German-Egyptian Scholar Hamed Abdel-Samad Analyzes The Psychology Of The Prophet Muhammad

In one of a series of online lectures, German-Egyptian scholar Hamed Abdel-Samad analyzes the personality of the Prophet Muhammad, whose biography, he says, is "held captive in a prison of unwarranted over-sanctification and glorification." Abdel-Samad, who suggests that "there can be no reform or cleansing of the [Islamic] heritage until we rid Muhammad and the Quran of this sanctity," describes the Prophet Muhammad as a human being who was driven by human motivations and urges. "Did he have marital problems? Psychological problems? Some illness? We don't know," says Abdel-Samad, suggesting that Muhammad's revelations reflect "the psychology of a sick and rejected man, an outcast." The lecture was posted on the Internet on June 24, 2015.