The Teo-Strategic Dimension of Sociological Effects Created by Fabricated Narratives Criticizing Wealth

Abstract

It's possible to say that due to their attribution to the Prophet Muhammad, hadiths have had a significant sociological impact on Muslim societies. Similarly, fabricated narratives falsely attributed to the Prophet, which are believed to be Hadiths, have also had similar sociological effects. Although the fabricated narratives initially weren't created for strategic purposes, they later became utilized for strategic goals by becoming intertwined with power struggles and components of societal influence. This study demonstrates how fabricated narratives labeled as Hadiths can be strategically used based on examples falling into the category of fabrication. The focus of the study is to reveal the theo-strategic dimension of the sociological impact created by fabricated narratives emerging in the Islamic world. Here, "fabricated narratives" refer not to all fabricated narratives but to a few highly sociologically influential examples, exploring their theo-strategic aspect. Notably, narratives such as "For a believer, death is better than life, poverty better than wealth, and humility better than honor. The worst members of the community are the wealthy," facilitate sociological interventions through economics in Muslim societies, making them crucial examples discussed in this study. The impact and relationship of fabricated narratives with the social context, past, present, and future, are both direct and indirect. The study showcases how the selected fabricated narratives under the guise of Hadiths enable various theo-sociological interventions. Furthermore, the study emphasizes not what religion is, but how it functions, through the strategic use of fabricated narratives. The negative long-term consequences of sociological impact created through fabricated narratives for Islamic societies are a reality. The study aims to contribute to interpreting the issue from a strategic perspective by showcasing the sociological impact of fabricated narratives criticizing wealth, attributed to Prophet Muhammad. The undeniable fabrication of these narratives necessitates an interdisciplinary approach involving sociology and history due to their relevance to both religion and society. Therefore, the study employs qualitative research methods, including document analysis, to adequately search, interpret, and analyze sources. It's apparent that the theo-sociological and theo-strategic dimensions of fabricated narratives reconstructed through Hadiths, the second most significant source of Islamic faith, have been inadequately explored. Examples indicating that fabricated narratives are used as theo-sociological intervention tools in power struggles demonstrate that the topic isn't insignificantly religious and can't be dismissed as such. * This study is based on the doctoral dissertation entitled "Theo-Strategy and its Elements in the Context of Power Struggle", which was completed in March 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Özcan Güngör (Ph.D. Thesis, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, 2021).