Understanding Muhammad (Paperback)

~ Ali Sina (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Why are some Muslims intolerant, violent and supremacist? Why do they bully? What spurs them to riot and murder over the silliest things? To understand Muslims, one must understand their prophet. This psychobiography seeks to unveil the mystery of the prophet of Islam. Historians tell us Muhammad used to withdraw to a cave, spending days wrapped in his thoughts. He heard bells ringing and had ghostly visions. He thought he was demon possessed, until his wife reassured him he had become a prophet. Convinced of his status, he was intolerant of those who rejected him, assassinated those who criticized him, raided, looted, and massacred entire populations. He reduced thousands to slavery, raped, and allowed his men to rape female captives. All of this, he did with a clear conscience and a sense of entitlement. He was magnanimous toward those who admired him, but vengeful toward those who did not. He believed he was the most perfect human creation and the universe's raison d'être. Muhammad was no ordinary man. This book ventures beyond the stories. Focusing on the "why" rather than the "what," it unravels the mystique of one of the most enigmatic and influential men in history. Islam is Muhammadanism. Muslims worship and emulate Muhammad. Only by understanding him can one know what makes them tick. Understanding Muhammad begins with a brief history of his life. Muhammad had a loveless childhood. He then passed to the care of relatives who took pity on him and spoiled him. As the result he developed narcissistic personality disorder, a trait that made him a megalomaniac bereft of conscience. Muhammad believed in his own cause. Even when he lied, he felt entitled and justified to do so. Thanks to another mental illness, namely temporal lobe epilepsy, the prophet of Islam had vivid hallucinations he interpreted as mystical and divine intimations. He also suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, causing his fixations on numbers, rituals and stringent rules. In the addition, he suffered from acromegaly, a disease caused by excessive production of a growth hormone resulting in large bones and odd facial features. The combination of his psychological disorders and his unusual physiognomy made him a phenomenon that set him apart from ordinary people. His uneducated followers interpreted his differences as signs of his prophethood. Like devotees of all cults, they rose to champion his cause with dedication. By defying death and butchering others they made Islam the world's second largest religion, now the biggest threat to world peace. The author argues that Islam is incompatible with democracy and human rights, and the only way to avert the clash between barbarity and civilization, and a world disaster, is to expose its fallacy and demystify it. "Muslims must be weaned from Islam for humanity to live in peace," says Ali Sina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Felibri.com (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980994802
• ISBN-13: 978-0980994803
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #221,681 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth shall set you free, May 22, 2008

By	Douglas Noel Adams (Pune, India) - See all my reviews

Ali Sina is uniquely qualified to write a book on Mohammad. He is an Iranian ex-Muslim, who grew up in orthodox surroundings, and underwent the same brain washing that every Muslim does. In his youth, he read the Islamic literature extensively and was filled with revulsion at the violence inherent in the Koran, the immorality of the Hadiths and the general venom which these books spew towards non-believers. He apostasized, and left his country for good, settling down in Canada.

Now he runs a website called faithfreedom.org bringing the truth about Islam to the entire world. There is also a testimonies section in his website, where ex-Muslims share their experiences of Islam.

With this book Ali Sina joins the league of Ibn Warraq, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Robert Spencer in bringing the truth about Islam to a wider audience. Islam has survived on misinformation and repression. Throughout its 14 centuries of violent history, criticising Islam was a risk you could undertake only at the cost of your life. Now internet has enabled us to remain anonymous critcs of this ghastly cult. The veil has been lifted, now its only a matter of time before the cult of lies collapses like a pack of card. This scourge has troubled the world 20 times as long as communism and claimed 50 times as many lives, along with destroying advanced civilizations like Persia, Egypt and Mesopotamia, besides wiping out Buddhists from India and killing and subjugating millions of Hindus. Islam's decimation will come not a moment too soon, whenever it comes. And yes, I have a gut feeling that it will be within the next few decades.

41 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant psychobiography of Muhammad.., July 25, 2008

By	Infidel (Texas) - See all my reviews

I have read many, many books about Muhammad and Islam trying to understand why the followers of this "religion" are so hateful, intolerant and perpetually angry. Why was Muhammad so cruel, manipulative, domineering and apathetic? How did he amass so many followers completely willing to stop thinking rationally and allow themselves to commit horrible atrocities? How is it that after 1400 years the attitudes haven't changed? This is by far the best information available.

Dr. Ali Sina is a former Iranian Muslim who operates a website called faithfreedom.org to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims about the dangers of following this cult. His book explains in depth the very likely psychological and physical problems suffered by Muhammad. The most obvious being Narcissitic Personality Disorder or NPD. Defined by DSM as a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and sense of entitlement. Often individuals feel overly important and will exaggerate achievements and will accept, and often demand, praise and admiration despite worthy achievements. Other criteria such as being obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence; interpersonally exploitative; devoid of empathy; arrogant;constantly envious are all descriptors of Muhammed. What is worse is that this personality disorder seems to have been bequeathed to his followers througout it's existance and we are seeing it in abundance today.
Other issues like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder help explain why Muhammed was obsessed with illogical rituals such as abulution before prayer for example:washing of nostrils by sniffing water into them three times, wipe whole head with wet hand once, wipe inner sides of ears with forefingers and the outer sides with thumbs, wash two feet up to the ankles three times beginning with the right. Other rituals include:how to make yourself pure after having sex, touching a dog, how and with what to wipe after defecating etc..and how these rituals are mandated and still performed by todays Muslims.

Sina also details the physical aliments most likely suffered by Muhammed like Temporal Lobe Epilepsy that perfectly explains why Muhammed believed he was being visited by Gabriel and numerous other characteristics and behaviors. I cannot possibly list them all.

Also of importance is the comparison of Islam with other cults and their leaders especially Jim Jones of the infamous Jonestown. This is particularly helpful in proving Muhammad as nothing more than a dangerous cult leader.

The information in this book is endlessly reasearched, factually accurate and from the Islamic sources themselves. Disregard all the negative reviews of this book and books like it from people who claim it is false, taken out of context, or misleading. When pressed, they never, ever are able to list one example of how the information is misleading. It is a clever attempt to keep the non-believers in the dark and is even in the Quran. Do not fall for it any longer. I encourage the reader to pass along the information gained from reading this book and continue to educate yourselves to the truth about Islam.

40 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good information but poorly written, June 17, 2008

By	J. Kingan (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ali Sina is a brave man, and he make some interesting observations about the various mental illnesses and pathologies Muhammed exhibited. Unfortunately he isn't a very good writer and the book is a bit repetitive. Having said that, I do think this is a very important book and should be read by anyone who wants to understand the danger we face from this cult masquerading as a "Religion of Peace".

If people weren't so afraid of Islamic bullies in academia, we would see more analysis of Islam's fairly sordid origins.

It's pretty clear from the Mohammedans who wrote reviews here, they didn't read the book, nor will they, because they aren't allowed to.