Muhammad in the Modern Egyptian Popular Ballad

This volume is a fascinating, interpretative study of the life of the Prophet Muhammad as depicted in the repertoire of fifty-one contemporary Egyptian singers. The repertoire is extremely diverse and ranges from narrative ballads, classical odes, and Qur'anic chantings, to melodies of the secular songs of well-known Egyptian singers. The 'people's' Muhammad appears as both a commanding figure, empowered by the supernatural, and a touchingly vulnerable human being, and provides this study with excellent material for its discussion of a subject that has not received much serious scholarly attention to date.