Rethinking Caution: Structural Engagement with Early Muslim Feuds
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58355/maqolat.v3i4.216Keywords:
Early Muslim Feuds, Structural Engagement, Rethinking CautionAbstract
The near-sacred caution surrounding the study of early Muslim feuds, while understandable, has become counterproductive. It stems from an outdated, individual-centered notion of history that equates inquiry with accusation. As long as Muslims remain bound by this paradigm, they will continue to treat one of the most formative periods of their civilization as a forbidden zone. A shift toward structural analysis offers a way forward. By focusing on institutions, conceptual understandings, socio-economic forces, and historical contingencies rather than personal blame, Muslims can reclaim their past as a source of insight rather than anxiety. This approach neither diminishes the sahaba nor threatens unity; it honors their struggle by situating it within the complex reality of a community both divinely guided and profoundly human.
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