Book Review: Did Muhammad Exist?

Scholars have for centuries been pursuing clues to “the historical Jesus” — evidence that the religious figure now known as Jesus Christ actually once existed as a real person. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of popular books, documentaries, television programs, magazine articles, research papers, films and more on the search for the “real” Jesus. While this investigation into the ultimate origins of Christianity may have once long ago been controversial, it is by now quite commonplace and accepted as a standard part of religious studies, even when the researchers conclude (as they often do) that the evidence for the historicity of Jesus is skimpy at best.

But no similar investigations have ever been conducted on the historicity of Muhammad (a.k.a. Mohammed, depending on the Arabic transliteration). Why not?

Most people assume that no one bothers to investigate whether or not Muhammad was a real person for the same reason that no one bothers to investigate the reality of other religious founders such as Joseph Smith or Martin Luther or Anton LaVey — because the evidence for their existence is overwhelming, well-documented and unquestioned. Regardless of whether or not Muhammad’s teachings were moral or useful, everyone, even the most hardened infidels, of course accepts that he must have existed. Right?

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David Etzel

Yes, muhammad existed, he was just another pedofile!
- student
  
  The fallen angel had to use someone that really existed. First, the serpent, then Mohammed, next, the anti-christ!
- Evermyrtle
  
  He existed and proclaimed GOD and preached GOD. He abolished idol worship and the killing of baby girls a t birth which was a custom, at that time. These thing mad the people very angry and they sought to kill him.He preached The Ten Commandments. I found no evidence that he believed or preached JESUS CHRIST, or even ever mentioned HIM, but he was not as he is portrayed by the Muslims, today.
  - Vladimir
    
    I saw a sign on a wall in Washington, D.C. years ago that proclaimed that "Allah was the true God and he has no son!". I thought to myself, what a shame, Allah is impotent.
    - Anne Gelinase
      
      All religions or idelogies have a beginning. They are all true so the believers say, so therefore, all are true. no one person can say who God talked to, or who God didn't talk to. No one. It is impossible so if any religion or ideology says somebody was talked to by God, we believe them , don't we? God spoke to Moses, Abraham, Isiah, and others, apparently including Mohammed. So we have many religions who all began by THE WORD OF GOD and somebody was given God's Word, or somebody heard God's Word, but that could be anybody. It may not be delegated to just the ones we have read in the Bible, Koran, or Torah, or any other book that contains the Words of God. God I agree would not make a point of making Jesus Christ "be" without Jesus Christ "being His Son". God could easily have born Mohammed, could he not? We are all GOD'S CHILDREN. God said so. Didn't He.?
  - Del
    
    You are almost correct. He never preached God, he demanded everyone worship God. He stopped the killing of children and made it legal to marry them, then married an 8 year old himself. He believed in Jesus. He insisted that Jesus was a profit from Allah. I am sure Jesus was surprised to hear that. Muhammad used the idea of his god to control his followers and get whatever he wanted in life. Whatever he desired Allah gave it to him. It did not matter who it hurt or what laws of nature he broke.
    If you will read the books you will find that Muhammad was a spoiled child that got his way in everything he wanted. If it was wrong Allah made it right. If it was unnatural Allah made it natural. If you did not like it, tough. Lay your head on the block.
    To quote a line form Mel Brooks in History of the World part 1, "It's good to be king. Now decide, hump or die."
    - Anne Gelinase
      
      That is actually the summary of a dangerous cult. When you take everything from everyone but have it all for yourself, you are now a self-made god. That is what is dangerous about these people who figure out early in their childhood how to control others around them. It is so easy, follow the Moon followers, the James Jones followers, the end of the world followers, the aliens followers, it is the same story, Do as I say, not as I do. That is how Christianity is being twisted here in America and around the world. The same use of Muhammed's ideas on how to change anything from what " it is" to what you want " it to be". It is unbelievable that people follow one person who leads them astrayand is also shocking.
      - Evermyrtle
        
        The following was copied from THE WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA
        
        Mohammed/Muhammad/Mahomet was the Prophet of Islam, and the founder of the Islamic religion.
        
        Mohammed did much for the people he ruled. he founded a new religion, and a new state based on the idea of the unity of GOD and the brotherhood of of man. He especially emphasized the brotherhood of believers in the new faith. Mohammed preached the Ten commandments. He laid special emphasis on the first Commandment-Thou shalt have no other gods before GOD
        
        At 25, he entered the service of Khadija, a wealthy widow. She was 15 years older than Mohammed,, but he later married her. They had two sons and four daughters.
        .
  - Evermyrtle
    
    I have just learned that Mohammed/Muhammed hated our JESUS and worked against HIM as an antichrist. I had said earlier that he preached GOD, which he did do, but it was useless when he fought against HIS SON, in fact it was an abomination to do this. I do not know if this was earlier in his life but by the end he fought against with all vim and viger. Before I thought he was only a heathen but now I know he was a ANTI-CHRIST.
David Snyder

He did exist.Johann Faust is a legendary man who was in league with the Devil,Muhammad was his Arabian real-life counterpart.
msjallen

People fear the name of Jesus more than any other person who has ever lived that claims to be the one who can save you because Jesus Christ is the ONLY one who can save and He is alive and none of those who claim to be better are alive. I would rather serve a living savior than a dead one that is full of false doctrines. Religion is the devil's ace trump and it is religion that will ruin any nation. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with Jesus Christ through His Word, the Bible.
msjallen

Religions do not teach the grace of God for salvation and living the Christian way of life; they have some type of “working” for their salvation and do-goodism to please their god.
Every religion or cult always starts with apostasy just like it did in Jesus’ day.
Elijah and Elisha lived during the worse time of Jewish history – the religions of the phallic cult and idolatry. So many religious people are extracting money from people on TV and in churches. They are the Pharisees of our time. They have nothing to do with the Christian way of life. The truth of the Word of God escapes the religious person.
keyboardshark

Yeah, isn't it funny that skeptics often question whether Jesus existed, even though there is more evidence for His existence than any ancient historical figure you can name, yet they seldom if ever question the existence of Muhammad or other historic religious figures? Well, actually, no, it's not funny, it's understandable that they would attack Jesus, because all the other religions founded by mere men are false, and the fallen, unsaved man feels threatened by the truth of God's Word, the Bible.
- Anne Gelinase
  
  Heartily agree. Dead men don't talk. Christ lives on.
Buck

Of course he existed , he was a prophet of SATAN .
- Evermyrtle
  
  Muhammad was a man, a real man and not GOD. He worshiped GOD and called hi Allah.That is the Arab word for GOD.He, as far as I know never recognized JESUS CHRIST AS THE SON OF GOD. The Arabs are still doing the same today, and it all goes back to Muhammad. They hate JESUS because Mohammad did not accept HIM
Evermyrtle

The reason there seems to be no or little evidence, that JESUS existed it because HIS enemies refuse to believe the proof and throw it out. The evidence it here in everything that you can see or you can touch. Satan is the wild beast raging around the world today, seeking who he may destroy and he has many followers and have destroyed many people who will meet my JESUS CHRIST face to face one day. It may be too late then to accept HIM Satan will join his own in Hell!!

Satan knows the JESUS CHRIST exists and that HE IS THE SON OF GOD. Satan's big problem is that he thinks he will overcome JESUS CHRIST and HIS people and rule in HIS place. He will accept this truth when it slaps him down,
- Anne Gelinase
  
  Satan is clever and right now I would say he is running this country to the ground. It is those who believe in God and Jesus Christ who can overcome Satan. He knows it. So, what are we all waiting for? Let's prove it.
ajfrench

Yes, he was real but had no special powers. He did not have any prophetic abilities. He was just a boy when the state of Islam set him up as their prophet similar to the prophet of Mormonism. They needed a state religion to mesh their many groups into one. So they created a state religion utilizing the tenets of Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism. They called Muhammad the Prophet and then went forward with implementing this religion. Muhammad had no visions, did not do any miracles, he may not even have been intelligent at all as he didn't write the book itself. In the end, Muhammad was murdered by his own people because of his shift after his wife left him. He became angry and wrote the second half of the Koran which is so much of what makes Islam the beastial religion it is today.
http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11

Muhammad is not the problem; the problem is muslims.
Anne Gelinase

The original story about the beginning of the change to muhammed was that they followed everything we believe today and then this young boy appeared with a marking on him probably what they call a "strawberry" today, and they believed he was an omen. They built their story around this boy who became muhammed and he could say die and you would die, he would say kill your mother and you would kill your mother. You get the idea. Once any one person can control a population like that, those who were responsible of holding this muhammed up as an icon to the people, knew back then they could control everything and everyone. You don't follow, you die. You don't believe , you are dead. It hasn't changed since. It is power and control and an idol as it's head. It basically has taken over the God we know and love, and they are a god unto themselves.
Vladimir

The Allah of Islam is not the same as the Christian God (the only true God). Allah is considered so powerful that to call him good is incorrect because that limits him. He is changeable at his whim. There is nothing he can't or won't do if it pleases him. There are no laws that are immutable to him. This concept has stifled creative discovery in the Muslim world, whereas to the Christian, God has created a wonderful universe for us to explore, study and discover hidden truths in mathematics, science, etc. The highest form of scholarly achievement in the Muslim world is to have memorized the Quran. Everything else can be changed at any time by Allah so way seek to discover anything?
- Vladimir
  
  Must advancements by Muslims have been made in spite of Islam, not because of it. Islam is the perfect blueprint for world conquest with it's own financial system, it's own moral code, it's own legal system, rear area population control, it's own ideology (false religion) and warriors that gladly die for the cause for the promise of an eternal brothal membership with an unending supply of virgins no less. "And Allah will make them virgins again and again."
  
  No, Allah is not the true God of the old and new Testaments. Allah is a figment of Muhammad's imagination. A very lucrative and power-accumulating invention for Muhammad and his successors.