Rushdie Haunted by his unholy Ghosts — Page 49
Rushdie: Haunted By His Unholy Ghosts 49 and the West - The Making of an Image, published in 1960. In this book Dr. Daniel studies the formation of the Western idea of Islam during the period 1100-1350. I M AGE OF ISL A M (110 0 -13 5 0 ) Dr. Daniel starts by mentioning the popular twisted image of Islam during this period; for example, doubts were cast on the au- thenticity of the Holy Qur’an as being the revealed word of God and the traditions related in the Hadith, and more so doubts were cast on the purity of the character of the Holy Prophet(sa). What was in vogue during this period between the 12th and 14th centuries was ‘the tests of Prophethood’, whereby standards were set as a yardstick and prophets could be judged according to them. If perchance, the Christian polemic could show Muhammad(sa) not to be a prophet, then the whole Islamic fabric would have failed. Dr. Daniel observes furthermore, that the reverse would also be true. In other words, if the Christian polemic could not disprove Muhammad(sa) as a true prophet, then Islam would be a real threat to Christendom. So in order to make sure that Muhammad was to be wholly discredited as a true prophet, the proof that ‘Muhammad claimed the title falsely had to be explicit. ’ (p. 67). This task came gratefully to the Christian writers. Dr. Daniel quotes Peter the Venerable and especially Pedro de Alfonso and Peter of Poitiers whose collective schemes could be summarised to show that ‘Muhammad could not be a prophet, because he was a robber, a murderer, a traitor and an adulterer’ and also that the teachings of the Qur’an to be ‘shameful and contradictory’ and ‘not being confirmed by miracles. ’ ( p 68). Dr. Daniel continues : ‘The life of Muhammad was seen as an essential disproof of the Islamic claim to Revelation. It was often treated as the most impor-