Book: The Life Of Muhammad, Muhammad Husayn Haykal

Boy, did this book take a while to get through. Translated from Arabic, and so possibly a bit dry, this is basically seerah, or a book mapping the life of The Prophet.

Now, I've not read much seerah before so probably can't compare, but I found this to be a pretty good example of the genre anyway. For a single (although long) volume it seemed to generally cover the more important times enough with me only wanting more detail during the rare occasion.

The conclusion at the end acts as a free bonus to the book more than a reflection on The Prophet's life per se. It talks about Islam on a more general level, and introduces some pretty heavy topics. Although I would have also appreciated a more relevant round up of The Prophet's life, it's very much welcome and definitely a part of the book I'll be revisiting.

Much recommended, although perhaps not if it's your first go at finding out about the life of The Prophet. Although accessible to a complete beginner, the length and aforementioned dryness of the book may be offputting to some. It makes a brilliant concise reference too.

(Amazon)