A forced Muslim convert defies all odds to become the supreme ruler of an empire that stretches from Egypt to Persia in this drama that pits Arab against Arab during the Muslims' rise to power in the seventh century A.D. Mu'awiya is the son of the most vehement foe of the Prophet Muhammed, and amid the treachery, war, and political intrigue that follow the Prophet's death, Mu'awiya embarks on a 30-year odyssey to redeem his family's name and realize his ambition to be a leader in the new order. This gripping novel exposes the inner workings of a movement whose conquests rivaled those of the Romans and whose influence on modern-day life spans the globe.