The Quest of the Historical Muhammad and Other Studies on Formative Islam

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By employing methods similar to those used in biblical scholarship, the lead essay explores the historical figure of Muhammad, revealing that our understanding of him and the origins of Islam is less comprehensive than that of Jesus and early Christianity. The book also features four republished essays addressing topics such as the Qur'an's classification as a late ancient biblical apocryphon, the connection between the Jerusalem Temple and the Holy House in the Qur'an, and the eschatological themes present in early Islamic tradition.