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This
sweeping two-hour documentary goes
well beyond the boundaries of the
past. With some of the world's greatest
scholars on Islam providing historical
context and critical perspective,
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
tells of intrigue and faith, revolutionary
ideas and bitter persecution, brutal
war and brilliant diplomacy in an
arid desert where tribal allegiance
was often the only protection.
Muhammad was orphaned as a child,
but he was fortunate to be born
into the powerful tribe of the Quraysh
in the city of Mecca, a regional
pilgrimage site and commercial crossroads.
He became a successful trader based
in this cosmopolitan center and
married a woman who was a wealthy
merchant. Yet as Muhammad prospered
with the city, he saw that the poor
were increasingly neglected and
hedonism dominated the culture.
One day in the desert, while meditating
in a mountain cave, Muhammad was
struck by a revelation that changed
his life and the world. Terrified
by the force of the experience,
he began to recite words that came
to him, words he said were from
God. These messages would continue
throughout the rest of his life.
Unable to write them, he would repeat
them to his growing band of followers
until they became part of their
collective memory. Slowly these
revelations began to form the book
we now know as the Qur'an (or
Koran).
While recounting the story of Muhammad,
a tale that was carefully passed
down as oral history in the 7th
century and subsequently recorded,
the documentary also conveys what
many American Muslims believe Islam
teaches, and how their beliefs shape
their lives. The documentary takes
viewers into the homes, mosques
and work places of some of America's
Muslims to discover the many ways
in which they follow Muhammad's
example and interpret his life and
his message today. |
KQED Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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