---
product_id: 13818629
title: "When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam Paperback – March 21, 2015"
brand: "michael philip penn"
price: "€ 69.44"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.nl/products/13818629-when-christians-first-met-muslims-a-sourcebook-of-the-earliest
store_origin: NL
region: Netherlands
---

# When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam Paperback – March 21, 2015

**Brand:** michael philip penn
**Price:** € 69.44
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam Paperback – March 21, 2015 by michael philip penn
- **How much does it cost?** € 69.44 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nl](https://www.desertcart.nl/products/13818629-when-christians-first-met-muslims-a-sourcebook-of-the-earliest)

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a Must Read!
*by L***I on January 30, 2017*

This is a gem. A very interesting fact was pointed by the author in the introduction: In the first two centuries of the existence of Christianity, if you added up all the non-Christian references (by Greek or Latin historians and commentators) to Jesus Christ and the religious movement that was forming around his legacy, you would have a few pages. In contrast, if you take all the Sryiac writings about Mohammed and the religious movement that was forming around his legacy from the first two centuries after Mohammed's life and career, you would have hundreds of pages. That is incredible, though not surprising. This collection of translations of comments made by Syriac Christians who were witnesses to the birth of Islam is an absolute gem. If you are interested in the origins of Islam and the history of Christian/Islamic relations, this book is a must-read. Michael Philip Penn had a brilliant idea when he decided to do these translations. His work will benefit everyone who wants to broaden their perspective on the earliest era of Islamic history. What Pliny the Younger, and Flavius Josephus, and Cornelius Tacitus, and Suetonius, and Lucian of Samosata are to the historical study of early Christianity, these Syriac writers are to the historical study of early Islam. What a delight, and a treasure, to have a collection of writings from such an early period of a world-changing movement from a perspective outside that movement! This collection of translations is by no means complete, according to the author. He thinks they are the most important and most informative. But they are a fraction of that "hundreds of pages" of comments on the movement started by Mohammed by Syriac Christians. It amazes me that there is such a wealth of information about Islam from outside Islam, and that it survived. Again, it is staggering when compared to the relatively gaunt (yet massively significant) writings about Christianity by non-Christian Greek and Latin writers. Please, by this book and donate it to your local library. This is a treasure chest of rare perspectives on world-changing events. If you only read ONE historical book in the next ten years, please read this one. Wouldn't you love to read a book by Iroquois authors who were writing about the Pilgrims? Wouldn't you love to read a book by Aztec authors who were writing about the Conquistadors? Wouldn't you love to read a book written by Canaanites in Jericho where they talked about the Hebrews and their God Yahweh? History is not always written by the victors. In this case, it is written by the subjugated and the conquered. That dynamic alone, apart from its relevance to early Christian/Islamic relations, makes this the rarest of the rare historical gems. It is amazing that this collection is just now coming out, at this point in history. How are all these things not already translated and compiled and widely distributed as are all the early non-Christian comments on Christianity? Evidently Islam has not been studied and combed over with as fine a comb as its fellow Abrahamic faith. I really do hope you read this book, whether you are Christian or Muslim or not a person of faith. Whatever your beliefs are, history is history; testimony is testimony. It may be true, it may be false. It may be honest, it may skew the facts. It may be impossible to tell whether or not it is a reliable testimony. But that is beside the point. The testimony must be heard. You decide whether they a villains or victims. You decide whether those who spoke are bigots or brothers. But please do listen to what they have to say. I wish some archeologist would dig up a library somewhere where there was this much talk (whether it's gossip or gospel) about the origins of Christianity, or of Buddhism, or of Hinduism, or Ba'al worship. If you have any interest in history or religion, this will be your favorite find of the year. Thank you, Professor Penn, for this wonderful contribution to historical literature.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very interesting
*by S***L on March 22, 2025*

This Book is very enlightening

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a good book. I agree with A
*by J***E on April 12, 2016*

This was a good book. I agree with A.J. though, on his review points, however I must also admit I read most of A.J.'s papers available on academia so I may be a bit biased. Overall though it was a good read and great for someone getting started in this subject area.

## Frequently Bought Together

- When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam
- Envisioning Islam: Syriac Christians and the Early Muslim World (Divinations: Rereading Late Ancient Religion)
- Invitation to Syriac Christianity: An Anthology

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*Product available on Desertcart Netherlands*
*Store origin: NL*
*Last updated: 2026-01-25*