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:: Volume 1, Issue 59 (autumn 2025) ::
islamhistory 2025, 1(59): 5-8 Back to browse issues page
Critique of the Claim of Duality in the Conduct of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Mecca and Medina Based on a Revelation-Oriented Understanding of the Qur’an
Yaqub Tabesh * , Farzad Dehghani
Abstract:   (42 Views)
This study critically examines one of the most controversial Western interpretations of early Islamic history, namely, the view of William Montgomery Watt regarding the alleged duality in the personality of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). By distinguishing between the Meccan and Medinan periods, Watt argues that the Prophet was a messenger of morality and compassion in Mecca but transformed in Medina into a political statesman who resorted to violence and warfare in order to consolidate power. The present study responds to this claim through an analysis based on the chronological progression of Qur’anic revelation and demonstrates that the Holy Qur’an, even after the Hijrah and during the height of the Prophet’s political authority, presents a coherent, compassionate, and peace-oriented image of him. In this research, Watt’s interpretive framework was first extracted and reexamined on the basis of his three major works, Muhammad at Mecca, Muhammad at Medina, and Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman. Subsequently, relying on the chronological order of revelation of Qur’anic verses related to war and peace, the conduct and Qur’anic discourse of the Medinan period were analyzed. The findings were explained at three levels. At the ethical level, they reveal the continuity of such qualities as gentleness, mercy, and forgiveness even at the height of political power. At the discursive level, they demonstrate a persistent emphasis on constructive dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and the prohibition of aggression. At the substantive level, they show that jihad was fundamentally defensive in nature and considered legitimate only in response to oppression and threat. Ultimately, the study concludes that the claim of the Prophet’s inclination toward violence or a fundamental transformation of his character in Medina is incompatible with the Qur’anic worldview. A revelation-oriented analysis of the verses, combined with a three-dimensional ethical, discursive, and substantive approach, provides a reasoned internal critique of Watt’s orientalist assumptions and presents Islam as a religion grounded in mercy, peace, and moral values.
Keywords: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Militarism, Violence, Peace, Holy Qur’an, Montgomery Watt.
Full-Text [PDF 925 kb]   (15 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/06/29 | Accepted: 2025/09/11
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Tabesh Y, Dehghani F. Critique of the Claim of Duality in the Conduct of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Mecca and Medina Based on a Revelation-Oriented Understanding of the Qur’an. islamhistory 2025; 1 (59) :5-8
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Volume 1, Issue 59 (autumn 2025) Back to browse issues page
پژوهش نامه تاریخ اسلام (فصلنامه انجمن ایرانی تاریخ اسلام) Quartely Research Journal of Islamic History
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