The Prophet’s (pbuh) Encounters with Christians in the Context of Orientalists’ Arguments of Cultural Borrowing

Year 2024, , 21 - 32, 30.06.2024

Fatma Kızıl

https://doi.org/10.47169/samer.1476259

Abstract

This article explores the perspectives and assertions of academic Orientalism concerning the Prophet Muhammad’s interactions with Christians. The purpose here is not to exhaustively catalog all such views, but rather to delineate the predominant trends within academic Orientalism on this topic, as exemplified by the most recurrently cited opinions. It does not aim to enumerate every scholar who has articulated a perspective shared widely among Orientalists. Instead, the focus is on evaluating the fundamental tendencies of the Orientalist paradigm, preferring an analytical overview to a critique of individual opinions. Given that the stance of academic Orientalism, especially that of its early exponents, on the Prophet’s engagements with Christians was shaped under the influence of medieval assertions, a concise overview of these medieval claims is provided initially.

Keywords

Prophet, Christians, Christianity, Cultural Borrowing, qiṣṣa of Baḥīra

Oryantalistlerin Kültürel Ödünç Alma İddiaları Bağlamında Hz. Peygamber’in Hıristiyanlarla Karşılaşmaları

Abstract

Bu makalede, akademik oryantalizmin Hz. Peygamber’in (s.a.v.) Hıristiyanlar ile karşılaşmaları ve irtibatları hakkındaki görüş ve iddiaları ele alınmıştır. Bu görüş ve iddialarının tamamı aktarılmamış, daha ziyade sık tekrar edenler üzerinden akademik oryantalizmin meseleyle ilgili temel eğilimini tavsif etmek amaçlanmıştır. Birçok oryantalist tarafından dile getirilmiş bir görüşü öne süren her bir isme atıfta bulunmak hedeflenmemiştir. Ayrıca, her bir görüşün tenkidinden ziyade oryantalist paradigmanın konuyla ilgili temel eğiliminin bir değerlendirilmesini yapmak tercih edilmiştir. Akademik oryantalizmin bilhassa ilk isimlerinin Hz. Peygamber’in (s.a.v.) Hıristiyanlar ile irtibatlarına yaklaşımı Orta Çağ’daki iddiaların gölgesinde geliştiği için makalenin Giriş bölümünde öncelikle Orta Çağ’daki iddiaların kısa bir özeti verilmiştir.

Keywords

Hz. Peygamber, Hıristiyanlar, Hıristiyanlık, Kültürel Ödünç Alma, Bahîrâ Kıssası.

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