Methodological Criticism of Arkun's View on the Prophetic Life

Abstract

The biography of the Prophet Mohammad includes valuable instructions to learn and follow. There are three general views about the biography of the Prophet. Some people believe that writing a biography is impossible and forbidden. Some others consider biographical writing to be obvious and possible based on the present books, and some others prefer its writing in detail. Mohammad Arkun is one of the contemporary thinkers who believes in the impossibility of writing the Prophet's biography. This research aims to provide a methodological critique on Arkun's view concerning the prophetic life, which will be addressed in several stages. In response to the how of writing the Prophet's biography, various sources are considerable. Among them the Holy Quran as a suitable source has a central position. Moreover, the existence of historical books, the historical narrations, and the method of historical criticism are among the most important sources to criticize the historical method of Mohammad Arkun. Historical books as the favorable sources can considerably complement the content in this domain. Narrative works also include too many contents related to the biography, and they will clarify many ambiguities. Finally, the historian will be able to refine the biography through the method of historical criticism.

Keywords

• methodological criticism
• mohammad arkun
• prophet mohammad
• biography writing