From then on, he wrote constantly. For Muslims, his masterpiece was Muhammad: His Life Based On The Earliest Sources (1983), for which he was decorated by Zia al-Haq, then president of Pakistan. In 1939, Lings went to Cairo, Egypt, to visit a friend who was an assistant of René Guénon. Soon after arriving in Cairo, his friend died and Lings began studying Arabic. Cairo became his home for over a decade; he became an English language teacher at the University of Cairo and produced Shakespeare plays annually. [5] Lings married Lesley Smalley in 1944 and lived with her in a village near the pyramids. [6] Despite having settled comfortably in Egypt, Lings was forced to leave in 1952 after anti-British disturbances. [7] Lings in 1948. Contains original English translations from 8th and 9th century biographies, presented in authoritative language Symbol & Archetype: A Study of the Meaning of Existence (1991, 2006), Fons Vitae Quinta Essentia series, ISBN 1-870196-05-8 The revelation of denouncing Zaid Bin Harsa from the name of Muhammad as his son to pave the way to marry his ex-wife.

Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources ( Islamic Texts Society, 1983) ISBN 978-0-946621-33-0 (World-UK edn) / ISBN 978-1-59477-153-8 (US edn) In 1983, the book was selected as the best biography of Muhammad in English at the National Seerat Conference in Islamabad. This book was also given "National Seerah Award" by the government of Pakistan. [14] [15] [16]He married with the wife of Zaid Bin Harsa because he was impressed with the beauty of the wife this influenced Zaid to divorce her. Asma Asfaruddin (July 1996). "Review: [Untitled] Reviewed Work: Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings". Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 30 (1): 65.

In 1944, Lings married Lesley Smalley, and their home in a village at the foot of the pyramids provided a refuge for both Egyptian and foreign visitors. The highlight of the year was Lings's annual production of a Shakespeare play. His passion inspired the student cast, one of whom became an Egyptian film star. His understanding of Shakespeare's spiritual significance led, 40 years later, to his book, The Secret Of Shakespeare: His Greatest Plays Seen In The Light Of Sacred Art.

Article contents

This book is not a melodramatic or emotional account of the Prophet Muhammad. For that, you have to look elsewhere. It is instead a beautifully composed account of the Prophet Muhammad based directly on some of the earliest sources to the Prophet Muhammad including Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd, Waqidi, Azraqi, Tabari, and Suhayli. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources is a 1983 biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad by Martin Lings. I read the The Sealed Nectar - the most authentic biography of Prophet Muhammad - and now after reading this biography I can only say that writer couldn't do justice with the so much profound personality and many missing key facts and inaccurate accounts of some the aspects of life of Prophet Muhammad. The Secret of Shakespeare: His Greatest Plays Seen in the Light of Sacred Art, Quinta Essentia, Cambridge, 1996. His contribution to Shakespeare scholarship was to point out the deeper esoteric meanings found in Shakespeare's plays, and the spirituality of Shakespeare himself. More recent editions of Lings's books on Shakespeare include a foreword by Charles, Prince of Wales. [11] Just before his death he gave an interview on this topic, which was posthumously made into the film Shakespeare's Spirituality: A Perspective. An Interview With Dr. Martin Lings. [12] Books [ edit ]