ABSTRACT

Islam’s polemical attitude towards Christianity was already dictated by the Qurʾān, where fundamental Christian doctrines are disputed. However, according to the sīra (biography) and Ḥadīths, Muḥammad did not have extensive personal contact with either Christians or Christianity. What is noteworthy about this lack of contact is that it was the opposite of the experience of the Muslim community during most of its existence. For the most part, Islam’s relations with other religions have been overshadowed by the continuous conflict with Christianity. Therefore, the experience of Muḥammad does not accord with the experience of Islam as a whole.