About Fred McGraw Donner's Thesis on Islamic Historiography and the Movement of Believers

Year 2020, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 435 - 467, 31.03.2020

Yaşar Çolak

https://doi.org/10.15869/itobiad.638757

Abstract

This paper discusses Fred M. Donner’s thesis on the rise and spread of Islamic movement in the 7th century and assesses criticism towards the movement in the Western science world. It initially provides brief information about Donner’s academic life, works, methodology and success and then reveals the views on his thesis called the Movement of Believers and the dynamics of rapid expansion of the movement within the historical context. Donner’s main argument is that Muhammad as a religious leader had initiated a monotheist and an ecumenist religious movement consisting of the Muslims of pagan background along with the Jews and Christians. According to him, the initial aim of the movement was to revive pietistic monotheism rather than to create a separate community of believers. Almost a century later, the Movement of Believers became a single and an exclusive belief group which we now know as Muslim community, by excluding the Jews and Christians in the reign of Umayyad Caliph Abdulmalik b. Marwan. The subsequent sections of the paper touch upon reactions against Donner’s thesis in the West and finally give place to critical analyses.

Keywords

Documentary Evidence, Islamic History, Donner, Movement of Believers, Monotheism, Ecumenism

Fred McGraw Donner’in İslâm Tarihçiliği ve İnananlar Hareketi Tezi Üzerine

Abstract

Bu makale, Fred M. Donner’in VII. yüzyılda İslâmî hareketin doğuşu ve yayılmasına ilişkin tezi ile Batı ilim dünyasında buna yöneltilen eleştirileri ele almaktadır. Konuya giriş bağlamında Donner’in akademik hayatı, çalışmaları, metodolojisi ve başarısı hakkında kısaca bilgi verilmekte, bilahare İnananlar Hareketi adını verdiği tezi ve hareketin tarihsel bağlamda hızla genişlemesinin dinamiklerine ilişkin görüşleri ortaya konulmaktadır. Donner’in temel tezi şudur: Hz. Muhammed (SAV.) dinî bir lider olarak İslâm’ı benimseyen putperest geçmişli insanların yanı sıra Yahudi ve Hristiyanları da içine alan monoteist ve ekümenik karakterli dinî bir hareket başlatmıştır. Ona göre hareketin başlangıçtaki amacı ayrı bir inanç topluluğu oluşturmak değil, dindar yaşam biçimine dayalı tevhit akidesini ihya etmekti. İnananlar Hareketi yaklaşık yüz yıl sonra, Emevî Halifesi Abdülmelik b. Mervân döneminde, Yahudiler ve Hristiyanları dışlayarak, Müslüman toplum olarak bildiğimiz tek ve ayrı bir inanç grubu hâline dönüşmüştür. Makalenin ilerleyen kısımlarında Donner’in tezine yönelik Batı’daki reaksiyonlara temas edilmekte, son olarak da eleştirel tahlillere yer verilmektedir

Keywords

İnananlar Hareketi, Dokümanter Delil, Monoteizm, Ekümenizm, İslâm Tarihi, Donner

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