Historians of Early Islamic History.

In Islamic histiography there are a few scholars that have changed the traditional views of the Muslim tradition. these scholars are the brave ones that have decided to put Islam and its early history to the standards of Western Scientific historical methods. These scholars are Ignaz Goldziher, Joseph Schacht and John Wansbrough.

Goldziher argued that the Sunna, the words and deeds of Muhammad as preserved in authentic hadiths (reports or traditions about Muhammad), was more valuable as a historical sourse for the theological and legal debates of the early centuries of Islam. Rather than as a source for the life for the life of Muhammad and the early Muslim community. Schacht looked specifically at the history of the development of Muslim jurisprudence which is primarily based on the information found in the Hadiths - with complete and proper chains of authorities (isnads) guaranteeing authenticity - concluded Schacht looked specifically at the history of the development of Muslim jurisprudence which is primarily based on the information found in the Hadiths - with complete and proper chains of authorities (isnads) guaranteeing authenticity - concluded that the more perfect the isnad, the later the tradition.

Together Goldziher and Schacht dissasociated the Sunna from Muhammad; Wansbrough went much further though; he severed both the Koran and the Sira from the figure of Muhammad and even from Arabia.

Wansbrough has demonstrated that what these sources provide is not history per se, but salvation history, and that methods appropriate for the study of this genre are not source critical but literary critical. His methods have destroyed the hitherto historical facts of Islamic origins without replacing them with new ones. For example we used to know that Muhammad produced the Koran, prehaps with the help of Jews/christians, but we have no names for the individuals or communities which produced the logia.

All these scholars have been attacked by both those in the West as well as Muslims whoes faith repudates any history that changes the traditional history, yet; respect for the faith of sincere believers cannot be allowed either to block or deflect the investigation of the historian. One must defend the rights of elementry histiorical methodology.