The Image of the Prophet Muhammad in Western Writings Until the Time of the Crusades


This research presents the development of the image drawn by the West of the noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and it shows that this image stemmed from a spirit of hostility and hatred. This was reflected in a significant amount of distortion, accusations, and the inability to understand the universal human dimension of his message. The study clarifies that this image took shape at the hands of John of Damascus in the Levant, and his biased writings became a source for Western researchers writing about Islam. Those who wrote about his noble biography and Islam were Christian clergymen; thus, religious factors profoundly impacted the absence of any fair presentation of his life. On the other hand, the shift of confrontation from the Levant to al-Andalus and France, the launching of the Crusades, and the renewed military clashes between Muslims and Europeans all refused to follow the path of fairness and justice toward religion and a Prophet for whom belief in Jesus (peace be upon him) and affirmation that God raised him to a high position was a condition of faith.

researcher
  • - Prof. Dr. Nasser Abdul-Razzaq Abdul-Rahman Muhammad Al-Mulla Jasem Al-Enezi
university
  • - Member of the Iraqi Scientific Academy Iraq / University of Mosul / College of Arts / Department of History General Specialization: Islamic History

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