Twelfth-century Latin polemicists freely vilified Muhammad while admitting total ignorance of him

Evidence

According to popular opinion, there was a man, whose name, if I have it right, was Mathomus, who led them [the Orientals] away from belief in the Son and the Holy Spirit. He taught them to acknowledge only the person of the Father as the single, creating God, and he said that Jesus was entirely human. To sum up his teachings, having decreed circumcision, he gave them free rein for every kind of shameful behavior. I don’t think this profane man lived a very long time ago, since I find that none of the church doctors has written against his licentiousness. Since I learned nothing about his behavior and life from writings, no one should be surprised if I am willing to tell what I have heard in public by some skillful speakers. To discuss whether these things are true or false is useless, since we are considering only the nature of this new teacher, whose reputation for great crimes continues to spread. One may safely speak ill of a man whose malignity transcends and surpasses whatever evil can be said about him. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 728

Categorization

• XREF: Directly exemplifies the genealogical root of Islamophobic tropes already mapped in the vault via Anidjar/Aziz/Razack — Muhammad as licentious heresiarch inventor of a false religion.
• ADDENDUM: Supports the genealogical origin-tracing pattern in all three listed articles, showing the medieval template later applied to dress panics and sacrifice discourse as well.