This text is the summary of a lecture titled "The History of Islamic Civilization: Orientalism versus the View from Within", delivered by noted Arab historian Hichem Djaiet on the sidelines of the Ostour symposium for historical studies. The symposium was dedicated to periodization of Arab-Islamic history, and Djaiet’s lecture focuses specifically on his work on the biography of the Prophet Mohammed, the Sira, and discussed some of the most complex issues he faced while writing his book on the topic. Introduced to the audience by Azmi Bishara, Djaiet was described as "one of the most influential Arab historians" for his "brave work" on the personal biography of the Prophet Mohammed by an Arab, Muslim historian who asserted a narrative that challenged the dominance of Western Orientalists.