The talk titled “Criticism Culture in Islam: The Example of the Prophet Muhammad and the Companions”, delivered by our Head of Department, Prof. Dr. İhsan Arslan, was held at Kitap Kahve in Atakum, Samsun. During the talk, it was emphasized that the Prophet Muhammad, as a human being, did not possess any supernatural or divine powers and shared the same biological and physiological characteristics as other humans. It was also noted that in cases where no explicit ruling was present, he acted based on his own judgment (ijtihad), but when his preferences did not align with the divine will, he was corrected through revelation. It was further highlighted that the Prophet maintained close interaction with the society in which he lived and served as a role model for people. In this context, it was stated that, as a result of certain mistakes made by Muslims in daily life, sometimes verses were revealed and at other times these incidents became the subject of hadiths. Accordingly, the Prophet’s attitude towards the actions of the Companions provides Muslims with an important perspective for understanding and evaluation. The program also underlined that the Companions’ ability to object to some of the Prophet’s practices and to express their views openly demonstrates that freedom of thought and expression in Islam is grounded on strong foundations. The talk concluded with a question-and-answer session.
