Formative Years of Muhammad the Truthful and Honest

The Shūrá Council has approved a project law to prevent demonstrations in houses of worship. The majority of Egyptian political parties and authorities approved the decision, but certain people have expressed their opposition to it.

Khalil Abdel-Karim’s book "The formation period in the life of Mohammed" is still causing controversy. The book claims that Islam is only a repetition of what Mohammed learned from earlier religions and Jewish books. The author argues that this is not the case and says he hopes nobody calls Abdel-Karim an unbeliever or demands that he be killed. He feels it should be handled in a calm manner with a defense of God’s book and by proving it was revealed by Him to Mohammed.

Khalil Abdel-Karim, the author of "The formation period in the life of Mohammed," was a member of the defense team of Dr. Nasr Abu-Zeid. He is a leader in the leftist Tagammu’ Party. He has an intense interest in books raising debates on civilizational heritage. In these books views are presented that Mohammed’s prophetship was not divine. They handle faith in a different way. A way closer to "humanizing" Islam that uses modern methods in analyzing Islamic history.

Islamists are willing to present an accusation to the court to confiscate the book " The formation period in the life of Mohammed " and to have the writer and the publisher investigated on a charge of " scorning religion. The writer of the book said that the book was qualified by historical references and that he had published it after it was inspected by Islamic religious men.

"The formation period in the life of Mohammed" written by Khalil Abdel-Karim caused widespread arguments. Dr. Abdel-Azim Al-Matani of the Azhar University accused the author of harming Islam and disfiguring the Prophet Mohammed. The book claimed that Mohammed imagined receiving the Qur’an from heaven because he had been prepared for this by his first wife and her uncle.

Khalil Abdel-Karim said that his book "The formation period in the life of Mohammed," was historical research relying on a number of traditions about Mohammed’s life before the Qur’an was revealed to him. The head of the [banned] Azhar Scholars Front said that the writer showed no respect for religion, threatened national unity and should bear all the consequences of his crime. He added that he would have responded to the book as historical research instead of calling the author an unbeliever, if the book had used any scientific method.