avery Graham says:
    January 30, 2013 at 7:10 am

    Dear Lesley, It was hard to find someplace on your blogsite where I could write to you! I just wanted to say that it’s true that your title, The First Muslim, in indeed incorrect, but not for the reason others have given. It’s incorrect because Muhammad himself was highly dubious about his revelation, and it was his wife Khadijah who first believed and convinced her husband to believe. Therefore, by any reasonable standard she should be known as the first Muslim, not Muhammad.
    I will read your book anyway, since I am very interested in the founders of great religions (I’m a professor of comparative religion) and I have not found the previous biographies compelling.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      January 30, 2013 at 9:41 am

      Thanks Donald. You’ll find that Chapter 6 of the book describes that extraordinary marriage, and Chapter 7 ends with her role as the first person to hear the revelations from Muhammad. I agree re previous biographies — which is why I wrote this one.

  8. Talha Ejaz says:
    May 1, 2013 at 12:45 am

    Dear Lesley,

    As a Muslim I had mostly read and learned detail of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) after the proclamation of prophet hood and felt innate need to know the events that actually shaped or lead to his development. I am very fond of reading your books and how you try to separate b/w what is divine and indeed what is more to be associated with the human or its psychological need but I fail to understand and somewhat sad to learn that you are still an agnostic? May ALLAH uncover the truth that beholds you from true understanding. Anyways well done on your write-up and thorough research, gripping narrative had me engulfed in such a state that I kept on reading page after page till it wasn’t finished. Thank you

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      May 1, 2013 at 8:48 am

      Thank you, Talha, but really, no need to be sad on my behalf. I truly value my agnostic perch!

  9. Farrukh says:
    May 2, 2013 at 12:07 am

    Hello Lesley,

    Going by your analogy to name your book, “As I pointed out on http://www.TheFirstMuslim.com (and in the book itself, of course), the title comes from the Quran, which tells Muhammad three times (6:14, 6:163, and 39:12) ”

    I’m curious to know why did you not take into account 7:143

    “When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: “O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee.” Allah said: “By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me.” When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: “Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe.”

    According to this verse , even Moses says, ‘He is first to believe.’

    Thank you.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      May 2, 2013 at 8:34 am

      Check the Arabic: “awwal al-muuminin” versus “awwal-al-muslimin”

  10. Ali Almuhanna says:
    October 28, 2013 at 4:18 am

    Hi Lesley,

    I’ve enjoyed reading your book, especially when presenting the human element of the Prophet. Most moving for me was how you described the first revelation on Hira’; the Prophet’s feelings of awe & terror (I know some have objected to this term, but think I see what you’re trying to convey with it). I totally agree that if a person was to experience some sort of connection with God, he/she will have similar feelings. That to me is what Muslim prayer is all about; prostrating before God in full submission & pleading for guidance.

    I’ve also read “After the Prophet”, a great read as well. I think both your books give an outside view of Muslim history, one from which many Muslims could benefit. Reverence of the Prophet’s companions and/or family is misguided in my opinion; we should put aside the differences ‘they’ had, and focus on unity, the one thing which Islam is all about.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      October 28, 2013 at 9:28 am

      Thank you, Ali — I do indeed believe that an ‘outside eye’ can provide a fresh and even refreshing way of seeing.

  11. Hakim says:
    February 17, 2016 at 3:19 am

    Hi Lesley

    sorry my english is not perfect.

    I hope you will understand my demand.

    I fisrt want to congratulate you about your works, i just read your
    book “The first muslim” and i really enjoy it.

    I also would like to share it with some people i knew, but their
    learning of english is low.

    I would ask you please, if your editor provide a french translation of
    this book or orher works you’ve alreaddy done.

    I thank you for your answer and wish you the best.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      February 17, 2016 at 11:16 am

      Thank you, Hakim. No French translation, alas. But an audio English version may be in the works. — L.

      • Hakim says:
        February 17, 2016 at 11:54 am

        Thank you so much for your answer Lesley

An Early Nod for ‘The First Muslim’

Posted August 30th, 2012 by Lesley Hazleton

Library Journal’s Barbara Hoffert chose The First Muslim as one of her picks for January 2013.  This is what she wrote:

Understanding Islam would seem to mean understanding the life, the times, and the beliefs of its founder, but there don’t seem to be a lot of universally acknowledged biographies of Muhammad around.  I’ll go out on a limb to highlight this one, because Hazleton, who reported on the Middle East for over a dozen years, wrote the well-regarded After the Prophet: the epic story of the Shia-Sunni split, a PEN-USA Book Award finalist that won praise from several quarters.  Hazleton aims to examine how the man Muhammad — an orphan, a merchant, and an exile — upended the established order and became the Prophet.  Keep your eyes peeled.

No comment on that phrase “universally acknowledged,” but to get such a nice nod so far ahead of publication is much appreciated.

Share this post:  Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
File under: Islam, Middle East | Tagged: Tags: After the Prophet, Library Journal, The First Muslim | 13 Comments
  1. Michael Camp says:
    August 30, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    Very cool, Lesley. I look forward to reading the book. I managed to get endorsements from Frank Schaeffer and Marcus Borg on my Confessions of a Bible Thumper. I mentioned you in the aknowledgements because I liked your advice so much. Cheers!

  2. Nancy says:
    August 30, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    Well, Desiderata says that we are all children of the universe, and I acknowledge your command of and passion for the topic. Thus, you really are “universally acknowledged”.

  3. annetraver says:
    August 30, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    Brava, Lesley!

  4. Zvi & Dorothy Pantanowitz says:
    August 30, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    Lesley dear,

    I’m happy to read this. Let her be the harbinger of the hordes to come.

    Love, Pantz

  5. pah says:
    August 30, 2012 at 2:28 pm

    i look forward to this also.
    have read karen armstrong’s

  6. Sohail says:
    August 30, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    Are there any’universally accepted’ biographies of any other major religious figures who came before him?

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      August 30, 2012 at 3:17 pm

      Well put, Sohail.

  7. kristin lyssand says:
    August 30, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    Hello Lesley,

    I am almost in the midst of reading the book ‘THE HAJ’by Leon Uris. I assume you have read it and I wonder if you could give me your opinion on the veracity of how the Bedouin and Arabs are described. At this point I am appalled by what I read.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      August 31, 2012 at 9:19 am

      Kristin, hi — have never read this Uris book, but to judge from what I’ve read of his (decades ago), am not surprised that it’s appalling. Sounds like to finish it would be an act of pure masochism.

  8. Nuzhat. says:
    August 30, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    Nothing less can be expected from the awaited book!
    I’m already feeling like the first Medinans waiting outside Quba for the arrival of the first Muslim….
    More wishes Lesley…

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      August 31, 2012 at 9:23 am

      Ah, I wish. Love the image of waiting outside Quba. But I should point out that as Barack Obama can confirm, great expectations can also lead to disappointment…

  9. Amy Thomson says:
    September 10, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    When will this book be published?

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      September 13, 2012 at 8:25 am

      Publication date is January 24, 2013.

The 50-Minute Video

Posted March 12th, 2011 by Lesley Hazleton

I know you probably don’t have time for this long a video, but for the record, here’s my February 19 keynote speech at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, MI — on fundamentalism, stereotyping, and (with suitably Jewish agnostic chutzpah) religion, as well as on the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia and the effect they may have on American attitudes toward Islam.

The occasion, at the largest Shia mosque in America, was the celebration of the birthday of Muhammad.   The still shot has a somewhat disturbingly preacher look to it, so please tell me I’m not preaching, just talking…

(The sound comes in fully after about 45 seconds.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-hTxDvRVlo]

Share this post:  Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
File under: Christianity, fundamentalism, Islam, Judaism | Tagged: Tags: After the Prophet, Bahrain, Deuteronomy, Egypt, gospels, highlighter version, Islamophobia, Kaddish, Karbala, Libya, Nick Kristof, nutshell syndrome, Peter King, Quran, Roger Cohen, St Paul, stereotypes, Tariq Ramadan, terrorism, Tunisia, Yemen, zealotry | 49 Comments
  1. Meezan says:
    March 12, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    Being a Muslim, I have read my share of prophet Mohammad’s (s.a.w.w)biographies and siras but I have to say one of my favorite parts of his life was revealed to me recently by Karen Armstrong’s “Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time”. When the prophet was 19-20 years old (can’t remember exactly) he liked a girl and wanted to marry her but his uncle suggested that he was not in a good financial position to support a wife. This is not much, I know but that revealed a very human side of the prophet to me. I saw him as a flesh and blood person rather than an ever illuminating, floating in the air, long haired, blue eyed guy, and hence putting everything in a new perspective. His teachings now seemed like really good advice rather than an order. His religion a very flexible and tolerant way of life rather than something you have to have to follow.

    Your words are as always, enlightening.

  2. yusong says:
    March 12, 2011 at 5:11 pm

    fantastic, you are a noble female, i admire you very much.

    • Shishir says:
      March 14, 2011 at 6:43 am

      “a noble female” now what is that supposed to mean?

  3. Jonathan Omer-Man says:
    March 12, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    Congratulations! This is wonderful. And aren’t our similar interests dramatically divergent…

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 13, 2011 at 10:58 am

      Or maybe they go round in a huge circle and turn out to be convergent…

  4. Aijaz says:
    March 13, 2011 at 10:58 am

    Bravery is going against the the tide.
    and Lesley has it

  5. Chad Tabba says:
    March 13, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Wonderful talk Lesley, it brought to mind a couple of ideas I’m thinking of:
    First: Truly, religion’s goal, and the reason religions were formed, was to support the innate striving to be human, to be closer to the ideals of humanity. Thats how and why Sufism seems to be (at least in my mind) in many aspects more similar to buddhism than literal Islam. While Sufism in itself has imperfections as well, I have felt closer to much of what it says (and gnostic christianity) than literal religious belief. The idea that religion and faith comes from the heart, that religion is not about dogma, but about treating others as you would be treated, about forgiveness, and about love (general love not necessarily romantic love). Funny that I would be agnostic and gnostic simultaneously.

    Second: a question/note. I am saddened by the literalist/extremist interpretation of the holy books in general. The holy books have enough subtleness to allow some people to highlight specific words and twist them to support their ideas and take sentences out of context. Why did they have to be so subtle that the average person may be sucked into that literalism? That is my biggest problem with religion; more than trying to believe in a supreme creator, it’s the idea that it takes a higher level of understanding and “brain power” to understand what religion wants us to do. Whats the use if a bigger percentage of people are going to take it wrong and use it to kill each other? Why couldn’t the creator be more clear to lessen the sadness and suffering in the world. Why allow millions to be killed in his/her name? Would love to hear what u think about these 2 points.

    • Aijaz says:
      March 14, 2011 at 6:04 am

      Quran was revealed in single shot on Lailatul Qadr…then it was re-revealed in 23 years with cause and effects and circumstances to make sure people can not misinterperet its verses. The idea that Quran was re-revealed further strengthened that Prophet was warned not to haste but to wait for revelations [….]

      But still we have history and collections of traditions to help us understand the background of revelations in their true spirit. The key to understand Quran is 3:7, which Lesley has pointed out. She is not only eloquent but on the right track. It’s possible she already know more Quran than many of us, she understand the difference between Reader’s Digest and Holy Quran. Sometimes I feel not sure to guide her to some Quranic lead. Chances are she is already there.

      Metaphors are not there to mislead but we can not conceive them in their true interpretations. Tahir ul-Qadri has given a beautiful interpretation on “Judgment Day is near” He says no one knows when is Judgment day but for every individual his judgment day is his death day and tha’ts very near. [….] Metaphor does not mean that we doubt the reality of that day…reality of that Day is literal, nature of that day is allegorical. [….]

      Imam Ali said “You will never know truth and follow the right way unless you know the person who has abandoned it.”

      • Shishir says:
        March 14, 2011 at 7:00 am

        @Aijaz

        If I am not wrong you are Muslim, so I apologize beforehand for possible offense that my remarks may cause you.
        a) It is wrong to believe that Quran was revealed at one go and Mohammed was refrained from making it known at once. There is no real evidence of the fact, an equally plausible explanation is that it was “revealed” as Mohammed was in a position to understand it.
        b) It is also wrong to assume divinity of Quran, it is work of a man for it shows all that is concern of man nothing more nothing less.
        c) The reason why people interpret Quran differently is because Quran is not like a mathematical treatise and hence is ambiguous. The writer of Quran was limited in his/her knowledge because it was limited by what was known at the time. If a religion originates today it will suffer the same limitations perhaps 1600 yrs later.
        d) There can not be just one true religion, if it is can it be demonstrated it is so, unfortunately every holy book claims it and Quran claims it more than others perhaps.

        Now it is possible that I am wrong about some things, and if I am okay. I’ll learn something.

      • Lesley Hazleton says:
        March 14, 2011 at 10:46 am

        Aijaz — It really is time to cool it, and to find some way to acknowledge that you are human, that you do not have a stranglehold on “the truth.” There are many ways to approach this whole matter, and the ways others choose may be as valid and as well-intentioned as yours, no matter how different. As the Quran says, “you have your way, and I have mine.” Mine, as should be clear on this blog, is that there is no such thing as absolute truth, and that it’s precisely this absolutist idea that causes so much conflict. I think it would be far more productive and respectful if you reflected a lot more and judged a lot less.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 14, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Chad — Simultaneously gnostic and agnostic makes sense to me. In fact I sometimes call myself a gnostic agnostic — and some day, will have to figure out more precisely what I mean by that. You may be ahead of me there.

      But doesn’t your second point kind of undermine the first? It seems to assume the existence of an omnipotent creator with a will — that is, a conventional idea of God. Me, I’m really not into the whole idea of religion or of God ‘wanting’ us to do anything. The idea of a “purpose-driven life” is horribly mechanistic to me, leaving no room for what we were talking about earlier: for mystery, for poetry, for music.

      Sacred texts are really only sacred because human beings have made them so — either because they see them as prescriptions for how to behave, or because they find in them inspiration or an invitation to transcend their own limitations. (Well, and a vast range of possibilities between those two, but you get my point).

      • Chad Tabba says:
        March 14, 2011 at 2:26 pm

        Oh, I agree Lesley. There is a contradiction. My second note was simply me just showing that even if I played devil’s advocate (pun intended) on behalf of literalists, I still couldnt excuse how some extremists act and “misquote” scriptures.

  6. Aijaz says:
    March 14, 2011 at 11:51 am

    Lesley

    I do not have stranglehold on truth but I am entitled to hold my views as other humans have it here like shishir, and I am not offended by his/her dissent.

    I see nothing wrong with sticking to my views with a belief they are true.
    Humane side is to share my views without offending others.

    • Aijaz says:
      March 14, 2011 at 12:25 pm

      @Shshir — You are not wrong I am Muslim. Beauty of any discussion forum is disagreement on issues otherwise its nothing more than exchanging the pleasantries, that may feel good but it serves no purpose. Purpose is served when we understand each other through civilized arguments with logic and common sense.

      I am glad you disagree with my position but unfortunately you did not present your argument instead you posted your opinion and what you believe. [….]

      Isa [Jesus] himself never claimed to have come in the fulfilment of the prophecy about the advent of the promised prophet, nor any other prophet, after him did so, except the Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustafa.[….] The Christian Church had no alternative but to give currency to the belief in the second advent of Isa. Musa [Moses] and Muhammad were the law-givers, whereas Isa was the follower of the laws preached by Musa.

      Similarities between Muhammad and Musa are many. No two prophets, in historical background, resembled each other more than these two. [….]

      • Shishir says:
        March 14, 2011 at 2:54 pm

        @Aijaz — I am glad that you are not offended by my comments. Your argument is that I’ve only stated my opinion. I beg to differ. I have stated my exact position with regards to revealed religions.Be they Islam, Christianity or Judaism.

        Again I apologize if the following offends you. I do not accept the holy books of these religions as the word of God. These religions were created by men, for fulfilling needs of men living in a certain geographical region, living under certain social-economical conditions. The people all had a shared history, hence the similarity and often concurrence in what they say. It is redundant if Bible, Torah or Quran concur with each other or even that they describe same events.

        I live in India, a country with more diversity than the whole of Europe, and it gives me a unique perspective, which is not to say that you may not possess that perspective, leading me to conclude that certain stories will get adopted, absorbed over a long period of time by people so much so that they may even claim ownership of it. I believe that the history of Islam, Christianity and Judaism are so entwined with the history of middle east that to figure what one has borrowed from other would be a difficult exercise. [….]

        I’d say that Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed were closer to being social reformers than they were “prophets” [….] I can assure you, that if Gandhi, Dr.King, Mandela etc had been born in 500 A.D. they’d have founded major religions too. [….]

  7. Nuno Dias says:
    March 14, 2011 at 7:02 pm

    just dropping again by to say: Wonderful 😉

  8. sa says:
    March 14, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    Lesley, are you a Muslim?…..lets start off with a nice easy one 😉

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 14, 2011 at 10:04 pm

      Maybe read the blog. I’m an agnostic Jew. Firmly agnostic. Firmly Jewish.

      • sa says:
        March 15, 2011 at 4:53 pm

        Sure, But since you submit to a higher Being would mean that you are in a sense a Muslim i.e. one who submits to God. You may not follow the rituals and traditions ascribed to Islam but your principles, I assume, are the one and same and noticeble in your exegesis of the Quran and you can only do that if you have a clean and conscientious heart which the Quran lays as one of its first principles for understanding the Quran.

        • Lesley Hazleton says:
          March 15, 2011 at 5:26 pm

          I’m Jewish by birth, identity, and interest, not by belief, which means I really, honestly, do not ‘believe in’ or submit to any higher being, whether upper or lower case. As close as possible to “a clean and conscientious heart” (and mind) sounds good enough. And a glimpse, here and there, of the mystery of existence.
          So please, just let me be me.
          Maybe see here for more: http://accidentaltheologist.com/2011/01/18/an-agnostic-manifesto-part-one/
          And here: http://accidentaltheologist.com/2011/01/10/the-100th-post-a-non-mission-statement/

      • Chad Tabba says:
        March 15, 2011 at 5:52 pm

        Why won’t people just let agnostic be agnostic. I just hate it when someone wants you to “pick a side”. I hate when people view agnosticism as weak. Or when someone says “I would respect you more if you were atheist or religious than agnostic”. Why is someone’s personal belief such an issue for everyone to interfere with? I think people miss the idea of what a “jewish agnostic” or “muslim agnostic” means. It means that the person is agnostic from a belief standpoint, but from a birth and family event standpoint, they may follow what their culture has them do. Just like americans celebrate Thanksgiving, I would (as a muslim agnostic) celebrate Ramadan and eid, even though I am agnostic from a god belief standpoint. If someone can’t grasp that concept, how will they grasp the concept of gnostic agnostic?

      • sa says:
        March 15, 2011 at 8:04 pm

        Lesley Hazleton, you are you although Agnostic is someone who is doubtful, non comittal to God or not sure whether you are a theist or a non theist, so I was asking. Point made, looking forward to see what you have to say about faith of people who believe in a God.

        Chad Tabba relax , take a deep breath. No one is out to change you or Leslie. Just trying to understand and now I even understand what a gnostic agnostic theist atheist. Who Knew!

  9. sa says:
    March 14, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    Lesley, whats your take on the following verses:

    Surah 4:34

    Surah 4:157 – 158

    Sorry to put you on the spot but nows your chance to really shine 😉

  10. Lesley Hazleton says:
    March 14, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    Re 4:34, its another of those better-if-you-don’t things. I think what most Muslims think: it may have been acceptable for a man to beat his wife in the seventh century; it sure as hell isn’t today.
    Re 4:157-8: I don’t need to be exonerated of killing Jesus by the Quran any more than I need it from Ratzinger. Though the Quran did beat him to it by 14 centuries.

    • sa says:
      March 15, 2011 at 5:11 pm

      LOL, oh come’on Lesley. You know when you read the ayah/verse 4:,34 it makes no sense. I mean first you tell your wife off, and if she still does not listen you leave her bed chamber and then if she still does not listen you beat her? How about BEATING a retreat and not BEAT about the bush and say cya! The Reformist Quran by Edip Yuksel explains some of the questionable interpretations.

      and now to 4:157. You know this is where you make friends or enemies. So you are wise not to answer it. There is only one interpretation of this verse and that is that Jesus was not raised into the Heavens nor was he killed on the cross but made to appear so (no doubt by some gall and vinegar) and ultimatley survived. I can and have been called a heretic for making such remarks nay whole schools that profess have. At least in Judaism, I can still be a Jew and not believe in the Prophets. Oh well I will leave this one for someone who wants to challenge it.

      • Chad Tabba says:
        March 15, 2011 at 6:03 pm

        I think the idea is not trying to interpret specific surahs without knowing the specific context. I don’t understand what “sa” is trying to prove with these questions. Are you trying to give us proof that there are (for lack of a better word) “unsavory” verses in the Koran that may be used out of context (or in context) to be harmful? Lesley is obviously not saying that the Koran is a book from god, but she is just saying that it gets a bad reputation due to a minority of people who take verses out of context and that it is no more violent than other scriptures. I think that for someone who knows the Koran, that point is undisputable. What the Koran says or doesnt say about Jesus (if he existed to start with) is insignificant.

      • sa says:
        March 15, 2011 at 9:31 pm

        On the contrary @Chad Tabba, that is precisely the point. You have to explore the specific context in order to understand the verse. The problem is that certain verses are intepreted by both Christian and Muslim fundamentalists to advance their own violent agenda as Lesley has pointed out. But I would also argue that traditional Muslim thinking supporting the creation theory is also unfounded in the Quran [….] People then believe that AntiChrist is a one eyed monster running around the Earth and that Jesus will come back and battle it. Some Muslim scholars and clergy believe that a great final battle will take place between good and evil. This type of thinking goes against the ethos of the Quran.

        Also I don’t believe that Lesley is saying that the Quran is violent but rather that God in the Quran discourages violence. I therefore disagree with you that the Quran is violent or promotes violence. As a Muslim, I try not to allow the dynamics of a culture dictate my faith only to then have doubts about a God – but each to their own.

        Finally, all major traditional faiths have prophecized about a future Kalki, Soashoyant, maitreya, Messiah, Jesus, Isa. [….] Over 50% of the worlds population follow a faith tradition that is expecting a savior. If all are waiting then this can only be fulfilled in one person who would unite all peoples and he/she does not have to make a grand entrance by dropping in from the sky. It’s quite possible that this savior comes from the people.

      • Chad Tabba says:
        March 16, 2011 at 8:39 am

        Seems you misunderstood me sa. In my comments about “what are you trying to prove” I was referring to you not Lesley. I didn’t see the point in bringing up that first surah. I understand Lesley and what she thinks very well, and she expresses many things I think about too, but expresses them in a very interesting way.
        As for the other surah about Jesus, reading many sources has showed my that the whole idea of death and rebirth of a savior born of a Virgin mother etc. (in any form, and regardless of each religion’s details about how it happened) is an idea that was also there in ancient Egypt even before Judaism. Its more about rebirth of the human soul after the person finds and understands his/her deep self. Whether there was an actual Jesus and the details of when and how he may have died and if he will return are irrelevant. We need to understand the idea behind the story.

      • sa says:
        March 17, 2011 at 4:14 pm

        I was interested to know what her understanding of sura 4:34 was. Just as she explained Sura 2:191 in her speech, which BTW, is also how Islamic scholars have understood these verses to mean.

        Agreed Sura 4:157 is irrelevent to Lesley.

      • hossam says:
        March 27, 2011 at 4:36 am

        @sa
        i am not posting to discuss this but just to make a correction
        4:157-8 says that jesus was not killed and was not crucified and WAS raised by God

      • sa says:
        March 27, 2011 at 8:15 pm

        @hossam, you just did and here is my response.

        No mistake, verse 4:157 does not mean that Jesus was raised in body or soul. It also does not mean that he was slain or crucified but was made to appear as if he was but actually survived.

        5:117 plainly states that Jesus died a natural death.

        3:144 says that all Messengers before Mohammed (SAW) passed away. That would also include the prophet Isa (AS). Abu Bakr, used this verse to convince the companions on the death of the Holy Prophet that he indeed had died just like messengers before him meaning that no one was immortal.

  11. MZ says:
    March 15, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    Hello Lesley,

    It’s your annoying camera-man here. Yes, we finally got it up and working on YouTube. I want to thank you once again for the talk, I heard a lot of good feedback from our community and we really enjoyed it.

    Peace

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 15, 2011 at 12:36 pm

      Hey MZ — thanks for the work! Am amazed and delighted people are watching it. — L.

  12. Nabi says:
    March 16, 2011 at 8:30 am

    Well said Lesley. I enjoyed every minute, even though it did take me two sessions since last night to watch this. I had started taking notes last night on my wife’s laptop but after finished watching it now i decided no to look at those notes but rather comment on just one thing i picked out today and that is when you said not aiming for a perfect future. I personally in my life would rather think of it as not aiming for a Utopia in life where everyone is a perfect muslim but rather aim more for the perfection of truth and justice in human relations. I personally could care less if a person chooses to pray or have an ‘Islamic’ appearance and all the other bells and whistles that go w/ religion. My main concern is that we don’t do the bad/and wrong against each other rather than enforcing the obligatory practices which indeed are only between an individual and God. The prophet was told he was sent to send glad tidings (for the followers) and warning (for the astray) and not to run peoples lives. and not to yearn when they do not accept the correct path because even then only God guides those who wish to be guided.

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 16, 2011 at 8:44 am

      A big ‘Amen’ from the unguided!

      • Nabi says:
        March 16, 2011 at 9:20 am

        I take that ‘unguided’ as sarcasm, because no one is misguided so long as they follow the good that is programed in them. After all isn’t that the object of religion to hone us into following our good instincts?

        • Lesley Hazleton says:
          March 16, 2011 at 9:41 am

          Not sarcasm. Irony.

  13. Ammar says:
    March 16, 2011 at 9:00 am

    We love you Lesley, offcource we have time to see your 50 min video.

  14. Ammar says:
    March 16, 2011 at 9:06 am

    Dont forgot people of Bahrain, they in a new Karbala,
    they need help ….. please

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      March 16, 2011 at 4:08 pm

      I wish we could help. It’s a nightmare there right now.

  15. Cosima says:
    March 17, 2011 at 2:59 am

    Lesley I applaud your efforts. I will always have time to listen to your talks. Your wit and intelligence, thoughtfulness and perceptiveness are a breath of fresh air. Also, I just love your hat 🙂

  16. AJ says:
    March 17, 2011 at 5:53 am

    Thanks Lesley

  17. BF says:
    March 21, 2011 at 3:20 am

    As a muslim – thank you for this vdo. In addition to your excellent insight on Quranic expression and meaning – thank you for your political perspectives.

    Looking at conservatives on both sides of the divide as followers of a similar religion is something I have thought about, but never been able to express as eloquently as you have.

  18. Jesus says:
    March 22, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    [This came in to my spam file, but for the sake of light relief, I couldn’t resist running it. After all, how often do you get email from ‘Jesus@heaven.com’? — Lesley.]

    Jesus was song of God and a Jew, all prophets and even Jesus were Jew, God did not send anybody after Christ…its in word of God!

  19. Sarah Conover says:
    March 28, 2011 at 10:33 am

    Really appreciated the considered talk, Lesley. I like that you opened discourse, rather than shut it down. It wasn’t as if I was left with more questions or answers than before, but I was left with more curiosity. Thank you!

  20. Shahrin says:
    March 29, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    Hello Ms. Hazleton,

    I just wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude for this resonating, and insightful speech. I hope you have tailored similar versions to non-Muslim audiences as well; that being said, I also enjoyed your talk on TED.

    Along a similar vein, as a Muslim college student, I have cast some light in interfaith circles with the intent of enlightening and sharing with others about the dynamics of Islam, as well as its very basic tenets that create its backbone.

    With your positive influence, coupled with inspirational scholars such as the late Edward Said and Karen Armstrong, I have lived gained, in light of Ben Zoma’s teachings, wisdom by learning from all people. This is the kind of plurality that I believe Islam embraces, especially for the imagination (as you referred to in this video). The more I have found myself feeding my soul with discourse, and newly processed information coming from a diverse spectrum, the more Muslim I feel, the closer I feel to the beautiful messages of the Qur’an.

    I’ve recently dedicated myself to writing small pieces, essays to properly establish my thoughts in formal, comprehensive order over concepts and tiers of the Qur’an that I happen to intrigue myself with at a particular moment. I hope that as I continue, I may reach a deeper understanding of my faith. Thank you for being an inspiration, and a contributing catalyst on my religious journey.

    Shahrin,

  21. Lana says:
    April 4, 2011 at 5:51 am

    You inspire me … a beautiful talk

  22. Talia says:
    May 9, 2012 at 9:14 pm

    50 mins! and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. Thank you Lesley! I’m a muslim (the degree of submission or islam, I feel is a very subjective matter but if one has to put a label on it, I think of myself as being quite religious) and that’s why it’s so refreshing to hear someone speak as you do – with the objectivity of the outsider.

    But what I found delightful, in additional to your graceful and inimical style with its wonderful touches of wry humor,was both the empathy and open-mindedness especially as they seem to be rooted in quite a deep well of knowledge which you do not hesitate to divest of its traditional interpretations, and so allow it the flexibility which is its due.

    Dare I say that it reaffirms my own beliefs – which I know is not your intent – but there it is, none the less! Again, thanks!

    Talia

    • Lesley Hazleton says:
      June 2, 2012 at 9:49 am

      Thanks Talia. True, not my intent, but there’s a gentle irony to it that makes us both smile.

Book Award Finalist!

Posted August 23rd, 2010 by Lesley Hazleton

Wow!   ‘After the Prophet‘ is a finalist for the 2010 PEN-USA nonfiction award, official announcement to come September 1.  Am honored and psyched, especially since the paperback is due out September 7, making this lovely timing.

The new paperback cover is on the left, the hardcover one on the right:

I much prefer the new cover.  Mere authors don’t get much of a say on such things, so I have serious reservations about those sand dunes and the ‘barefoot peasant garb,’ both of which are Western stereotypes.  I’d say try walking barefoot on hot sand, but you really don’t want to do that.  And while photographers love sand dunes for obvious reasons,  most of the Middle East desert is either stony, dusty steppe-land or bare, jagged mountains.

Still, I do like the idea, however staged for the camera, of the two walkers going off on separate ways and yet in the same general direction.  It’s a more graphic representation of the split, rather than the somewhat generic another-book-on-Islam feel that I get from the hardcover jacket.   And it seems to convey more of a dramatic sense, raising the question of how come they’re going their separate ways and implying that there’s a tragic story to be told — which is what I did in the book (check out the website here, and the Gallery section of it here).

My friend and IT guru Olivier disagrees, and prefers the hardcover jacket.  What do you think?

Share this post:  Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
File under: Islam | Tagged: Tags: After the Prophet, awards finalist, PEN USA | 11 Comments
  1. kitty says:
    August 23, 2010 at 11:07 am

    bravo and mazal tov, Lesley!!
    I’m delighted for you, well deserved…you of course also deserve to win

    Will there be any festivities? Now that I’m newly arrived in NYC, I could lend my support in person.
    Kitty

  2. kitty says:
    August 23, 2010 at 11:11 am

    oh, and ps — I’m with you on the cover, the new one is much more dramatic, evocative, and somehow symbolic of the deep rupture(within connection) you write about, not to mention much more pleasing aesthetically
    writing this from a wifi cafe in Manhattan, where the langauge around me is Arabic…this on the upper west side; to which this Canadian can only say, God Bless America when she is at her best

  3. Lynn Rosen says:
    August 23, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    Mazal tov times a thousand! Are we allowed to be as excited and proud as yourself?
    Immediately the paper back cover connotes a split, yet a blinding light in between the two souls promising a revelation within the pages of some sort of understanding and denouement. I do prefer it as well. Especially in our era of “show and tell.”
    Congratulations!

  4. Tea-mahm says:
    August 23, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    This is wonderful news, Lesley!
    May you win. And the new cover is elegant and graceful
    Warmly, Tamam.

  5. karin says:
    August 23, 2010 at 2:36 pm

    Fantastic Lesley, all my good thoughts to you for a WIN too! Immediately liked the new cover better, it elegantly conveys the spirit and drama of the story in one quick glance, even if not entirely realistic & stereotypical, and guides the eye better. Yay for YOU!

  6. Nancy McClelland says:
    August 23, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    Great news about being a finalist for the book award — it’s an honor and worth celebrating! I’m with Olivier regarding the book cover, though; the older one is much more attractive, in my opinion, as far as color and contrast are concerned, and it seems to connect history to present in a way the new cover does not. How-some-ever (as my Grandma used to say), I believe the new cover is more modern and will grab more readers who are likely to be in the paperback market. Each cover seems to fit its intended audience pretty well.

  7. charlotte gerlings says:
    August 26, 2010 at 10:02 am

    Hi Lesley,congratulations on being a prize finalist – am keeping my fingers crossed for you to emerge victorious. Like Nancy, I think each jacket is best suited to its hardback/paperback role, though the best promotion of all is to be shortlisted – well done!

  8. lavrans says:
    August 26, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    Congrats Lesley!

    You deserve it- it is a very good read.

    I think it’s downright silly that authors aren’t central to the jacket design of the books they wrote…

  9. eleni oconnor says:
    August 27, 2010 at 6:33 am

    Congratulations! What great news! I prefer the hard cover jacket but only because the new one reminds me of that “when the footsteps disappear jesus is there” thing. And that’s probably a flaw in me and not in the jacket design.

  10. Lesley Hazleton says:
    August 28, 2010 at 9:36 am

    Many thanks all. Since they sent me a letter asking if I’d like to buy tickets to the gala dinner, I gather After the Prophet is not the winner. I’m good that way with subtle cues. Still, finalist is fine(ish).

    Re the paperback v. hardback cover, opinion seems to be running two-thirds with me, one third with Olivier. His comment,: an inscrutable “Hmm.”

  11. Nancy McClelland says:
    August 28, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    As long as Olivier knows that Mark and I are in his camp re: the cover, then it’s okay that we were in the minority. 😉

Stunning “Icons”

Posted May 23rd, 2010 by Lesley Hazleton

What art can do:

gently, provocatively, and in its own way reverently — recreate the sacred.

The image on the right is a devotional poster of Imam Hussein, Muhammad’s grandson, whose death in Iraq in the year 680 became the crystallizing point of the Shia-Sunni split.   While Islam formally frowns on figurative art,  popular Islam throughout the Middle East revels in it.   Markets, kiosks, pavement stores, homes are full of such brightly colored posters.  They show everything from popular shrines to the revered Shia Imams to the horse Muhammad rode on his night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.

The deliberate mirror image on the left is of a contemporary Iranian woman.  What you see here is just a still:   the actual piece is a video portrait, and the woman moves slightly and breathes as the camera runs.  The five-foot high portrait, called “Icon #3.” is part of an exhibit by Iranian-born filmmaker Shoja Azari, running in New York through Friday (details and more info here).

In making this particular image, Azari — the partner of Shirin Neshat, director of the movie “Women Without Men” — was thinking of Neda Soltan, the student killed last June in Tehran during the protests following Iran’s disputed election.  Her image as she lay dying, blood streaming from one eye, from her nose, and from the corner of her mouth, became an instant icon in itself.

I am stunned by Icon #3.   I love the traditional posters and would have included them in “After the Prophet” if Doubleday hadn’t gasped at the expense (you can see a few here), but what Azari has done is give them fresh meaning and relevance.  He honors the iconic images even as he adapts them.

And no, there’s no question of sacrilege.  In fact Azari is solidly in the tradition of Islamic protest.  Iconic images were similarly adapted during the 1979-80 Iranian Revolution, and are still being used in posters of such contemporary political figures as Muqtada al-Sadr, head of Iraq’s Mahdi Army, and Hassan Nasrallah, the Lebanese head of Hizbollah.

If you can make it to the “Icons” exhibit, which for some reason is only up through this coming Friday, I am incredibly envious — for once I wish I was in New York!   And if you go, do please report back here to this envious Accidental Theologist.

Share this post:  Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail
File under: art, Islam, Middle East | Tagged: Tags: After the Prophet, devotional posters, Icons, Imam Hussein, Iran, Shia, Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari, Sunni, video portraits, Women Without Men | Be the First to leave a comment

Order the Book

Available online from:
  • Amazon.com
  • Barnes & Noble
  • IndieBound
  • Powell's
Or from your favorite bookseller.

Tag Cloud

absurd agnosticism art atheism Christianity ecology existence feminism fundamentalism Islam Judaism light Middle East sanity technology TED TALKS ugliness US politics war women

Recent Posts

  • Flash! September 1, 2019
  • “What’s Wrong With Dying?” February 9, 2017
  • The Poem That Stopped Me Crying December 30, 2016
  • Talking About Soul at TED December 5, 2016
  • ‘Healing’? No Way. November 10, 2016
  • Psychopath, Defined August 2, 2016
  • Lovely NYT Review of ‘Agnostic’! July 14, 2016
  • Playing With Stillness June 22, 2016
  • Inside Palestine June 20, 2016
  • Virtual Unreality June 6, 2016
  • The Free-Speech Challenge May 23, 2016
  • Category-Free April 20, 2016
  • Staring At The Void April 13, 2016
  • Sherlock And Me April 3, 2016
  • Hard-Wired? Really? March 22, 2016
  • A Quantum Novel March 9, 2016
  • This Pre-Order Thing March 4, 2016
  • The Agnostic Celebration February 29, 2016
  • The First Two Pages February 23, 2016
  • Two Thumbs-Up For “Agnostic” February 10, 2016
Skip to toolbar
  • About WordPress
    • WordPress.org
    • Documentation
    • Support Forums
    • Feedback