Muhammad (SAW) in the Near-Contemporaneous Non-Muslim Sources: An Appraisal of Robert Spencer’s Views

Muhammad’s (SAW life is fully reserved and recorded in history. It has been established beyond a shadow of doubt that not only the major and significant events of his life but even the minutest details of his life are also painstakingly preserved by the Muslims. In spite of the availability of abundant authentic documents concerning Muhammad’s (SAW) life, sayings and deeds, some critics of Islam stubbornly refuse to believe in his historicity. Robert Spencer is one such critic who maintains that Muhammad’s (SAW) value is nothing more than a fictional or mythological figure. This article is an attempt to prove the existence of Muhammad (SAW) in contemporary non-Muslims sources. The article is divided into three major parts: the first part of the paper throws light on how much emphasis Muslims lay on historical authenticity of Muhammad (SAW), in the second part of the paper views and doubts of prominent like orientalists Spencer concerning Muhammad’s (SAW) historical authenticity have been summarized, whereas the third part presents Robert Spencer’s views in the same connection and endeavors to refute his views and approach drawing on contemporary non-Muslim Sources.  

Maternal Inflammatory Markers in the Diagnosis of Chorioamnionitis and Prediction of Neonatal Sepsis in Preterm Pre-Labour Rupture of Membranes: A Systematic Review

Background: There is no consensus on the potential role of inflammatory markers in identifying chorioamnionitis in women with Preterm Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) or in predicting Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis (EONS) in their neonates. Objectives: To perform a quantitative review on the accuracy of maternal C reactive protein (CRP), Procalcitonin (PCT) and Interleukin 6 (IL6) in the diagnosis of Histological Chorioamnionitis and/or Funisitis (HCA/Funisitis) and their role in the prediction of EONS in PPROM. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to October 2015, for studies where these markers were assessed against a reference standard of HCA/Funisitis or outcome of EONS in PPROM. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction and quality assessments. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2(QUADAS-2) and the Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tools were used to assess methodological quality. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) models were used in the diagnostic review. In the prognostic review, unadjusted Odds Ratios (ORs) were pooled in a random effects meta-analysis. Results: The diagnostic review included 14 studies reporting 361 episodes (47.4%) of HCA/Funisitis in 761 participants, median prevalence 41% (IQR 36-53). The pooled indices for CRP at the commonest cut-off of 20mg/L (5 studies, 252 participants) were sensitivity 59% (95% CI 48-69), specificity 83% (95% CI 74-89), Likelihood Ratio positive (LR+) 3.45(95% CI 2.24-5.30) and Likelihood Ratio negative (LR-) 0.50(95% CI0.38-0.64 ). The sensitivity, LR+ and LR- for CRP at all cut-offs (11 studies, 570 participants) and at a selected specificity of 80% were 55%, 2.75 and 0.56 respectively. Indices for IL6 at a specificity of 80% were sensitivity 62%, LR+ 3.1 and LR- 0.48. No pooled indices were derived for PCT as included studies were few. The prognostic review included 7 studies with 332 participants and 97 episodes of EONS, median prevalence 26% (IQR 26-34). The pooled unadjusted OR for studies evaluating CRP at the commonest cut-off of 10mg/L (4 studies, 161participants) was 2.79 (95%CI 1.33-v 5.88, p 0.007). No pooled estimates were obtained for PCT and IL6 as included studies were few. Included studies were mainly prospective cohort design but were of poor quality. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to support use of CRP, PCT or IL6 in maternal blood for the diagnosis of HCA/Funisitis in PPROM and prediction of EONS in PPROM. Recommendations: We do not recommend the routine use of maternal CRP, PCT or IL6 singly in