Dear Readers,

A great surprise awaited me when I began writing the story of Muhammad, the last prophet to emerge from the desert landscape that also produced Moses and Jesus. He described himself as "a man among men," an ordinary merchant of Mecca who was visited by the angel Gabriel. After that visit, his entire life was transformed.

In his lifetime Muhammad met with skepticism, opposition, and violence. Becoming the Prophet didn't make life easier but much harder and more confusing. What do you do when god chooses you out of all mankind? That question fascinated me, and I tried to write Muhammad's story from the perspective of a dozen people -- family, friends, devotees, enemies -- to give as many angles as possible on such an extraordinary life.

Ultimately, what drew me to this story was my fascination with the way in which consciousness rises to the level of the divine. Higher consciousness is universal. It is held out as the ultimate goal of life on earth. Without guides who reached higher consciousness, the world would be bereft of its greatest visionaries -- this is the story of a visionary who will surprise readers, as he surprised me, by being much closer to us in spirit than we imagine.

Deepak Chopra

Reviews:

"Combining western scientific knowledge with eastern spiritual wisdom, Deepak Chopra has developed his own unique form of complementary, mind-body medicine. A hugely successful one-man industry with his own California-based Chopra Center for Wellbeing, the Indian-born physician has also made time to write some 49 books ranging from spiritual and medical advice to fiction. "

- U.S. News & World Report

"We know more about Muhammad than any other ancient prophet, but we understand him the least. Until now. As a scholar and storyteller extraordinaire, Deepak Chopra portrays a morally courageous yet highly human messenger of God. Chopra shows that neither revering nor reviling Muhammad will unlock the meaning he embodied. So what will? Chopra's answer is bound to challenge Muslims and non-Muslims alike."

- Irshad Manji, Director, Moral Courage Project, New York University

"Deepak Chopra's Muhammad is a revelation. It succeeds in bringing new mythical light to the story of the last Prophet. Chopra provides a gripping, kaleidoscopic narrative which deconstructs,disentangles and illuminates seventh century Arabia and its transformational figure, the Prophet of Islam. Deepak's pen weaves a timeless tale of mystical consciousness which dazzles the mind and elevates the soul. A must read for anyone who yearns to see with the heart. Muhammad is perhaps Deepak Chopra's most provocative and most inspiring historical novel yet. A masterpiece of literary fiction."

- Salman Ahmad, founder of Pakistani rock band Junoon, and author of Rock & Roll Jihad

"Chopra takes us into the past through the Prophet Muhammad's journey, and brings wisdom and perspective to an often misunderstood figure. His compassionate and clear depiction is a courageous undertaking, and a valuable effort against the enemy of ignorance. An important and timely book, indeed."

- Greg Mortenson, New York Times bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools

"The prophet of Islam has been reviled and caricatured in the West for centuries. No wonder so few people know who he really was or how his life shaped his mission. I am grateful that Deepak Chopra, instead of adding to the often useless pile of biographies, has instead crafted an absorbing novel based on Muhammad's life. Any reader will come away better informed both about the prophet himself and about Islam, the world's second largest religion."

- Harvey Cox, Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, and author of The Future of Faith

"It's worth discovering Muhammad through Deepak Chopra."

- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, bestselling author of Infidel and Nomad

"Compellingly told, this is not only good storytelling, it also helps readers, especially non-Muslims, better understand the complexities and contradictions surrounding Islam."

- Booklist

"[O]ne of the most imaginative and touching biographies of Muhammad..Chopra's grasp of Muhammad's life and mission extends his range in a surprising direction; his popularization is welcome."

- Publishers Weekly

"...an intricate, deeply considered depiction of the Prophet's life. At a time when Muhammad is largely misunderstood outside (and sometimes inside) of the Muslim world, the novel gives

a vivid voice to his story."

- The Daily Beast