Náboženské pronásledování Židů Almohady a otázka Maimonidovy konverze k islámu

Abstract

During the 12th century has been the majority of Jewish society in the North-West Africa and Andalusia forced by the Almohad religious movement to convert to Islam. Their suff ering and trial describe simultaneously Muslim and Jewish sources. Some Jews opted for martyrdom, but major part of them, when faced with option of conversion or death has chosen to embrace outwardly Islam. Maimonides whose family has shared the lot of its community has expressed the opinion that the Jew is allowed in time of such persecution as experienced under the Almohads to profess feignedly Islam in other to save ones life, but he must strive to leave the realm of direct pressure as quickly as possible. Maimonides’ view sheds light also on the story of his personal conversion to Islam which is included in two Muslim sources. Scholars who brush aside the possibility of his conversion base their persuasion not only on denying the credibility of Arab sources but especially on the assumption that 1) his later apostasy from Islam and return to Judaism would not be left unpunished by Muslim authorities; 2) and that the slightest hint on his supposed conversion is absent in the Jewish sources and particularly in writings of Maimonidean controversy. The present article tries to answer both objections.