Medieval educated opinion did not regard Muslims as idolaters

Evidence

THERE is a widespread impression to-day that the general mediaeval belief was that Muslims were idolators. This is probably because most people know the Middle Ages best in its literature, and, although this was emphatically not the belief of educated men, there was indeed a literary convention to that effect. The derivation of the English word ‘mommet’ is well known, and the poets are full of the Saracens’ worship of idols, Mahomet, Tervagan, Apolin and Jupiter. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1752 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Educated mediaeval writers fully understood this, although there were poets who spoke of the ‘worship’ of Muhammad, and of other idols, probably because they were not concerned with facts at all; there were soldiers who fed their hate by believing that their enemies were idolatrous; occasionally there were serious writers who knew better but carelessly repeated false or exaggerated statements. The supposition of idolatry in Islam was very rare among the educated, and perhaps did not exist among the learned. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 238 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Only a reader who was already well-informed would have been able to pick out the statements that were true. There was not even much interest. There was practically no systematic comparison of the interior life of the two religions. What interest did exist was genuine, but it was very limited. Christendom was relatively indifferent to what did not touch immediate Christian interests. This is not to say that there was no perception at all of the realities of Islamic spiritual practices; but these had little significance except as a contrast or a foil to the ways of Christians. Islam was always a reflection, often a muddied reflection, of what was familiar at home. In the consciousness of mediaeval writers, it was never inherently attractive or by its nature edifying. Even when Muslims were seen to obey the divine law in morals, it was usual to interpret Islam as a falling short of being Christian. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1280 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Educated medieval people knew Muslims were not idolaters despite literary convention — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1752; Medieval European literati did not believe Islam was idolatrous — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 238; Medieval Christians viewed Islam only as a negative foil to Christianity — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1280 (+2 more)

Related

• Educated medieval people knew Muslims were not idolaters despite literary convention (similarity 0.93)
• Medieval European literati did not believe Islam was idolatrous (similarity 0.92)
• Medieval Christian distaste, not ignorance, distorted portrayals of Islam (similarity 0.89)
• Medieval Christians understood Islam only as a distorted copy of Christianity (similarity 0.87)
• Physical contact with Muslims forced medieval authors toward greater accuracy (similarity 0.87)
• Medieval Christians viewed Islam only as a negative foil to Christianity (similarity 0.87)
• Medieval writers ignored Islamic ritual because praising it served no polemic purpose (similarity 0.86)
• Even well-informed medieval authors chose implausible stories when framing Muslims (similarity 0.85)
• Mediaeval Christians knew Islam only as a foil to Christianity (similarity 0.84)
• Medieval audiences preferred Islam accounts easier to ridicule over accurate ones (similarity 0.84)
• Medieval Christian views of Islam mixed praise with condemnation. (similarity 0.83)
• The social character of Islamic practice went unrecognized by medieval Christian writers (similarity 0.83)
• The crudest Muslim-idol beliefs flourished among the illiterate (similarity 0.83)
• Medieval anti-Islamic polemics aimed to fortify Christians rather than convert Muslims (similarity 0.83)
• Medieval Christians saw Islam as salvation by faith without works (similarity 0.83)

Broader Connections

• Educated medieval people knew Muslims were not idolaters despite literary convention #corroborates (0.95) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1752
• Medieval European literati did not believe Islam was idolatrous #corroborates (0.95) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 238
• Medieval Christians viewed Islam only as a negative foil to Christianity #complicates (0.85) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1280
• Medieval Christian distaste, not ignorance, distorted portrayals of Islam #expands (0.80)
• Medieval Christian views of Islam mixed praise with condemnation. #qualifies (0.75) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1124