Download GABRIELI,F Muhammad and Conquests of Islam

Study of the Prophet Muhammad
(p.b.u.h)
Critical issues
Aims of session
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To identify the issues raised concerning nonMuslim, Western studies of the Prophet
Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)
To consider the ways that scholars have
identified the wider context for such studies.
Gabrieli, F. (1977)Muhammad and Conquests
of Islam London: World University Library.
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Muhammad in history- although ‘he stands in
the full light of history, is as difficult to grasp
and evaluate in historical reality as are those
two other great founders, Buddha and
‘Jesus.’(1977, 7)
tradition of exaltation
Tradition of denigration
More objective modern views
Tradition of Exaltation
Human but venerated
 Supernatural events, qualities and capacities –
‘isma = immunity from error
 metaphysical and mystical primordial being
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“So the memory of the historical person of the Meccan
merchant, and of the able and realistic head of state of
Medina, is lost on the one hand in the speculations of a
mysticism wholly foreign and unknown to him, while on
the other hand it materialises in the most naive beliefs
of popular piety.”(Gabrieli, 1977, 11)
Tradition of denigration
Judgment of medieval Christianity
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Heretic, sexually immoral, epileptic
Blasphemer – denied divinity of Christ
Muhammad for the Latin Middle Ages = ‘a false
Prophet of the lusts of the flesh, preacher of a
vile heresy, and render of the seamless
garment of the universal Church.’ (Gabrieli,
1977, 15)
Modern Historical View
From 18th century interest develops
 19th century dominated by reductionist
accounts
 Twentieth century more scientific
Buhl – genuine nature of prophetic inspiration
Watt – methodological revaluation of tradition
‘shows how far the West has come from the
hatred of the Middle Ages, towards a more just
and sympathetic appreciation of the Prophet of
Islam.”(Gabrieli, 1977, 21)
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Standard version of the Prophet’s
life (Rippin, 1990)
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570
610
622
624
625
627
629
630
632
Birth in the year of the elephant
Revelations begin
Hijra - move to Yathrib
Battle of Badr
Battle of Uhud
Battle of the Ditch
Treaty of Hudaybiya
Return to Mecca
Death of Prophet
Watt, W.M ‘Muhammad’ in Holt, P.M. (1977) The
Cambridge History of Islam. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
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‘For the occidental reader there are grave
difficulties in attaining a balanced understanding of
the historical role of Muhammad.
Expectation concerning the nature of a religious
leader
May not be free from inherited prejudices
Historical problems in the study of remote periodsfact and legend
Difficult to date or interpret historical material in
the Quran
Rodinson,M. A Critical Survey of Modern Studies on
Muhammad’ in Swartz, M.L. (1981) Studies on Islam.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Comments on Watt’s works: methodologically
important
‘He has taken the sources seriously, analyzed them,
and formulated his conclusions with great
sharpness and clarity. Taking as his point of
departure the great Muslim biographies… The clear
and direct way in which he formulates his
conclusions on the various events of the Prophet’s
life, the confident fashion in which he employs his
conclusions, has appeared to some to indicate an
exaggerated confidence in the reliability of these
latter.’ (Rodinson, 1981, 46)
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Rodinson, M. A Critical Survey of Modern Studies on Muhammad’ in
Swartz, M.L. (1981) Studies on Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- comments on his own biography
‘Attempted to show the relationship between the
eschatological visions of the early preaching of
Muhammad and the international political situation
of that period. Taking the sociological correlations
of his preaching as established, the author
attempted to show how a personal, psychological
evolution shaped Muhammad into an instrument
capable of formulating and communicating an
ideology that corresponded to the needs of the
time and milieu.”(Rodinson, 1981, 50)
Khan, A. ‘Muhammad as object and
subject’ in Studies in Religion 1978.
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Tendency of West to focus on Muhammad as the
founder and prophet (birth- occupation- qualitiesmission- man of God)
“This simple and basic account… is at best a
sketch of Muhammad seen from outside Islam, and
can hardly be accepted as a complete or true
picture of Muhammad as understood within
Islam… These pictures… blur Muhammad’s full
significance … even though they are based on
historical certainty.”(373)
Khan: Object - subject
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Need to move beyond ‘Muhammad’ as an
‘object in history’ to see as a ‘subject for belief’
This way of seeing Muhammad escapes notice
‘because traditional Islamic thought and the
Shari'ah have not been eager to promote the
idea of Muhammad as a subject for belief.’
Khan: Muhammad
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as the model of moral perfection: ‘Exemplar
characterizing the human form that is perfectly
oriented towards the divine essence.
“blessing for all people: universal mission to
transform all to ‘self at peace
‘the archetypal man: the spiritual Muhammad
in perfect harmony with the Divine, symbol of
the Islamic vision of human life
Rippin, A. (1990) Muslims, Volume 1. The
Formative Period. London: Routledge.
‘The biography of Muhammad has served a
number of important functions in Islam, each of
which has coloured it in crucial ways.
- the framework for the revelation of the Qur’an
- As a source for the sunna of Muhammad
‘the summary of the life of Muhammad as
presented here is fraught with difficulties and
insoluble problems.”(Rippin, 1990, 34)
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Rippin: The mythic dimensions of
Muhammad’s biography
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“The overall effect is to create a picture of both
Muhammad and the Muslim community in its
‘pristine’ form; this means that the picture
which emerges, and the impulse behind its
composition, is a normative one- this is a
picture of how the Muslim community should
be, projected back into the times of its founder
who has been described in mythic
terms.”(Rippin, 1990, 35)
Rippin: Problem of non-Muslim
critical studies
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“It has often been commented that while
Muslims may think those who deny the
existence of God or who utter blasphemies
about Him are misguided, such discussions will
not offend in the same manner in which
discussions over Muhammad will. Those who
insinuate evil of Muhammad or who cast
aspersions on him are considered to be
insulting Islam.”(Rippin, 1990, 40)
Sharifi,H. (1) Biographies vary
in quality and understanding:
- knowledge of original Arabic sources
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different socio-cultural backgrounds
Depth of knowledge of Islam and the life of the prophet
Ability to respond to the metaphysical and theological
aspects of Islam
Motives when dealing with the phenomenon of ‘prophet
‘A Muslim Assessment of Books on the Life of the Prophet
Muhammad’ in Ashraf, A. (ed.) (1986) Resources for the teaching of
Islam in British Schools. Cambridge: The Islamic Academy. pp. 25-43.
Sharifi (2): Motives of author
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‘most importantly, in their different motives
when dealing with the rare phenomenon of a
“Prophet”. Basically, it is this last point which
determines the approach of the author, gives
him direction and colours the conclusions the
author would like his readers to draw from the
biography.” (1986, 25)
Sharifi (3) Criteria for assessment
1. Nature of objectivity in dealing with:
i.
the historical nature of the Prophet’s life
ii. The Prophet’s function
2. Quality of discernment- must understand
what prophethood means and accept this
dimension
3. Awareness of the main aim of Religious
Education - phenomenology
Sharifi (4) Problems
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Lack of objectivity
Claim of Jewish, Christian and pagan impact
Subjective reconstruction of historical events
Distortion of facts
Misunderstanding the phenomenon of
prophecy
Reductionist attitudes
Sharifi (5) Lack of objectivity
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“The orientalists who came first to deal with Islam
and the Prophet doubted the reliability of the
traditional sources with the excuse that the piety of
an earlier time was mostly responsible for
producing them.”(1986, 29)
Ïn Watt’s book on the life of the Prophet it is
difficult to find any description of the Prophet or an
event which, despite being based on traditional
accounts, is not twisted or mingled with personal
comments and interpretations beginning with
words such as “perhaps” or ‘it is probable,’
etc.”(1986,30)
Sharifi (6)Objectivity – expectation
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“What we ask from Western scholars like
Andrae and Watt is to give evidence for such
personal and subjective interpretations and the
twisting of facts if they claim any objectivity in
the context of a western scientific approach.
Secondly, if they are reluctant to rely on
traditional accounts in describing a case like
the above, is it objective to rely on their own
personal views as a base for an historical
description?”(1986, 31)
Sharifi (7) Phenomenon of Prophet
“None of the writers of this group has understood
the Prophet of Islam properly. Even when
praising him, they do it out of their purely
human
perspective
considering
his
administrative talent or his statesmanship. A
Prophet is himself the norm, and if one wants
to understand a prophet one is in need of a
metaphysical knowledge and a profound
religious insight.”(1986, 38)
Sharifi’s thesis:
Questions and responses
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How far do the criticisms represent criticisms of
the Western approach to the study of religion
rather than weakness in biographies?
Consider each of the problems in your
response to this question: (slide 4.)
Bibliography
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Gabrieli, F. (1977)Muhammad and Conquests of Islam London: World
University Library.
Khan, A. ‘Muhammad as object and subject’ in Studies in Religion, 1978.
Rippin, A. (1990) Muslims, Volume 1. The Formative Period. London:
Routledge.
Rodinson, M. A Critical Survey of Modern Studies on Muhammad’ in
Swartz, M.L. (1981) Studies on Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Sharifi, H. ‘A Muslim Assessment of Books on the Life of the Prophet
Muhammad’ in Ashraf, A. (ed.) (1986) Resources for the teaching of
Islam in British Schools. pp. 25-43. Cambridge: The Islamic Academy.
Watt, W.M ‘Muhammad’ in Holt, P.M. (1977) The Cambridge History of
Islam. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.