The Wisdom of the Prophet: The Sayings of Muhammad

In his lifetime, the prophet Muhammad was viewed more as a wise sage (favored in the eyes of God, albeit) than as a saintly figure beyond worldly concern. The reason is evident in the pages of Wisdom of the Prophet, a selection of passages from the Hadith that record Muhammad's sayings and actions. Anyone wishing to understand Islamic spirituality or seeking a holy path of one's own can turn to passages such as "God is kind and loves kindness, and grants to kindness what is not granted to harshness," or "There are five kinds of martyrs: One who dies of plague; one who dies of a disease of the stomach or intestines; one who drowns; one who is crushed in a collapsing building; and one who is martyred in the way of God." Some passages are not exactly crystal clear, however, and one is not sure if something has been lost in translation or if they are simply in need of a little cross-cultural commentary. For instance: "[T]he Hour will not take place until two parties fight each other with one and the same aim." Nonetheless, the themes of charity, faith in God, service, and fairness stand out, and make The Wisdom of the Prophet a good entry into the richness of Islam. --Brian Bruya