A Critical Study of the Orientalists’ and Apostates’ Thoughts and Methodologies Regarding the Prophetic Battles (Ghazawat al-Nabawiﷺ)

Abstract

The chapter on the Prophetic Battles (Ghazawat) in the Seerah of the Prohet (peace be upon him) is a crucial and sensitive aspect of Islamic history. It not only elucidates the social, defensive, and political strategies of early Islamic society but also presents a clear practical manifestation of Islam’s universal teachings. Through these battles, the system of oppression and tyranny was dismantled, and a righteous society founded on justice, fairness, and freedom of thought was established.However, in various historical periods, certain intellectual circles have attempted to criticize the Prophetic Battles. Their interpretations and objections tend to present Islamic history merely within the framework of political or military struggle. These perspectives often neglect the wisdom, causes, moral justification, and religious foundations of the battles, portraying them instead as aggressive military campaigns.In contrast, the Islamic viewpoint holds that these battles were neither for personal gain nor for political expansion. Rather, they were manifestations of a deliberate, purposeful, and ethical strategy aimed at rescuing human society from oppression, tyranny, discord, and chaos, and establishing a system based on monotheism and justice. The intellectual and jurisprudential foundations of these battles are clearly documented in the Qur’an, Sunnah, and authentic sources of the Seerah.The objective of this critical study is to analyze these intellectual objections and interpretations regarding the Prophetic Battles (Ghazawat al-Nabawi ﷺ) in an academic manner, to clarify the original Islamic methodology. This research will be based on Islamic primary sources, classical commentaries, authentic biographies, and contemporary scholarly investigations, with the aim of presenting a balanced and scholarly stance that counters intellectual confusion and misrepresentation.

Keywords: Orientalists, Apostates, Methodologies, Ghazawat al-Nabawi, Established, Interpretations, Jurisprudential