The first history of the formative phase of Islam to be grounded in important non-Islamic as well as Islamic sources, this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand Islam as a religion and political force, the modern Middle East, and the jihadist impulse, as evident today as it was in the 7th century. Few events have been more decisive for the history of the world than the preaching of Muhammad and the subsequent expansion of his followers. After this book they will never seem the same again.