Karen Armstrong

Armstrong argues that historically, atheism has rarely been a denial of the sacred itself, but has nearly always rejected a particular conception of God. She suggests that if we draw creatively on the insights of the past, we can build a faith that speaks to the needs of our troubled, polarized world.

Through comparison with other prophets and mystics the author examines Muhammad's spiritual ideas, and uses the facts of his life - from which Muslims have drawn instruction for centuries - to make the tenets of Islam clear and accessible for readers of all faiths.