“Muhammad literally sweated with the effort to bring peace to war-torn Arabia, and we need people who are prepared to do this today. His life was a tireless campaign against greed, injustice, and arrogance.

Another word that Armstrong decodes is jahiliyyah, what the Prophet called the prevailing spirit of his time. “Muslims usually understand this to mean the ‘Time of Ignorance,’ that is, the pre-Islamic period in Arabia. But, as recent research shows, Muhammad used the term jahiliyyah to refer not to an historical era but to a state of mind that caused violence and terror in seventh-century Arabia.”

The author argues that jahiliyyah is “also much in evidence in the West today as well as in the Muslim world.”

Useful read.

How does the leader of the free world handle cope with his work pressure? Apart from bizarre gaffes such as the recent one about Nelson Mandela, Bush Yoga by Daniel Cota ( www.bloomsbury.com ) could be the answer. The book begins with tadasana, in a section on standing poses. “Commander-in-Chief on deck! I want you to take your feet together with your arms to your sides like you’ve got yourself two brand-new pistolas. Then just stand there, chin up, and think about your favourite horse,” is Bush-speak spoof with an accompanying photo of the prez-toy in combat fatigue. Seated poses start with sukhasana. “Ah, the Xbox pose. I do love this pose!”