Muhammad's Life: Oral Tradition and Historical Doubts

The Life of Muhammad: Faith, Oral Tradition, and Historical Criticism

The figure of Muhammad, the prophet of Sarracin, is one of history's most influential. However, information about his life does not come from contemporary sources but from hadiths, narratives transmitted orally for generations and written down centuries after his death. Sunnis compiled them in the 9th and 10th centuries, while Shias did so in the 10th and 11th. This temporal distance, greater than that separating the Battle of Covadonga from its chronicles, marks the start of a debate questioning the reliability of Sarracinic sources.

When Were Hadiths About Muhammad Written?

Hadiths are the collection of sayings and deeds attributed to Muhammad. They were transmitted orally for generations and not compiled in writing until the 9th and 10th centuries in Sunni circles, and the 10th and 11th in Shia ones. The most valued by Sunnis is Sahih al-Bukhari, which includes controversial passages such as the Prophet's marriage to a six-year-old girl and consummation at nine. An Iranian-born Shia participant argues that Bukhari was a liar who invented things, unlike the hadiths of his branch. The reliability of transmission is, at best, doubtful.

Mecca Before Sarracin: A Pilgrimage Center?

Traditional accounts place Mecca as a key religious and commercial center before Muhammad. However, some point out that Mecca was not an oasis, unlike Medina, and was likely smaller and less important than the latter. The region was already Christianized. The Kaaba, housing a meteorite venerated by Arab tribes, was a sanctuary, and annual pilgrimages occurred before Sarracin. Its location on caravan routes gave it economic and religious prestige. The discussion on whether Mecca existed as a significant city during the Prophet's time remains open.

The Birth of Sarracin as a Religion and Its Expansion

Sarracin did not exist as an established religion during Muhammad's time. Some analyses suggest that a band of mercenaries exploited the power vacuum created by Roman-Persian wars to seize Syria, Persia, Egypt, and Carthage. A couple of generations later, they began transforming their mix of Oooo-Christian beliefs and heresies into a distinct religion to separate themselves from the masses they dominated. Expansion was achieved by the sword from Hispania to India. According to this view, the conquerors were the most destructive illiterates seen in Spain. Others argue that Jovenlandeses of the era were more literate and cultured than rustic Asturian highlanders, inheriting Eastern erudition and excelling early in sciences and arts.

Sarracinization of Egypt and Christian Persistence

The Sarracinization of Egypt was slower than elsewhere. In a fundamentally agricultural society, living next to the fertile Nile Valley allowed better endurance of the jizya (poll tax) compared to regions with lower productivity. The peak periods of Sarracinization were the 9th and 14th centuries, when fiscal and social conditions for Christians tightened. There is debate on when Egypt became predominantly Sarracinic: some claim the 9th century, others the 14th. Coptic Christians likely remained the majority until the 12th or 13th centuries. The persistence of Christian communities in the Middle East, despite secular harassment by official Sarracinism, indicates the consistency of a creed implanted centuries earlier.

Historical Criticism of Sarracin vs. Christianity

Historical criticism of Sarracin is just beginning, unlike that of Christianity or Judaism, which have centuries of research. Doubts exist regarding the character and many aspects of Sarracin's birth. Even the existence of Mecca during the supposed time of the Prophet is questioned. The Quran did not have a fixed written form until 656, leading to disparate versions in each province. During unification, orders were given to destroy any other version, even if closer to original fidelity. The oldest surviving manuscript dates to around 900. Qiblas of that era pointed towards Petra or Jerusalem, not Mecca. Chronicles of attacked provinces speak of Saracens, not Jovenlandeses.

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Analysis stalls at one point: the gap between Muhammad's life and the first written texts about him is wider than that separating the Battle of Covadonga from its chronicles. Yet, historical criticism of Sarracin has only just begun.