In his quest for the historical Muhammad, Zeitlin's chief aim is to catch glimpses of the birth of Islam and the role played by its extraordinary founder. Islam, as its Prophet came to conceive it, was a strict and absolute monotheism. How Muhammad had arrived at this view is not a problem for Muslims, who believe that the Prophet received a revelation from Allah or God, mediated by the Angel Gabriel. For scholars, however, interested in placing Muhammad in the historical context of the seventh-century Arabian Peninsula, the source of the Prophets inspiration is a significant question.
It is apparent that the two earlier monotheisms, Judaism and Christianity, constituted an influential presence in the Hijaz, the region comprising Mecca and Medina. Indeed, Jewish communities were salient here, especially in Medina and other not-too-distant oases. Moreover, in addition to the presence of Jews and Christians, there existed a third category of individuals, the Hanifs, who, dissatisfied with their polytheistic beliefs, had developed monotheistic ideas.
Zeitlin assesses the extent to which these various influences shaped the emergence of Islam and the development of the Prophets beliefs. He also seeks to understand how the process set in motion by Muhammad led, not long after his death, to the establishment of a world empire.
By:
Irving M. Zeitlin (University of Toronto)
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 230mm,
Width: 154mm,
Spine: 13mm
Weight: 285g
ISBN: 9780745639994
ISBN 10: 0745639992
Pages: 184
Publication Date: 29 January 2007
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Preface Introduction and Overview of the Life of Muhammad Donner’s Reply to the Skeptics Enter Muhammad: An Overview The Battle of the Trench Chapter One Ibn Khaldun’s Social and Economic Theory Bedouins and Sedentary Peoples Asabiyah Chapter Two Pre-Islamic Arabia The Hijaz on the Eve of the Rise of Islam Pre-Islamic Religion Chapter Three The Role of Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael Who was the Sacrificial Son? The Islamic Theory that Abraham, Ishmael and Hagar Traveled to the Valley of Mecca Abraham, Ishmael and the Kaaba William Muir on the Abrahamic Question Muir on the Founding of Mecca and the Abrahamic Legend Chapter Four Recent and Current Scholarship The Religion of Mecca The Kaaba and Its Devotees Hanifiya and the Religion of Abraham G.E. von Grunebaum, “The Nature of Arab Unity Before Islam” M.J.Kister, “Al-Hira: Some Notes on Its Relations with Arabia” Joseph Henninger, “Pre-Islamic Bedouin Religion” Moshe Gil, “Jews of Yathrib” Fazlur Rahman, “Pre-Foundations of the Muslim Community in Mecca” Uri Rubin, “Hanifiyya and Ka ‘ba: An Inquiry into the Arabian Background of Din Ibrahim” More on Pre-Islamic Religion in the Arabian Peninsula Hamilton A.R. Gibb, “Pre-Islamic Monotheism in Arabia” W. Montgomery Watt, “Belief in a ‘High God’ in Pre-Islamic Mecca” Uri Rubin, “The Kaaba: Aspects of Its Ritual Functions and Position in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Times” Chapter Five Possible Influences on Muhammad’s Inspiration Jewish Historians on the Jews of Arabia Baron on Pre-Islamic, Arab-Jewish Relations in Arabia Chapter Six The Jews of Arabia: A Recent Re-Examination Chapter Seven Richard Bell’s Origin of Islam in its Christian Environment Chapter Eight W. Montgomery Watt’s Muhammad at Mecca The Daughters of Allah or the So-called Satanic Verses More on the “Daughters of Allah” Affair A Sociological Argument W. Montgomery Watt’s Muhammad at Medina Chapter Nine Muhammad at Medina: William Muir’s Analysis Muhammad and the Jewish Tribes of Medina The Battle of Badr Current Research on the Massacre of the B. Qurayza The Conquest of Khaybar Chapter Ten Muhammad and the Jews Muhammad and the Jews: G.D. Newby’s Re-Examination of the Evidence Chapter Eleven Concluding Sociological Reflections Abu Bakr and the Ridda Notes Bibliography Index
Irving M. Zeitlin, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Toronto
Reviews for The Historical Muhammad
?Zeitlin?s approach is novel and intriguing.? Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute This book will be of value to serious students of Islamic history as well as educated readers generally. Both groups will be well able to navigate the historical and historiographical landscapes of the rise of Islam ? with the foundational qualities that enabled it to develop into a world religion. The pursuit of certainty in discerning and understanding Muhammad?s historical biography and the rise of his religious movement is ongoing, and Irving Zeitlin has provided a clear, balanced, and plausible account using traditional sources and modern scholarly theories and interpretations. Frederick M. Denny, University of Colorado at Boulder It is very important for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to understand the importance of the Prophet Muhammad because he is so central to Islam. The Historical Muhammad contributes significantly to the discussion of the life of the Prophet, a subject highly relevant to our time. Akbar S. Admed, American University, Washington DC
