Customer Reviews

Twenty Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad

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While fundementalist Muslims in Iran could silence Ali Dashti's voice and still his heart, they failed to supress his words. Dashti evidently put a lot of careful heartfelt thought into his volume "Twenty Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammed". If you've become dreary and nauseated from reading inflated proselytizing puff pieces on the life of Mohammed, founder of the Islamic religion, then what a treat this book will be! Dashti is cautious and considerate in his handling of issues touchy within the sphere of Shi'ia Islam. He is clear in communicating whether something is from a specific source, opinion, or theory.

With this volume, Dashti took the courageous step of looking at Mohammed as a human: capable of mistakes, capable of anger, capable of being unjust, as are any of us. This perhaps, is what kindled so great a rage in the men who imprisoned him and tried to obliterate his words. I wouldn't call Dashti anti-Islamic, for I found nothing suggesting he was trying to destroy Islam, not a speck of evidence that he was trying to promote Atheism in the stead of religion. However, I am not surprised that unreasonable forces who disagreed with his point of view felt so threatened by his words. It can be a dangerous task, sorting out the facts--especially if those facts disagree with popular opinion, or the version supported by people who are more powerful and can make your life tough. Or take your life away.

Make a fundamentalists eyes bug out, make an Ayatollah's face turn red--buy and READ Ali Dashti's book. Keep the idea alive and appreciate the freedom to have ideas that are forbidden to so many others.

Although I had the sense throughout that 'Ali Dashti was tempering many of his scholarly conclusions to suit the easily outraged, his text still comes across as blisteringly blasphemous. It is not surprising that 'Ali Dashti "disappeared" in his home country of Iran when considering the unorthodox approach he takes by interpreting much of the Qur'an as a product of the Prophet Muhammad's psychology. While Dashti doesn't explicitly renounce Islam, he vigorously attacks precepts which he sees as hideous relicts of the age the Prophet Muhammad lived. While other biographers of the Prophet, especially those writing to proselytize, might be expected to gloss over the Prophet's assassinations, mass slaughters of prisoners, and otherwise Machiavellian behavior Dashti puts it to the light. But at the same time, he doesn't neglect to mention the more positive aspects of the Prophet's personality while attempting to cut through the underbrush of the deification of the Prophet. All in all a refreshing read, though certainly one would do well to read several biographies in comparison.

The late Foreign Minister of Iran 'Ali Dashti was a leading politician and classical scholar in that country. His book 'Twenty Three Years' is one of the all time classic religious biographies. It probably ranks with Fawn Brodie's 'No Man Knows My History' as one of the two best of the 20th century. After the events of September 11, 2001, Americans have suddenly awakened to the reality of Islam. Many prefer the path of political correctness, and for them 'Ali Dashti will be of no interest whatever. But for those who value candor and scholarship, who really want to know what the prophet Mohammad taught and practiced regarding the use of violence, the answer is carefully documented in this book. Admittedly the author gets quickly lost when he wanders from his chosen subject. Christian people will certainly wonder why he holds to the discredited theories of Ernest Renan regarding the origins of our Faith. But otherwise 'Ali Dashti is "A Plus". Unfortunately there was a price to be paid for candor about the prophet Mohammad, and 'Ali Dashti died after being tortured in the Evin Prison in December 1981.

This book indeed is a great read and for anyone who is interested in an honest evaluation of Muhammed and his Islam, please read this brave work!! If you want some sycophant rubbish that only paints Muhammed as some kind of benevolent social worker, please go read Karen Armstrong or John Esposito!

This book tells the good and bad qualities of Muhammed in a restrained fashion and yet whilst reading this book, one cannot help but be touched by the fact that this brave soul Mr. Dashti, was tortured to death by the very menace he was criticising....Islam!!

One would hope that Tony Blair and Pres. Bush would have this book on their night stand......perhaps it would cure them of this politically correct nonsense that Islam means peace!

Mr. Dashti died according to Islamic teachings that he rightly rebuked in his tome her........after all, any Muslim that leaves Islam as per the Sahih Hadiths is to be executed!

We need more brave writers like this chap!!

I cannot help but recommend this book highly!!!

Devon Hill

A bold & courageous but factual analysis of the Prophet's life & career. The over-venerated man's life has been clouded over with exaggeration and too much allusions of grandeur by his loyalists to the point of approaching ludicrity. This book steers readers back to a down-to-earth assessment of Muhammad,his styles and manner,as well as the chief product of his exertions-the Qur'an -with warts and all! A Very well documented Book with good linguistic and textual references. This book is well worth reading with Dr.William Campbell's "The Qur'an and the Bible in the Light of History and Science" (also available from Amazon.Com!).

The Ali Dashti's masterpiece is an excellent account of Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
By referring to the Koran itself, he demonstrates the absurdity of many claims made by Muslims. What impressed me more was his referring to grammatical mistakes in Koran, it seems that God didn't know much about Arabic at that time, ;-)
This book is a must for Muslims

This book was written by an honest man.
As there are very few honest men who write
books about Muhammad, this book is certainly
helpful for people who want to know the truth
about the prophet of Islam. Sadly, the honesty
of this brave author cost him his life. This
is typical behaviour of Muslims and this book
will explain how Muslim terrorists are emulating
their prophet Muhammad.

The author lays out the facts of Muhammad
and how gullible and illiterate his followers
were. The author also explains how Muhammad
attracted so many followers and how his
"revelations" (the Qur'an) depict his
frustrations, anger and turbulent life.

Although this book is very damning and
rubbishes Muhammad's prophetic claim, it
is invaluable to the brave Muslim reader
who wants to know the truth about his
leader.

It also lists Muhammad's ungodly behaviour,
e.g. when he ridiculed a blind man
who was interested in Islam and how
he ordered the assassination of a poetess
who ridiculed him. This is just the tip
of the iceberg.

It is definitely of great value to my
brothers and sisters in Christ who are
involved in dialogue with Muslims. Remember,
pray before you engage in such action!

A rare book to find that covers the militant and political parts of the life of Mohamed in such controversial and evocative way. I've enjoyed reading this non-traditional book more than once, yet still it contains some unauthentic information. For example, the prophet order to kill one of the scriptures when he found out that the prophet forgets and changes some verses of the Quran is taken from the biography of Iraqi, which is unauthentic. Another thing that really surprises me how Dashti claims and argues for some language errors in the Quran stating that there are missing pronouns, incomplete sentences, grammatical errors, ... yet it's obvious that he has a very shallow knowledge of Arabic language. For example, he was wondering how could God refer to Himself with first, second and third person, which shows how weak his knowledge of Arabic language. In other words, how could I criticize the language and the grammatical structures of the gospel of Mathews in Aramaic if I lack basic knowledge of such language? It's obvious that he borrowed such arguments from other sources, which he did not state, that he was not able to verify them on his own.

The author shows a very good command of using and supporting his arguments with Quranic verses, reflecting new insight on Prophet Mohamed. Like the verses which he quoted supporting his argument that the prophet was going to compromise with the polytheists. But still the book tells one half of the story. For example, all the stories about the Jews of Medina and how prophet Mohamed dealt with them are missing a lot of important details.

The book is surely a unique and eloquent work, which stands on the top of other books written by Muslim apostates such as the writing of Mohamed Ibn Zakria al Razi and the Zomroda of Ibn al Rawendy.

A bold & courageous but factual analysis of the Prophet's life & career. The over-venerated man's life has been clouded over with exaggeration and too much allusions of grandeur by his loyalists to the point of approaching ludicrity. This book steers readers back to a down-to-earth assessment of Muhammad,his styles and manner,as well as the chief product of his exertions-the Qur'an -with warts and all! A Very well documented Book with good linguistic and textual references. This book is well worth reading with Dr.William Campbell's "The Qur'an and the Bible in the Light of History and Science" (also available from Amazon.Com!).

As a Muslim, I was taught Islamic Studies in school. Why was this book not on the reading list since it is objective and yet respectful? We need to see both sides of any religion, even Islam. Hats off to you Mr Dashti, may you rest in peace.