Muhammad And The Believers By Fred Donner

Writing about a topic that has been on an upward slope of controversy and criticism within the past two decades, Fred Donner a notable Islamic History professor at the University of Chicago whom has written multiple texts about the origins of Islam, tells the tale of the beginnings of Islam and how it would be shaped into its current manifestation today with Muhammad and the Believers. Donner admirably conveys the early history of Islam and its success to its centrality and “Believers’ Movement” opposed to many western historians accrediting it to the need of social and economic reform. Muhammad and the Believers is split up into five chapters, all of which Donner imparts his main thesis of Islam being a group of believers (mu’minun) opposed

The early believers in the faith were open to other religious groups of Christianity (non-Trinitarian) and Judaism because they accepted monotheism and that “There is no god but God”. The movement was set up more as an ecumenical pietistic cult and it essentially evolved into the arbitrary and exclusive group that it is today a hundred or so years after the death of the prophet Muhammad. Donner points out that in early Qur’anic text a muslim is someone who submits to God as opposed to today’s definition of a follower of the religion of Islam. Another instance of the word definition change is the word islam. Islam early in the Qur’an can be interpreted as “…committed monotheism in the sense of submitting oneself to God’s will.” The modern day definition of Islam is defined as ‘the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the prophet of Allah.’ When one looks at the root of the word and its meaning, it translates to submission as islam and submit to god as aslama. Most of the evidence in the Qur’an that Donner brings forward ‘…suggests that the early Belivers’ movement was centered on the ideas of monotheism, preparing for the Last Day, belief in prophecy and revealed scripture, and observance of righteous behavior, including frequent prayer, expiation for sins

Donner tends to lack evidence to powerful claims; this leaves many at a scholarly level to easily critique the writing. He uses many texts about Muhammad, including the Qur’an that were compiled or written after the prophet’s death, many with an agenda in mind with their fanatical stories of Muhammad. While these invalidities are present in the book, Donner takes note of this and moves around them safely, enough so that it is a popular book that allows many to gain an insight on the world of Islam and its