This short book is an absolute must read everyone to understand the origins of Islamic belief and its originator Muhammad. I had not been able to put together all the reading I had done on the subject into a coherent and complete picture until I read this book. It is, from what I can tell, an objective recounting of the historical facts surrounding the 23 years Muhammad spent creating and promoting Islam. It also illuminates how the Quoran was created from a historically linear perspective over time. This is very important, since the Quoran is, according to Ali, not in Chronological order. Perhaps most important, it brings in the context of the Quoranic verses, telling what was happening in and around Muhammad when they were spoken. The Quoran is the spoken words of Muhammad. Islam is being true to those words. The meaning of the verses can be ambiguous out of context. The meaning is closely attached to the events that elicited their being spoken by Muhammad. Ali seems to have done thorough research to fill us in on those events and circumstances.
This book attempts to be objective and factual and mildly judgemental. This is a difficult point of view to find when reading on the subjects of Islam, Muhammad, and the Quoran, no matter who the writer is.
This small book is Must reading for anyone, no matter whether their beliefs are in Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, any other religious beliefs, or none - agnostic. There are comparisons to those other beliefs that illuminate them as well as Islam itself.
I found that reading this book has given me a clear perspective to understand today's events involving Islam and the interaction of its followers with all of the rest of humanity. I wish I had read it earlier.

Dashti was 83 years old when he was beaten and killed by the religious revolutionaries who overthrew Reza Pahlevi, the Shah of Iran. His fault was to write a book that refused to attribute to Mohammed any supernatural and semi-divine feats/status, thus drawing the ire of the fundamentalists. This book is not at all an attempt to discredit the Koran and Mohammed's prophetic claims. It is mildly rationalistic and yet supportive of Mohammed. I have several problems with Islam, briefly mentioned and described in the book:
a)the abrogating and abrogated verses
b)grammatical inaccuracies
c)Mohammed's sex life
d)The existence of genies
e)The presence of mundane issues in the Koran
f)Literalism
g)Tribal religion and not universalistic enough