Twenty Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad

Rating:
Summary: A non-objective book that presents another view of Islam
Review: Ali Dashti is by no means a scholar and this book proves this point. This book is not a biography of Mohammad as it claims, but a book presenting a different view of how Mohammad and Islam emerged. Thus, when choosing to read this book, the reader should first have a background on Islam and the life of Mohammad, and use this book to get an opposing view on the issue.

Clearly, as a biography this book is missing significant amount of well known and critical information. Also, as a scholarly work, it leaves a lot to be desired. His reasoning and documented notes are flawed or non-existent.

The value of this book is in the fact that it provides an opposing view of Islam which is very much lacking, yet needed for a free thinking community. As such, this is a gutsy book which in my opinion will help in promoting free-thinking in the Islamic community even-though it will most likely promote hate in non-Moslem readers.

This book provides ample ammo to those who want to discredit Islam although without sound proof or reasoning. But, note that Ali Dashti equally refutes Christianity and Judaism.

Rating:
Summary: The best biography of Muhammad ever written
Review: Ali Dashti was a gentleman and a scholar. Born in a Shi'ite area of Iraq, he returned to his native Persia after completing a traditional religious education. He had an active political career (serving in the Mossadeq cabinet, for example) and also published many scholarly works on Persian poetry.

This book is his attempt to deal with the phenomenon of Muhammad, and the Islamic religion he created. Most Westerners are not really aware that Persians are NOT Arabs. Persians speak an Indo-European language (Farsi) while Arabs speak a Semitic language (closely related to Hebrew). As a result, many educated Persians/Iranians view the Arabs as barbarian invaders, comparable perhaps to the Mongols, while it is widely known that Persia is one of the most ancient civilizations on the planet.

On the whole, I think Dashti deals with Muhammad fairly. Of course, this was an extremely dangerous book to write, and he didn't really get away with it, in the end. The 83-year-old Ali Dashti was dragged to Khomeini's dungeons and beaten or tortured, giving up the ghost two years later. It is a remarkable thing: beating an 83-year-old man because you disagree with his thinking.

My own historical researches make me ask: is there any more reason to believe in Muhammad than in Joseph Smith? (Joseph Smith is the "prophet" who founded the Mormon religion.) Or were these two men basically living the same old story, separated by 1300 years of history?

Highest recommendation!!

Rating:
Summary: An All Time Classic
Review: The late Foreign Minister of Iran 'Ali Dashti was a leading politician and classical scholar in that country. His book 'Twenty Three Years' is one of the all time classic religious biographies. It probably ranks with Fawn Brodie's 'No Man Knows My History' as one of the two best of the 20th century. After the events of September 11, 2001, Americans have suddenly awakened to the reality of Islam. Many prefer the path of political correctness, and for them 'Ali Dashti will be of no interest whatever. But for those who value candor and scholarship, who really want to know what the prophet Mohammad taught and practiced regarding the use of violence, the answer is carefully documented in this book. Admittedly the author gets quickly lost when he wanders from his chosen subject. Christian people will certainly wonder why he holds to the discredited theories of Ernest Renan regarding the origins of our Faith. But otherwise 'Ali Dashti is "A Plus". Unfortunately there was a price to be paid for candor about the prophet Mohammad, and 'Ali Dashti died after being tortured in the Evin Prison in December 1981.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating View of an Interesting Historically Relevant Man
Review: While fundementalist Muslims in Iran could silence Ali Dashti's voice and still his heart, they failed to supress his words. Dashti evidently put a lot of careful heartfelt thought into his volume "Twenty Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammed". If you've become dreary and nauseated from reading inflated proselytizing puff pieces on the life of Mohammed, founder of the Islamic religion, then what a treat this book will be! Dashti is cautious and considerate in his handling of issues touchy within the sphere of Shi'ia Islam. He is clear in communicating whether something is from a specific source, opinion, or theory.

With this volume, Dashti took the courageous step of looking at Mohammed as a human: capable of mistakes, capable of anger, capable of being unjust, as are any of us. This perhaps, is what kindled so great a rage in the men who imprisoned him and tried to obliterate his words. I wouldn't call Dashti anti-Islamic, for I found nothing suggesting he was trying to destroy Islam, not a speck of evidence that he was trying to promote Atheism in the stead of religion. However, I am not surprised that unreasonable forces who disagreed with his point of view felt so threatened by his words. It can be a dangerous task, sorting out the facts--especially if those facts disagree with popular opinion, or the version supported by people who are more powerful and can make your life tough. Or take your life away.

Make a fundamentalists eyes bug out, make an Ayatollah's face turn red--buy and READ Ali Dashti's book. Keep the idea alive and appreciate the freedom to have ideas that are forbidden to so many others.