Rodinson. Muhammad. Study Guide
1. Terms, names, etc.
- Quraysh
- Yemen
- Ka'ba
- idol
- Ethiopia=Abyssinia
- Hira
- 'Abd al-Muttalib
- hanif = a man of monotheist tendency,who sought the One God, but was
not willing to be enrolled in the ranks of Christianity or Judaism, the
two monotheistic choices available to Arabs before Muhammad.
- hadith
- clan, tribe
- Banu
- Companions of the Prophet
- Abu Talib
- Khadija
- 'Ali
- polygamy
- kahin = from same etymological root as cohen, a Jewish "priest"
2. How is Rodinson's Muhammad different from or similar to Watt's Muhammad?
3. Imagine a discussion/debate between Rodinson and Crone about Mecca
at the beginning of the 7th century. What might it have included?