Companions of the Prophet - Book One

From the publisher

From the rich Islamic heritage. True and inspiring stories of sixty Companions including outstanding women.

These books provide a lively introduction to early Muslim history and inspiring models for Muslim values, attitudes and behaviour.

Here the trials and triumphs of the early Muslims as individual men and women are well-portrayed. Their various paths to Islam - sometimes direct, sometimes long and tortuous, their devotion to the noble Prophet, their hope in God and in the life to come, their endeavours in peace and in times of hardship and struggle - all serve to cast them in a heroic mould.

The Sahabah or Companions of the Prophet helped to lay the foundations of a new world order and it is fitting that they should be more widely known.

These two books are based on original Arabic sources and contemporary writing on early Muslim history.

Review:

The Companions of the Prophet is an excellent choice

Every household should have this book and read it too.

“Show, don't tell,” my journalism professors have taught me. “Write in a way that people can feel, see and experience what you're writing about.”

When it comes to Islamic books in English nowadays, things are much better than before. The days of importing horrible translations of Islamic books in English, replete with grammatical and spelling errors are virtually gone, Alhamdulillah. While that initial effort was necessary and appreciated, a new generation of young Muslim writers from

North America and Europe is slowly emerging, producing both fiction and non-fiction for Muslims.

AbdulWahid Hamid's book Islam the Natural Way was the first time I encountered a book about Islam that addressed me as a young Muslim in an intelligent manner, knowing where I was coming from, and avoiding the dry, rhetorical preachiness I found in so many other writings. But if you enjoyed Islam The Natural Way, Companions of the Prophet is in many respects, even better. After all, what more desirable way to understand and learn about Islam than to read about those people who were its embodiment?

I haven't read all of Companions. However, even reading a chapter or two makes you want to continue.

What I like about the writing is that, like in Islam The Natural Way, it is not formal, difficult to understand, or preachy. It is a straightforward narrative, that not only gives you the information, but hits you where you need it the most: your heart.

Take for instance the story of Muadh Ibn Jabal. Not only did I get a description of his physical appearance and the circumstances of his conversion and service to Islam, but I could literally see him in my mind. I could visualize his last meeting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and cry as Muadh cried when parting for a mission to Yemen and the Prophet said to him:

"O Muadh, perhaps you shall not meet me again after this year. Perhaps when you return you shall see only my mosque and my grave."