And God Speaks to Muhammad By Abdul Hamid Okine. New York: Vantage Press, 1998, 212 pp.

Abstract

The author of this book, a graduate in theology and philosophy, gives an
unusual and interesting analysis of the conveying of God's message to
humankind and its final conveyor, the Prophet Muhammad. He focuses on the
Prophet as a person, and how, like previous prophets, he was chosen by God at
an appropriate time. Readers are not taken chronologically through the
Prophet's life; instead, the author examines aspects of the conveying of God's
guidance and, in particular, the relationship between God and His messenger.
Examples of situations in the Prophet's life are carefully compared with similar
situations in the lives of earlier prophets that are described in the Qur'an and
Islamic traditions, as well as in the traditional writings of the Jews and
Christians, such as the Old and New Testaments and the Torah. The result is a
rich combination of psychology, philosophy, history, and geography in seven
chapters, the first five of which begin with a quotation from the Qur'an, pro­
viding the main theme of that chapter.
Communication between God and Muhammad takes various forms, depending
on the circumstances: advice, warning, comfort, or explanation. The verb
"speak" can be interpreted in different ways. As revelation, it is reserved for
God's chosen prophets. However, God also "speaks" to the general population ...