The BBC documentary The Life of Muhammad: Good answers will be a strong paragraph of 5-10 sentences, with specific information from the film.

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON THE LINKED VIDEOS:

1. BBC Two - The Life of Muhammad (Part 1 of 3)

2. BBC Two - The Life of Muhammad (Part 2 of 3)

3. BBC Two - The Life of Muhammad (Part 3 of 3)

1. What challenges did Muhammad face in creating a religious community? Describe them and their implications.

2. What are the various views of the Constitution of Medina presented in the documentary? Summarize the different positions, and the arguments each scholar presents. What are the stakes in these arguments?

3. What would you say is the overall goal of Ziauddin Sardar and Faris Kermani in this episode? What are a couple of secondary goals of this episode? What do you think of the episode overall?

4. What are the implications of Muhammad's marriages, especially to Aisha, presented in the documentary? What specific features of this moral code could be seen as progressive?

What features could be seen as backward? What do different scholars in the film say about Shari'a? What are the stakes in this decision for the future of the religion? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

5. What would you say is the overall goal of Ziauddin Sardar and Faris Kermani in this episode? What are a couple of secondary goals of this episode? What do you think of the episode overall?

6. Write a clear, chronological summary of the life of Muhammad as presented in these 3 episodes.

Viewing Guide for BBC Two The Life of Muhammad, episode 1

Key Terms: Rageh Omaar(host of this series), ZiauddinSardar and FarisKermani (writer and director of this documentary), pilgrimage clothes, declaration of faith/shahada, Ka'aba, ‘just a man,' time, location and political context of Muhammad's birth, clans, Mecca, Muhammad's parents, circumstances of Muhammad's birth, Tariq Ramadan, Danish cartoon of Muhammad, hadith, Qur'an, Robert Hoyland, oral tradition and memory in Arab culture, non-Muslim evidence/Sebeos, Quraysh, jahaliya, Allah, Adam, Ishmael, death of Amina, historical records of Mecca, Petra, experience of the world, Muhammad's experience of marriage, Khadija, Muhammad's children, "ontological anxiety," Jebel Noor, Muhammad's reaction to the first revelation, Tom Holland, "ummi," Ali, Abu-Bakr, Abu Talib, "surrender," prophet/reformer, Ethiopian Muslim community, Public Enemy #1, satanic verses, fatwah, stoic non-violent resistance, ‘year of sorrows,'

Short Answer Questions:

1. What difference of opinion about the nature of Mecca as a trading city does the documentary describe? Outline the argument as presented in the movie and explain what you think about this difference of opinion.

2. What does Abdur-Raheem Green mean when he says Muhammad had "ontological anxiety"? Outline the issue, and respond with your thoughts.

3. What are the debates about illiteracy as presented in the episode? Summarize the different positions, and the arguments each scholar presents. What are the stakes in these arguments?

4. What challenges did Muhammad face in creating a religious community?

5. What controversy over ‘satanic verses' is discussed in the episode? Summarize the different positions, and the arguments each scholar presented on each side. What are the stakes in these arguments? How does this controversy reflect events during Muhammad's lifetime?

Viewing Guide for BBC Two The Life of Muhammad, episode 2

Key Terms: Rageh Omaar(host of this series), ZiauddinSardar and FarisKermani (writer and director of this documentary), Muhammad's night journey, importance of Jerusalem, milk, five daily prayers, stoic non-violent resistance, ‘year of sorrows,' yathrib, the secret agreement, exodus from Mecca/the hijra, Medina, the call to prayer, Bilal/slavery, minaret and role of mosque, fusing of political and religious leadership roles, the constitution of Medina, ummah, verses about self-defense, ‘war is deceit,' attack on Qur'aysh caravan/battle of Badr, direction of prayers/qibla, battle of the trench, Banu Qurayza, "people of the book"

Short Answer Questions:

Good answers will be a strong paragraph of 5-10 sentences, with specific information from the film.

1. What controversy over the nature ofthe night journey is discussed? What are the implications of the night journey? Which scholars comment take which positions? How is it related to the five daily prayers? How is the night journey related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts of the last 100 years?

2. What was the significance of the hijra? Give at least 2 or three significant features and explain them.

3. What are the various views of the constitution of Medina presented in the documentary? Summarize the different positions, and the arguments each scholar presents. What are the stakes in these arguments?

4. What are the various views of the interpretation of Qur'anic verses about self-defense presented in the documentary? Summarize the different positions, and the arguments each scholar presents. What are the stakes in these arguments?

5. What are the implications of Muhammad's changing the direction of prayers presented in the documentary? Summarize the challenges. What are the stakes in this decision for the future of the religion? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

6. What are the various views of the killing of the Banu Qurayzapresented in the documentary? Summarize the different positions, and the arguments each scholar presents. What are the stakes in these arguments?

7. What would you say is the overall goal of ZiauddinSardar and FarisKermani in this episode? What are a couple of secondary goals of this episode? What do you think of the episode overall?

8. What images from the episode are most striking to you? Choose 3 or four and describe them. What confusions or difficulties do you have from the documentary (all three episodes.) Choose three or four and describe them, and explain the nature of your confusion or difficulty.

Viewing Guide for BBC Two The Life of Muhammad, episode 3

Key Terms: Rageh Omaar(host of this series), ZiauddinSardar and FarisKermani (writer and director of this documentary), the experience and nature of revelation, sufi belief and practice, the perfection of the prophet, zikr, "pray and do good," Muhammad's lifestyle, moral code revealed in Medina/Shari'a, Muhammad's marriages, Aisha, limited polygamy in Islam, proving adultery, veiling/modesty, hajj/pilgrimage to Mecca, treaty of Hudaibiya, "peace is better than war," jihadi, "the sword verse," Muhammad's actions upon his return to Mecca, leadership qualities, the farewell sermon, ‘so that you will get to know one another,'

Short Answer Questions:

Good answers will be a strong paragraph of 5-10 sentences, with specific information from the film.

1. What are the implications of Muhammad's moral code as revealed in Medina/Sharia, presented in the documentary? What specific features of this moral code could be seen as progressive? What features could be seen as backwards? What do different scholars in the film say about Shari'a. What are the stakes in this decision for the future of the religion? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

2. What are the implications of Muhammad's marriages, especially to Aisha, presented in the documentary? What specific features of this moral code could be seen as progressive? What features could be seen as backwards? What do different scholars in the film say about Shari'a. What are the stakes in this decision for the future of the religion? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

3. What are the implications of the revelations and practices on veiling as presented in the documentary? What specific features of this moral code could be seen as progressive? What features could be seen as backwards? What do different scholars in the film say about Shari'a? What are the stakes in this decision for the future of the religion? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

4. What are the controversies associated withthe Treaty of Hudaibiya, the term jihad,and the ‘sword verse,' as presented in the documentary? What do scholars say about the controversy? How persuasive do you think the commenters are? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

5. What are the main points the farewell sermon as described in the episode? What do scholars say about the sermon? What do you think of the sermon? Why do you think the documentary spends time on this topic?

6. What would you say is the overall goal of ZiauddinSardar and FarisKermani in this episode? What are a couple of secondary goals of this episode? What do you think of the episode overall?

7. What images from the episode are most striking to you? Choose 3 or four and describe them. What confusions or difficulties do you have from the documentary (all three episodes.) Choose three or four and describe them, and explain the nature of your confusion or difficulty.

8. Write a clear, chronological summary of the life of Muhammad as presented in these 3 episodes.