The Collyridians in Early Christian and Quranic Tradition

Abstract

The article explores the existence of the Collyridians (Philo­marianites/Marianites) and the potential reflection of their teachings in Quran 5:116 (Surah Al-Ma'idah). The objective of the research is to determine whether the aforementioned Ayah represents merely a polemical, hyperbolic formulation or if it responds to a specific hist­orical-religious group that attributed divine status to Mary and perf­ormed sacrifices in her name.

The analysis is based on Greek and Arabic sources spanning the 4th to 14th centuries. Primary importance is assigned to the Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis (d. 403 AD), in which Collyridian doctrine is des­c­ribed as a practice expressed through the offering of small cakes (bread) to Mary. Additionally, the study examines accounts by John of Damascus (d. 749 AD), Eutychius of Alexandria (d. 940 AD), Ibn Tay­m­iyyah (d. 1328 AD), and other authors, alongside the positions of contemporary scholars who either deny the historicity of the Coll­yr­idians or view Quran 5:116 as a result of "creative rhetoric."

The research analyzes core problems such as the scarcity of pri­mary sources, the late nature of the accounts, the silence of early chu­rch historians, and the incomplete reconstruction of the religious env­ironment of the Arabian Peninsula. Based on deductive research met­hod, it is demonstrated that the data regarding the Collyridians are mutually reinforcing and reflect a real dogmatic phenomenon.

The study concludes that Quran 5:116 responds to a specific dog­matic passage, and its content may be linked to Collyridian doct­rine. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the clari­fic­ation of the history of Christian-Muslim polemics, while its practical value lies in the development of a more precise historical model for interpreting the Quranic verse within its Christian context.