I am not really very convinced of this thesis about a believers' movement, but I do love Dr Donner's book on the Islamic conquests. I dip into it a lot, and have read it from cover to cover three times. I prefer it to Hugh Kennedy's, I think.

Donner says the word Mu’min is used about 1,000 times in the Qur’an, while in fact it is only used 202 times.

The idea presented here of early Islam as a kind of monotheistic revival movement rather than a distinct religion, more or less aligns with Oswald Spengler's take on Islam in his work The Decline of The West, where he sees the emergence of Islam as a kind of zealous reformation movement within what he calls the "Magian civilization", in which Muhammed represents the same kind of character as a Martin Luther or an Oliver Cromwell. On a completely different note, though, Jason Reza Jorjani has a fascinating, albeit highly speculative take on the origin story of Islam, in which Salman the Persian plays an instrumental role. In short, Jorjani views the creation of Islam as an intelligence operation in order to create a mercenary army with which to overthrow the Sassanid Empire on behalf of the old Parthian royal houses. The army of angels that allegedly helped the muslims defeat the Persians according to Islamic mythology, was really an army of Parthian green clad knights, according to Jorjani's theory.

Why his hair is blue?

What does Fred Donner believe in? Is he a muslim or a christian, or an etheist, or a hindu or a budhist or even an an agnostic?

sam gerrans a muslim also believes this

The so-called “Constitution of Madinah” must be authentic and very very old because Donner wants it to be so.

Muhammad was either a true prophet of God, or he was a false prophet who claimed to speak God's Words. In the Book of Numbers chapters 22-24, there is the account of a certain prophet named Balaam during the reign of Balak king of Moab. Balak required Balaam to come to him and curse the Israelites who were arrayed before him. Balak offered him a great finanacial reward if he did curse Israel Balaam went, but as he went Yahweh (the Lord God) told him that he was not to go with the messengers of Balak. You can read the story. Then, God said you may go but you will only say what I tell you to say. So God put words in Balaam's mouth and those words are very majestic and specific, and intriguing. Balaam prophesied 4 times but only to bless. After this event, Balaam remembering the offer of Balak finally went to him and told him how he could overcome Israel. He did this for money. Even though the words Balaam uttered were from God, Balaam is called a false prophet by later prophets of God because he went after money and arranged for the Israelities to succomb to Moabite women. Balaam was thus responsible for leading Israelites away from God. It is here we must take note of what Moses says in Deuteronomy chapter 13 - When a prophet claims to be speaking in the name of God, but that prophet later leads the people away from the Lord God to other gods (idolatry), then that prophet is a false prophet and was at that time to be killed for his rebellion. Moses also gives another instruction about false prophets. This can be found in Deuteronomy chapter 18. This time he says that when a prophet speaks in the name of God and the thing he says does not come to pass then he is to be considered a false prophet and is not to be followed. This passage in Deut 18 is Islam's strongest evidence that Muhammad is spoke of in the Bible. Seeing Muslim scholars claim that Muhammad is spoken about as the prophet like to Moses, we have every right to examine every word that he said God told him to say - which is supposed to be all the Qur'an, and measure it against the warnings given by Moses. Muhammad claims to have ben taken to Jerusalem and see the Mosque there and from there to ascend into heaven and receive the command to pray 5 times each day. This command is one of the main parts of the Islamic faith. There was no Islamic Mosque in Jerusalem in the years that Muhammad was a prophet. The Islamic mosque was not being built till very late in the 7th century and not finished till the early 700 AD. Muhammad did not see a mosque in jerusalem before his death, and could not have ascended into heaven and received any command from God at that time while he was supposed to have ascended. Seeing this word is from Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet - messenger, then Muhammad is a false prophet who leads astray many people, and Allah is not to be believed. The Qur'an is not infallible.

When he lies, his eyes don’t even blink! He says Islam and Muslim in the Qur’an do not mean what they came to mean later. What is the evidence? Nothing. Just Donner’s whims.

Another deception to mislead people! The Quran tells us that Islam is the Religion and the only Religion acceptable by God. His claim is contrary to what our Holy Book teaches. For instance: the Quran says: ... الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ... This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor to you. I have approved Islam to be your religion. (As for) he who does not intend to commit a sin but is constrained by hunger to eat of what is forbidden, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (5:3) Also: ... إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam ... (3:19) Yet he thinks that Islam wasn't a religion at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)!

What a liar. He doesn't know anything about a prophet Muhamed in Mecca year 570 - 632.