Review by Choice Review
The authoritative biography of Muhammad, written by Ibn Ishaq in the mid-eighth century, originally contained a lengthy prolegomenon constituting a richly detailed pre-Islamic history. Most of this material was excised from the standard recension of the work, but Newby has been able to reconstruct the greater part from extensive quotations by Muslim authors, particularly al-Tabari (early tenth century). The phrasing of the title may be somewhat misleading, but the concept of the "making" of the last Prophet adequately represents Newby's focus on the way the stories of Biblical and pre-Islamic figures are made to foreshadow or illuminate aspects of Muhammad's life. For many readers, however, the stories themselves, in Newby's very readable translations, will be of primary interest. The notes and introduction make the material accessible to the general or undergraduate reader. Yet students of bibilical lore might have preferred more detailed references to aggadic parallels or studies, and scholars involved with Arabic literature may note there is not much critical notation and that Arabic names and terms are inconsistently edited. Newby's demonstration of the way that Islamic authors used--even continued--Christian and especially Jewish traditions is an important contribution to the study of Muslim historiography. S. Ward Yale University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
