A New Trend Emerged in Recent Times

leaving his life to be covered by Prideaux. Although Ockley used terms like “the great impostor” to refer to Muhammad and equated “the superstition” with Islam, he displayed fairness and impartiality in his treatment of certain historical events. For example, when recounting the conquest of Syria, he contrasted the honourable conduct of Abu-Bakr’s army, which followed instructions not to harm women, children, palm trees, or crops, with the rapine and treachery displayed by the Byzantine defenders. Ockley’s book gained considerable recognition and was the primary source for Arab history until Gibbon’s rise to prominence. Edward Gibbon, a key figure in shaping modern English historiography, dedicated a chapter (Chapter 50, published in volume V of his renowned work “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” London, 1788) to the subject of Muhammad and Islam. However, he did not significantly alter or expand upon existing knowledge on the topic. In the opening paragraph, Gibbon acknowledges his “total ignorance of the Oriental tongues” and eloquently presents familiar themes without making any original contributions. His primary sources include Ockley and Prideaux, as expected. Like Pocock, he dismisses the pigeon tale as lacking credibility (Note 166). In discussing the character of Muhammad, Gibbon highlights excessive enthusiasm as a dominant trait but notes the perilous and slippery nature of the transition from enthusiasm to imposture. It is commendable that Gibbon contextualized Islam within the broader world perspective, and his treatment of