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The First Muslim
- The Story of Muhammad
- Narrated by: Deepti Gupta
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
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The First Muslim
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Publisher's Summary
Muhammad's was a life of almost unparalleled historical importance, yet for all the iconic power of his name, the intensely dramatic story of the prophet of Islam is not well known. In The First Muslim, Lesley Hazleton brings him vibrantly to life. Drawing on early eyewitness sources and on history, politics, religion, and psychology, she renders him as a man in full, in all his complexity and vitality. Hazleton's account follows the arc of Muhammad's rise from powerlessness to power, from anonymity to renown, from insignificance to lasting significance. How did a child shunted to the margins end up revolutionizing his world? How did a merchant come to challenge the established order with a new vision of social justice? How did the pariah hounded out of Mecca turn exile into a new and victorious beginning? How did the outsider become the ultimate insider?
Impeccably researched, Hazleton's narrative creates vivid insight into a man navigating between idealism and pragmatism, faith and politics, nonviolence and violence, rejection and acclaim. The First Muslim illuminates not only an immensely significant figure but his lastingly relevant legacy.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-04-25
Great Book but Poor Narration
The writer has an amazing way to unfold stories. But the choice of narrator could not be any worse. Specially in citation of Arabic names and places, it sounds like there is an inherent racial hate she has towards arab nations and Muslims at large! Very disappointed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Noman
- 2023-03-27
Was wonderful listening to it
Highly absorbing and fascinating account of key historical events. A great learning indeed . A must read book indeed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ua89
- 2021-04-19
Uninspired Performance
If you've never felt conflicted about an audiobook, this would be your opportunity to experience it firsthand.
The book itself is phenomenal. Lesley Hazelton's approach to providing an immersive understanding to a well sought-after, dynamic and an undeniably influential individual (Muhammad PBUH) revolutionizes the literary scope in this genre.
The disservice most certainly lies with the performance depicted by Deepti Gupta. The auditory experience is littered with mispronunciation (both English and Arabic), monotones and my personal pet peeve - the run on reading.
I have decided to buy a copy and read it for myself as, like I said, the book itself is phenomenal.
Hope to have a better experience with my next one!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- moataz
- 2020-09-26
brilliant
Loved the approach. rational & on point. very detailed it's nice to hear an unbiased perspective
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Robert Horan
- 2017-06-18
Can't get past the narrator
What disappointed you about The First Muslim?
Ms Gupta's accent and strange inflections are so distracting that I am unable to recommend this book.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amer
- 2019-06-28
excellent sorry - terrible narration
great story, shows extensive research was done. unfortunately the narrator has a very heavy Indian accent and failed to practice the pronunciation of all extremely important words. Alalahouakabar was pronounced Allahouakhbar. Moawia was pronounced Moavia and many more. a simple practice on the correct pronunciation would have avoided these trebled mistakes!
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Martin Andraszek
- 2017-03-26
Good story, narration...
This is an excellent book concerning the life and times of Muhammad. It was far more detailed than I expected, and I appreciate that.
The authorship is excellent. However, there are portions of the book that are taken word for word from Hazelton's Life After the Prophet. The re-telling of the stories are fine and stated correctly, but I would think that Hazelton could have changed some of the verbiage around the stories a little. I'm being pretty picky here.
The narration was a little off-putting. The woman performing has kind of a news reporter from the 1980s vibe about her. I'd describe it as a bit of up-talking at the end of long passages. Again, I'm being picky.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tulipsaki
- 2020-08-13
Narrator is terrible
Narrators should know how to pronounce the names! These people are important to Muslims, and names are important. What is wrong with audiobook producers?
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ANSAAR R.
- 2020-05-07
Worst narration ever
Well researched/written story with the worst narration. Ms. Gupta would’ve done well to at least learn some basic pronunciations of the names. Rushed, misplaced inflections. Poor attempts at dramatization. Buy the book and read it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Saira Wasim
- 2019-10-02
Iam so disappointed in the narrator
She has made no effort in trying to pronounce an!y words names historical sites properly. There is no dearth of good narrators. She has no passion and her accent is so heavy. Kindly please try and select a better narrator . Good God she is awful
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vincent M. Maysee
- 2019-02-06
excellent reading
As a student of history and Islam, this narrative of a book I have been planning to read is nothing. short of oustanding!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- F Shaw
- 2019-01-19
Interesting speculations
I learned a lot from this book. I knew little about the life of the actual man, Muhammad. It is pretty fascinating history. The author told in a psychological way that I sometimes found really irritating, where the author assumed knowledge of how Muhammed or other people actually felt when such and such happened. Otherwise, I would have given it a higher rating. don't know why some reviewers couldn't get used to the narrators accent. I thought the narrator has a beautiful voice. I would like to learn more about this historical period in the Middle East.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- ME
- 2017-09-11
Lacks any credibility - Not objective by all means
So self opinionated. Lack any rationale on judgement. By all means, it is not worth the time to waist on listening to more than second chapter. Waist of time..
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Crys H
- 2017-03-24
Another Fantastic Hazelton Book!
Lesley Hazelton's books are phenomenal reads and even greater listens...as she richly provides incredible historic detail and personal accounts steeped in painstaking research.
If I had one complaint here-- is that Hazelton has spoiled me with her other books. The others were read by Hazelton, the author, and her voice and tone are like no other. Hypnotic at times. I only wish she had read this most important book as well. The reader does a fine job. But nothing compares to that deep rich voice of Hazelton doing her own work with the subtleties, pride and perfection it deserves.
If u have any interest in this subject, Islam or the central characters and actions of the time frame that formed this ideology--this should be added to your list of MUST READS...along with "After the Prophet" by Lesley Hazelton.
Two exceptional books.
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1 person found this helpful