What Did 11th Century Islamic Apologetics Look Like?

Abd Al-Jabbar

What does 21st century Islamic apologetics look like?  It’s essentially just quoting liberals.  There’s nothing Islamic about it.  Now, what did Islamic apologetics look like in the 11th century?  What type of apologetics would St. Peter Damian or St. Anselm of Canterbury have to deal with?  The answer might surprise you.

I recently mentioned that I’m reading Critique of Christian Origins by Abd Al-Jabbar.  In my previous post I gave some selections to show his bankrupt knowledge of history.  As the book goes on, he simply employs two tactics.  Insults and lies.  I concluded that this work isn’t meant to confront Christian apologists(who would smash this guy in a debate) but to the common Muslims to make them hate Christianity.  Let’s look at some examples.

One of the things that Jabbar tries to do is attack Christian morals.  He goes about saying all of these horrible things about the Christians that he doesn’t back up.  He goes after nuns and essentially says that they’re prostitutes.  On page 121 he writes:

It is part of [the Christians’] conduct that the women who worship in convents, who are exclusively devoted to churches and worship, make the rounds of single men and monks.  They go out to the fortresses, where there are single men.  [The Christians] make them licit, for the sake of God, the other realm, and mercy to single men.  Whoever of these women does this is thanked and praised for the act, and she is considered blessed.  It is said to her, “Christ will not forget your kindness and compassion.”

Jabbar continues to say horrible things about the Christians.  On page 148 he writes:

No one has heard of a people more ignorant, insolent, and perplexed than the Christians.

On a couple pages later he says the following:

Now the kings of Egypt, Syria, Iraw, Mesopotamia, and Persia, and so forth, rely on the Christians as secretaries, ministers, and officials.  They have leadership above Muslims.

I mean, why would all these Muslim rulers employ people who are ignorant, insolent, and perplexed above Muslims?  I guess they’re all terrible rulers and need to listen to Jabbar.

Why did the Egyptians accept Christianity?  Jabbar has the answer.

Now the Egyptians detest the Israelites for what occurred to them and to Pharaoh on account of Moses.  When the Byzantines overcame the Israelites and established rule over Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, they imposed this religion on people through desire and terror, as we have demonstrated, and as you see and witness.  The Egyptians hastened to it.

– Page 179

In other words, the Egyptians were still angry over Moses and the Israelites sticking it to them that they embraced Christianity because it was anti-Jewish.  You can’t make this stuff up.

Here’s my favourite thing he says in the entire book.  It’s the verse that convinced me that he’s preaching to a Muslim audience.  On page 150 Jabbar writes:

The Romans, who are the origin of Christianity, did not find a blemish in the Messenger-God’s blessing and peace be upon him-so they denounced him for carrying the sword and taking wives.

I’m sure that’s exactly what happened.  The Christians looked at Muhammad and panicked.  This man was simply unrefutable and therefore the only reason to keep people from joining Islam is to attack his ethics.  Obviously Jabbar was a terrible scholar.  He had never read St. John of Damascus or any of the great writers against Islam.  I just feel bad for all of the Muslims that he lied to.  I suppose Jabbar is what 11th century Islamic apologetics looked like.