Many of us have explored various traditions and have come to spiritual awakenings through
many paths. I've found throughout my own life that my biggest awakenings have come
through studying religions, wisdom and traditions that I didn't know anything about.
Yet most of us (unless we were raised Muslim) haven't begun to extract even the
smallest pearls of wisdom from one of the greatest spiritual leaders who ever walked
the planet - Muhammad.

In his latest book MUHAMMAD: A Story of the Last Prophet, Deepak Chopra introduces us to a man who, against all odds, rose above his humble origins as an illiterate orphan. This "man among men" who claimed no divinity himself rose from the ashes to become the prophet who championed the world's fastest growing religion. This book, which follows the historical record, offers a unique perspective and shares the life of Muhammad as never before, putting his teachings in a new light. Deepak does an amazing job at both capturing the historical prophet and showing us why Muhammad's teachings are more relevant now than ever before.

To me, this feels like a particularly important time for this book to come out. As with all of his books, Deepak goes beyond the headlines, the controversy, the fears and the confusion and he provides the perfect antidote to the widespread prejudice that affects Muslims worldwide. He sheds light on the world's second-largest yet most misunderstood religion -- a faith rooted in peace yet so commonly associated with terrorism in the Western world.

So I invite you to explore this gripping and inspiring story of one man's tireless fight for unity and peace. And I hope you take away from it the lesson that I have: All of us, even those who seem to live the most ordinary lives, can be touched by the divine.

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford