Examining the Role of the Skeptical Approach of Patricia Crone in Formulating Her Views in the Book Meccans Trade and the Rise of Islam

Patricia Crone, Danish scholar of the 21st century, is one of the leaders of the skepticism movement in Western studies of the Prophet’s life. One of her most prominent works is " Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam." Using the descriptive-analytic method, this study seeks to investigate the role of Crone's skeptical approach in shaping her views and the strengths and weaknesses of this book. The research findings show that the views of Crone are formed solely based on her skeptical attitude towards Islamic sources. She considers Islamic sources on the early history of Islam as lacking in historical validity and regards that historical knowledge of this period is possible only through material evidence and non-Islamic historical texts. The methodology of Crone has been influenced by the origin of her philosophy of history, and postmodernism has had a great impact on her. Presenting a critique of Crone’s ideas and rejecting her reasons for the incredibility of Islamic resources, the paper explains the problem of relying solely on material evidence and non-Islamic texts and makes clear that they are only complementary to Islamic sources.