The First Muslim

The Story of Muhammad

By: Lesley Hazleton

Narrated by: Deepti Gupta

Muhammad's was a life of almost unparalleled historical importance, yet for all the iconic power of his name, the intensely dramatic story of the prophet of Islam is not well known. In The First Muslim, Lesley Hazleton brings him vibrantly to life. Drawing on early eyewitness sources and on history, politics, religion, and psychology, she renders him as a man in full, in all his complexity and vitality. Hazleton's account follows the arc of Muhammad's rise from powerlessness to power, from anonymity to renown, from insignificance to lasting significance. How did a child shunted to the margins end up revolutionizing his world? How did a merchant come to challenge the established order with a new vision of social justice? How did the pariah hounded out of Mecca turn exile into a new and victorious beginning? How did the outsider become the ultimate insider?

Impeccably researched, Hazleton's narrative creates vivid insight into a man navigating between idealism and pragmatism, faith and politics, nonviolence and violence, rejection and acclaim. The First Muslim illuminates not only an immensely significant figure but his lastingly relevant legacy.

©2013 Lesley Hazleton (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This book offers a welcome chance to read [Muhammad's] life story in a more familiar and accessible form than the Islamic sources.... The First Muslim succeeds. It makes its subject vivid and immediate." ( The New York Times)

The narrator

Liked listening to the context but not the narrator as she didn’t pronounce many Arabic words correctly. More effort could have been put to ensure that.

What a Great Book

I finished this book last night. I like it very much.
Biography of Prophet (PBUH) in a social context from birth to death. How he gradually grew up. He won the hearts of people by overcoming many tyrannies and adversity.
He established Islam, established justice, and law. He united all the tribes.
A lot of information is told about his married life.
About the tribal society of that time, the role of Mecca, and much other valuable information.
A wonderful book.

narrated beautifully

great audio book I liked everything about the book and will listen to it again

Good story, narration...

This is an excellent book concerning the life and times of Muhammad. It was far more detailed than I expected, and I appreciate that.

The authorship is excellent. However, there are portions of the book that are taken word for word from Hazelton's Life After the Prophet. The re-telling of the stories are fine and stated correctly, but I would think that Hazelton could have changed some of the verbiage around the stories a little. I'm being pretty picky here.

The narration was a little off-putting. The woman performing has kind of a news reporter from the 1980s vibe about her. I'd describe it as a bit of up-talking at the end of long passages. Again, I'm being picky.

Wonderful Account of an Extraordinary Life

Because I have a deep affection for history and Religion, I wanted to read this book to learn of yet another account of the Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) Life.

The author tells the story from a relatively objective position, constantly acknowledging the limitations of her account.

I highly recommend this book.