The Influence of the Holy Qur'an on Western Orientalists: A Critical Analytical Study

Abstract

The Qur'an has influenced Western Orientalists on two contradictory levels: On the one hand, it has been the subject of academic criticism that has sought to apply the methods of criticism of other religious texts to it, questioning its authenticity. On the other hand, it has been a source of admiration and appreciation by researchers and philosophers who have acknowledged the greatness of its style, the comprehensiveness of its rulings, the preservation of its text, and even the inclusion of universal truths that were not available at the time of its revelation.

         Occasionally, Orientalist studies in their treatment of the Qur'an have predominantly attempted to apply the methods of philology and historical criticism, applied to biblical texts, to the Qur'anic text. Their most prominent influences and the focus of their studies were doubts about the authenticity of the text and its codification. Orientalists were interested in the ancient Arabic language in which the Qur’an was written, and they attempted to cast doubt on the process of codification and early linguistic control of the Qur’anic text, sometimes relying on historical texts that they considered early (despite the possibility of their being later). Many of them sought to search for the origins of Qur’anic stories and vocabulary in biblical and evangelical texts, or in other languages ​​(such as Aramaic and Syriac), with the aim of suggesting that the Qur’an derived its basic material from these sources. Focus on readings and manuscripts: They showed great interest in Qur’anic readings and ancient manuscripts, sometimes with the aim of proving the existence of differences or attempting to portray the text as having evolved over time.