The Claim of Islām’s Expansion Through Violence: Historical Origins of the Debate and Mutakallimūn’s Response

Özkan Şimşek

Makale detayları

The Claim of Islām’s Expansion Through Violence: Historical Origins of the Debate and Mutakallimūn’s Response

Yazarlar:

Özkan Şimşek

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Yahudilik Araştırmaları

Dergi:

darulfunun ilahiyat Vol.36 Issue 2, pp.337-366

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357924

pISSN:

2651-5083

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 This article examines anti-Islamic claims regarding the role of violence in the spread of Islām, traces the roots of these claims in Christian polemical literature and analyzes the counterarguments developed by Mutakallimūn. Some groups attempt to explain the geographical expansion of Islām solely through military conquest and forced conversion. The origin of this approach can be traced back to some Christian apologists from the late 7th and the beginning of the 8th centuries. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the aforementioned claim through Christian sources. Furthermore, it analyzes the counterarguments put forth by Muslim theologians in a comparative and chronological manner. In addition, the study considers a claim made by Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī d. 5051111 that resembles Christian assertions, showing that while his stance may appear similar, it was grounded in a distinct epistemological framework and did not attribute a decisive role to theological activity in the process of Islams expansion. It is observed that al-Ghazālīs approach was subjected to a critical evaluation by the Muʿtazilites in the context of the necessity of rational inference istidlāl, and Mutazilī scholars opposed the idea that Islām was spread by the sword. The article demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the spread of Islām, which cannot be reduced to a single cause, emphasising the role of rational inference and persuasion methods, while contextualising military conquest within the geopolitical framework of the classical Islamic world.

 This article examines anti-Islamic claims regarding the role of violence in the spread of Islām, traces the roots of these claims in Christian polemical literature and analyzes the counterarguments developed by Mutakallimūn. Some groups attempt to explain the geographical expansion of Islām solely through military conquest and forced conversion. The origin of this approach can be traced back to some Christian apologists from the late 7th and the beginning of the 8th centuries. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the aforementioned claim through Christian sources. Furthermore, it analyzes the counterarguments put forth by Muslim theologians in a comparative and chronological manner. In addition, the study considers a claim made by Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī d. 5051111 that resembles Christian assertions, showing that while his stance may appear similar, it was grounded in a distinct epistemological framework and did not attribute a decisive role to theological activity in the process of Islams expansion. It is observed that al-Ghazālīs approach was subjected to a critical evaluation by the Muʿtazilites in the context of the necessity of rational inference istidlāl, and Mutazilī scholars opposed the idea that Islām was spread by the sword. The article demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the spread of Islām, which cannot be reduced to a single cause, emphasising the role of rational inference and persuasion methods, while contextualising military conquest within the geopolitical framework of the classical Islamic world.

 This article examines anti-Islamic claims regarding the role of violence in the spread of Islām, traces the roots of these claims in Christian polemical literature and analyzes the counterarguments developed by Mutakallimūn. Some groups attempt to explain the geographical expansion of Islām solely through military conquest and forced conversion. The origin of this approach can be traced back to some Christian apologists from the late 7th and the beginning of the 8th centuries. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the aforementioned claim through Christian sources. Furthermore, it analyzes the counterarguments put forth by Muslim theologians in a comparative and chronological manner. In addition, the study considers a claim made by Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī d. 5051111 that resembles Christian assertions, showing that while his stance may appear similar, it was grounded in a distinct epistemological framework and did not attribute a decisive role to theological activity in the process of Islams expansion. It is observed that al-Ghazālīs approach was subjected to a critical evaluation by the Muʿtazilites in the context of the necessity of rational inference istidlāl, and Mutazilī scholars opposed the idea that Islām was spread by the sword. The article demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the spread of Islām, which cannot be reduced to a single cause, emphasising the role of rational inference and persuasion methods, while contextualising military conquest within the geopolitical framework of the classical Islamic world.

 Bu makale, İslâmın yayılmasında şiddetin rolüne dair İslâm karşıtı iddiaları, Hıristiyan polemik literatüründeki kökenini ve kelâmcıların geliştirdiği karşı argümanları tarihsel bağlamda incelemektedir. Kimi kesimler, İslâmın farklı bölgelere yayılmasını sadece askerî güç ve zorlama ile açıklamaya çalışılmaktadır. Bu yaklaşımın kökeni, VII. yüzyıl sonu ile VIII. yüzyıl başlarında yaşayan bazı Hıristiyan apolojistlere dayanmaktadır. Bundan ötürü çalışma bu iddiayı Hristiyan literatürü üzerinden incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bununla birlikte Müslüman kelâm âlimleri tarafından öne sürülen karşı argümanlar da karşılaştırmalı ve kronolojik olarak analiz edilmektedir. Diğer taraftan çalışmada Ebû Hâmid el-Gazzâlî ö. 5051111 tarafından öne sürülen ve Hıristiyan iddialarına benzeyen bir iddiayı ele almakta, onun yaklaşımının ilk bakışta benzer görünse de farklı bir epistemolojik çerçeveye dayandığını ve İslâmın yayılma sürecinde kelâmî faaliyetlere belirleyici bir rol atfetmediğini göstermektedir. Gazzâlînin yaklaşımının Muʿtezile tarafından istidlâlin gerekliliği bağlamında eleştiriye tabi tutulduğu ve Gazzâlîyi eleştiren bazı Muʿtezilî âlimlerin İslâmın kılıç ile yayıldığı düşüncesine karşı çıktıkları görülmektedir. Makale, İslâmın yayılmasının tek bir sebebe indirgenemeyecek kadar çok yönlü olduğunu gösterirken bu süreçte farklı etkenlerle birlikte istidlâl ve ikna yöntemlerinin etkisini vurgulamakta, fetih olgusunun klasik İslâm dünyasının jeopolitik bağlamında değerlendirilmesi gerektiğini savunmaktadır.

Makale detayları

The Claim of Islām’s Expansion Through Violence: Historical Origins of the Debate and Mutakallimūn’s Response

Yazarlar:

Özkan Şimşek

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Yahudilik Araştırmaları

Dergi:

darulfunun ilahiyat Vol.36 Issue 2, pp.337-366

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357924

pISSN:

2651-5083

Kalām

Spread of Islām

Christianity

Mutakallimūn

Sword

ReasoningKelâm

İslâm’ın Yayılışı

Hıristiyanlık

Kelâmcılar

Kılıç

İstidlâl

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Özkan Şimşek

Yayıncı: Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar: Yahudilik Araştırmaları

Dergi: darulfunun ilahiyat Vol.36 Issue 2, pp.337-366

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 8/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001357924

pISSN: 2651-5083

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Özkan Şimşek

Yayıncı:

Istanbul University

Ana Başlıklar:

Yahudilik Araştırmaları

Dergi:

darulfunun ilahiyat Vol.36 Issue 2, pp.337-366

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357924

pISSN:

2651-5083