Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources is an award-winning 1983 biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad by Martin Lings. The book provides a new account of the sira or the life of Muhammad, with details that had not been elaborated in other accounts. It is based primarily on old Arab sources that go back to the 8th century, of which some passages are translated for the first time. It is not contradictory to other accounts but rather offers new insights and new details. The book also includes excerpts from original English translations of speeches by men and women who lived close to Muhammad, heard him speak, witnessed his actions, witnessed the way he interacted with situations and witnessed events he encountered throughout various stages of his life.

“This work is widely recognized as the most readable account of the life of the Prophet to date.”--Times of London

“For those interested in Islam in one way or another, it is mesmerizing.”--Parabola

Scrupulous and exhaustive in its fidelity to its sources, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources is presented in a narrative style that is easily comprehensible, yet authentic and inspiring in its use of language, reflecting both the simplicity and grandeur of the story it tells. The book has been published in 12 languages and has received numerous awards, including acknowledgment as best biography of the prophet in English at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad. 

A revised edition of the internationally acclaimed biography of the prophet

• Includes important additions about the prophet’s spread of Islam into Syria and its neighboring states

• Contains original English translations from 8th and 9th century biographies, presented in authoritative language

• Represents the final updates made on the text before the author’s death in 2005 

Why would a Christian read the Qur’an? To criticize it? To convert to Islam? Many of my Muslim friends want me to read it because they believe the Qur'an is the most important book in the world. 

I don’t want to criticize the Qur’an. My purpose is to invite others on a quest for truth and respect. Far too often Muslims and Christians live in parallel universes. Reading the Qur’an can help build bridges of respect between one other. The Qur’an says “do not argue with the People of the Book except in the best way” (Surah 29:46 Al-Ankabut).

"This can also be very readable to Muslims because it runs smoothly and seems to contain no dogmatic complexities...I like the conclusions especially the ultimate one in chapter 55. I would say, Yes it's perfect for the audience..." Mr. Nadir, Arab author.

"I'm sure that this book will touch the hearts of many people and stir their thinking..." Mr. L, Turkish author and scholar. 

"I congratulate you on having done a thorough evaluation of the Qur’an through the eyes of a Christian. It is a daunting task and your years of working in the Islamic world have given you some good insights and stories to share which do raise many valid questions. These questions should provide some good food for thought for people to think about." Dan Wickwire, author and scholar Middle East.

A landmark new translation of the sacred text of Islam in an elegant deluxe edition

"An eloquent and eminently readable translation . . . much closer to the way the first Muslims experienced the Qur'an."--Reza Aslan, author of Zealot

Literally "the recitation," The Qur'an is considered within the Muslim faith to be the infallible word of God. Tarif Khalidi, the foremost scholar of Islamic history and faith, provides a fresh English translation that captures the startling, exquisite poetry of one of the world's most beloved religious texts. Retaining the structure and rhythms of the original Arabic, Khalidi enlivens the ancient teachings and prophetic narratives central to the Muslim faith and solidifies The Qur'an as a work of spiritual authority and breathtaking beauty.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

" While being faithful to the original, [Khalidi] succeeds in conveying linguistic shifts, from narrative to mnemonic, sermons to parables. And there is an innovative component: it is the first translation that tries to capture both the rhythms and the structure of the Qur'an. . . . This translation manages to give a glimpse of the grandeur of the original. . . . A magnificent achievement."--Ziauddin Sardar, The Guardian (London)

"What sets Khalidi apart from his predecessors is his sensitivity to the sounds and many layers of meaning of the original as well as his skill in conveying them to an anglophone audience...Khalidi's introduction and bibliographic note are marvelously succinct, explaining the textual nature and structure of the Qur'an, its place in Muslim life, and providing a very useful summary of recent research and further reading...a landmark in the history of English translations of the Qur'an."--Ziad Elmarsafy, Times Literary Supplement

One of the unfortunate effects of 9/11 was the misperception that terrorism has divine approval in Islam. Islam Denounces Terrorism thoroughly debunks this notion by looking at both the Qur’an and the historical record. With extensive color illustrations, the book covers such timely topics as Islamic morality, how the Qur’an views war, the real face of the terrorists who act in the name of religions, and much more.

About the Author

Born in Ankara in 1956, Adnan Oktar writes his books under the pen name of Harun Yahya. He is a world-renowned man of ideas. Ever since his university years, he has dedicated his life to telling of the existence and oneness of Almighty Allah, to disseminating the moral values of the Qur’an, to the intellectual defeat of materialist and atheist ideologies, to propagating the real Ataturk way and to defending the permanence of the state and the unity of the nation. He has never wavered in the face of difficulties and despite oppression from materialist, Darwinist and separatist circles, still continues this intellectual struggle today exhibiting great patience and determination.

Until recent times Islam’s holy book has not been widely accessible to the Christian world, and consequently teachings about Jesus have received little attention. In Jesus in the Qur’an, written for both Christians and Muslims, for specialists as well as general readers, Parrinder offers a study of Qur’anic teachings about the birth, life, work, death and resurrection of Jesus. Parrinder explores all ninety-three verses in the Qur’an in which Jesus is mentioned, setting them in the context of the work as a whole and drawing parallels with the Christian gospels, wherever possible.

The Qur'an, a masterpiece of immense religious and literary value, is presented in a convenient, affordable edition for a new generation of readers. The earliest known work in Arabic prose, the Qur'an is divided into 114 "suras", or chapters, containing the religious, social, civil, commercial, military, and legal codes of Islam.

John Medows Rodwell (1808–1900) published his acclaimed translation of the Koran in 1861.

Deluxe GIFT Edition, a Translation of DISTINCTION.

Translation made EASY to Understand. Pure, Simple, Literal and very faithful to the Arabic Text. There are no distracting footnotes,as such no hindrance in the reading flow.

This translation includes the original Arabic text and an eloquent introduction to the Holy Quran. Moreover, it includes an extensive Subject Index, and eighty page Glossary. List of Books of References are also included which were used in this translation.

The team of Muslim scholars who translated this work include the first Muslim woman to translate the Holy Quran into English. This monumental scholarly work is a must for an in-depth study of the Holy Quran. 

Jesus, whom God supported with superior wisdom, is set apart from the other Prophets in several aspects, among them that he spoke even in the cradle, and that he was the vehicle for countless miracles while he was in this world. That his status is different also can be deduced from the fact that he was raised to God's presence and that the Qur'an indicates strongly his second coming. Jesus' second coming is a very great gift of God for all humanity. For the first time ever in their lives, all people alive at that time will see a Prophet of superior human qualities. While reading this book, the reader will come to know of Jesus' miraculous life and realize that we live in a very special time. Given that his second coming will be an extraordinary, miraculous, and metaphysical event that will affect the whole world, all believers should prepare and mobilize to welcome him in the best possible way. All of the signs indicate that the second coming will take place soon, so there is no time to waste.