Customer Reviews

Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the premier historians of the rise of Islam examines the evidence for the traditional Muslim story of trade in Mecca, and finds it -- at least -- wanting. A solid refutation of part of the standard Islamic story.

Written with vigor and some tart comments on some sloppy historians (Lammens for one.)

Patricia Crone's work is scholarly, well documented, and truly thought provoking. As any scholar worthy of the title would do, she questions the prior dogmatic assertions Muslims use today regarding Mecca as a haven for commercial trade, from which Islam was born. Rather, she searches the historical literature and lets the evidence lead where it may.

Beware of reviewers here who, rather than dispute the evidence presented, instead launch into personal character assassination of Crone, otherwise known as an ad hominem argument. Such desperate measures only demonstrate the inability to argue against the facts as they have been presented.

Patricia Crone's "scholarship" is widely refuted by scholars of Middle Eastern studies today. It is certainly no great work of history as the prior reviewer suggests. Rather she is a racist with a clear orietnalist agenda.