Another reaction paper from school. Part 1. Enjoy.
Aslan’s No god impresses upon one the immediacy of Makkah being a significant place of trade. Even in modern times, the word mecca is synonymous with an important place of gathering. Quraysh had carved themselves an important niche as the Keepers of the Keys to the Ka’bah. And yet Aslan also recognizes the questions of whether or not Makkah’s notoriety is legitimate. Most of the objections raised to this base their finds on the lack of non-Arab research. I have found it an interesting fact that many of the academics that Aslan sites, who have objections to certain facts about Islam, seem to be solely concerned with empirical, historical evidence. My question for them would be if there can be no significant evidence corroborated by non-Arab sources does this provide grounds for dismissing their proofs as false? I have found Patricia Crone’s work to be especially disturbing and myopic. (more…)
