Critique of Ethan Kohlberg's Views on the Martyrdom of Early Muslims

Abstract

The special place of martyrdom in Islam has caused researchers to pay attention to this issue; The issue of martyrdom in Islam has also attracted the attention of Orientalists. Ethan Kohlberg is one of the Islamologists who has dealt with the subject of martyrdom in his research. Medieval Muslim Views on Martyrdom (Medieval Muslim views on martyrdom) He concludes that the concept of martyrdom in Islam is to give up life and seek an opportunity to reach death. In another part of the article, Kohlberg discusses the relationship between suicide and martyrdom, and challenges the issue of boycotting suicide in Islam and its ugliness. He believes that attacking the enemy is a form of suicide. Arguing against historical narrations, he considers suicide permissible in Islam. In this study, after briefly introducing the concepts of martyrdom and suicide in Islamic verses and hadiths, in the content critique section, to express and explain the citations of this Orientalist about his views on martyrdom, the ruling on suicide in Islam, and that martyrdom seeks suicide. We will pay and the inaccuracy of his views will be revealed.