Critical issues

1
Study of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h)

• Critical issues

2
Aims of session

• To identify the issues raised concerning
  non-Muslim, Western studies of the Prophet
  Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)
• To consider the ways that scholars have
  identified the wider context for such studies.

3
Gabrieli, F. (1977)Muhammad and Conquests of
Islam London World University Library.

• 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

4
Tradition of Exaltation

• Human but venerated
• Supernatural events, qualities and capacities
• isma immunity from error
• metaphysical and mystical primordial being
• 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)

5
Tradition of denigrationJudgment of medieval
Christianity

• 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)

6
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)

7
Standard version of the Prophets life (Rippin,
1990)

• 570 Birth in the year of the elephant
• 610 Revelations begin
• 622 Hijra - move to Yathrib
• 624 Battle of Badr
• 625 Battle of Uhud
• 627 Battle of the Ditch
• 629 Treaty of Hudaybiya
• 630 Return to Mecca
• 632 Death of Prophet

8
Watt, W.M Muhammad in Holt, P.M. (1977) The
Cambridge History of Islam. Cambridge Cambridge
University Press.

• 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
  periods- fact and legend
• Difficult to date or interpret historical
  material in the Quran

9
Rodinson,M. A Critical Survey of Modern Studies
on Muhammad in Swartz, M.L. (1981) Studies on
Islam.Oxford Oxford University Press.

• Comments on Watts 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
  Prophets 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)

10
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)

11
Khan, A. Muhammad as object and subject in
Studies in Religion 1978.

• Tendency of West to focus on Muhammad as the
  founder and prophet (birth- occupation-
  qualities- mission- 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 Muhammads full significance
  even though they are based on historical
  certainty.(373)

12
Khan Object - subject

• 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.

13
Khan Muhammad

• 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

14
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 Quran
• 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)

15
Rippin The mythic dimensions of Muhammads
biography

• 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)

16
Rippin Problem of non-Muslim critical studies

• 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)

17
Sharifi,H. (1) Biographies vary in quality and
understanding

• - knowledge of original Arabic sources
• 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.
18
Sharifi (2) Motives of author

• 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)

19
Sharifi (3) Criteria for assessment

• 1. Nature of objectivity in dealing with
• the historical nature of the Prophets life
• The Prophets function
• 2. Quality of discernment- must understand what
  prophethood means and accept this dimension
• 3. Awareness of the main aim of Religious
  Education - phenomenology

20
Sharifi (4) Problems

• 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

21
Sharifi (5) Lack of objectivity

• 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 Watts 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)

22
Sharifi (6)Objectivity expectation

• 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)

23
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)

24
Sharifis thesisQuestions and responses

• 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.)

25
Bibliography

• 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.