https://iso.abu.ac.ir/ Islamic Studies of Orientalists en daily 1 Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_731765.html The life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has consistently attracted the attentionof Western scholars of Islam. In the contemporary era, Western research onthe Prophet Muhammad spans a wide spectrum—from academic studies to worksaimed at the public. One of the Orientalists who has presented her views with a particularfocus on the Western lay audience is Betty Kelen (2006). Her book, Muhammad:The Messenger of God, written within the field of Eastern religions andhistory, is noteworthy in its approach and scope.This article aims to introduce, analyze, and critically assess Betty Kelen’s perspectiveson the biography (sīrah) of the Prophet (PBUH), with special emphasis on thephenomenon of revelation and his interactions with the People of the Book. Thestudy employs a descriptive–analytical method based on library research.The findings indicate thatKelen’s portrayal of the Prophet’sMeccan andMedinan periods,compared with twentieth-century Orientalist writings, seeks to present a clear andaccessible narrative of the Prophet’s life, free from theological intricacies and sectarianbiases. However, her selective use of sources and her interpretation of key socio-religioustransformationsduringthePropheticeraareopentoseriousscholarlycritique. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_731766.html Despite the long history of Orientalist studies on the Quran, their engagement with Hadith has been relatively late. A common feature of Orientalist studies on Hadith is their particular focus on Sunni Hadith and the generalization of the shortcomings of Sunni hadith sources to the entire Hadith heritage. The neglect of Shiite Hadith works is another deficiency in Orientalist studies on Hadith. The present study, conducted through a descriptive-analytical method and relying on authentic Shiite and Sunni Hadith sources, seeks to elucidate the shortcomings of the “Hadith Qudsi” article in the Encyclopaedia of Islam while providing a comprehensive portrayal of the status of Hadith Qudsi in Islamic studies. The research findings indicate that, despite some merits, the Encyclopaedia of Islam article suffers from ambiguity and lack of comprehensiveness in defining Hadith Qudsi, and the author has failed to provide a precise distinction between Hadith Qudsi, the Quran, and prophetic Hadith. Issues such as the lack of comprehensiveness in mentioning all differences between Hadith Qudsi and the Quran, the claim that Hadith Qudsi are derived from the Old and New Testaments, unsubstantiated content, and the failure to cite all sources are among the other shortcomings of the Hadith Qudsi article. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_731767.html Messianism stands as a foundational concept across Abrahamic religions. In Islam, this belief is prominently manifested through the conviction in the advent of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him). However, some scholars, such as Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, have presented a divergent perspective on this tenet within Islam. Drawing upon certain Islamic narrations, Amir-Moezzi identifies various figures, including Jesus, Muhammad, Ali, Mahdi, and even Umar, as instances of "Masīḥ" (the eschatological savior). He particularly emphasizes the belief in Imam Ali (peace be upon him) as the savior in early Muslim doctrines.This article employs a critical-analytical approach to examine Amir-Moezzi's views concerning the savior in Islam. The findings of this research indicate that some of Amir-Moezzi's arguments are predicated on specific interpretations and selective readings of religious texts. By drawing upon narrations considered authoritative by Islamic scholars, this study demonstrates that, contrary to Amir-Moezzi's perspective, the position of the savior in Islam is centered on Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him). https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_731768.html یکی از مهمترین نظریه‌های مستشرقان تجدیدنظرطلب‌ شکل‌گیری تدریجی اسلام از یک دین توحیدی ابتدایی است که در دوره امویان در قالب اسلام پدیدار می‌شود. نوو و کورن، در کتاب چهارراه‌هایی به اسلام: مبادی مذهب تازیان و حکومت ایشان به تبیین ویژه خود از این نظریه بر اساس شواهد باستان‌شناختی و متون سریانی صدر اسلام پرداخته‌اند. یکی از محورهای اصلی این نظریه تکامل تدریجی دین فاتحان عرب از بت‌پرستی به یکتاپرستی و سپس اسلام است. نوشتار پیشِ رو به روش تحلیل تاریخی-انتقادی و با تاکید بر شواهد متون سریانی به ارزیابی این دیدگاه می‌پردازد. نتایج پژوهش نشان می‌دهد نظریه نوو و کورن درباره پیدایش اسلام مبتنی بر روش علمی در بهره‌گیری از متون سریانی مرتبط با دوره نخستین شکل‌گیری اسلام نیست. برداشت نادرست از مقصود نویسندگان سریانی از واژه «حنپی»، عدم توجه به کاربست مجازی این واژه، تکیه بر برهان سکوت منابع بدون در نظر گرفتن دغدغه و هدف نویسندگان در اشاره به باورهای دینی اسلامی، بی‌توجهی به ماهیت جدلی برخی متون سریانی، و صرفنظر کردن از متون سریانی متعلق به دوره پیشاعبدالملک که به باورهای اسلامی تصریح داشته‌اند، از مهمترین اشکالات نوو و کورن در استناد به متون سریانی برشمرد. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_731769.html In recent centuries, German Orientalists have played a significant role in introducingIslamic culture to the West. Among them, Lessing -the renowned German writerand thinker- has been particularly influential in shaping the Western understandingof the rational foundations of Islamic civilization. Through his literary works,Lessing sought to present a positive image of Islam to European audiences.This study examines eight of Lessing’s major writings using a descriptive–analyticalmethod combined with content analysis, to explore his approach to Islam and itsunderlying intellectual principles.The findings reveal that Lessing recognized Islam as both a revealed and rationalreligion. Grounded in his own theological outlook, he developed a critical stancetoward anti-Islamic mechanisms prevalent in eighteenth-century Europe and courageouslyresisted the dominant negative paradigms of his time.In his article, Lessing endeavored to open a path toward a sincere and fruitful dialogueamong different religions and cultures, envisioning a setting where genuinerepresentatives of Christians, Jews, and Muslims could come together to discussglobal peace. He believed that such harmony would only be possible when adherentsof these faiths engaged with one another not as opponents, but as honest companionsunder divine guidance. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_731771.html Scholarly inquiry into the figure of Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib represents a relatively raretopic among the works of Orientalists, as this historical personality has seldom beenthe independent focus of their research. Nevertheless, the scattered remarks relatedto him -though brief- reflect diverse and thought-provoking perspectives. Thisdescriptive-analytical study, based on library research, seeks to answer the questionsof what the existing Orientalist views on this subject are, who their proponentshave been, and what factors have influenced the formation of these viewpoints. Thenecessity of this investigation arises from the question of why and how this distinguishedearly Islamic figure, despite his significant contributions to Islam, has been-intentionally or otherwise- neglected or misrepresented by Western scholars ofIslam, leading to a distorted understanding of him in Western academic and publicspheres. The findings indicate that inadequate and sometimes erroneous comprehensionof historical and hadith sources, the adoption of a purely academic approachdevoid of intra-religious theological considerations, and reliance on questionablehistorical reports have substantially contributed to the emergence of this flawedscholarly environment surrounding the subject in Western Islamic studies. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_733650.html One significant issue raised in Orientalist scholarship concerning the authenticity of Shia beliefs is the claim that the Shia concept of Imam Hussain's (AS) suffering and redemptive role was borrowed from the Christian doctrine of Jesus' (AS) sacrifice. Valérie Hoffman and Wim Raven advance this claim in the Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān. Employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, this article examines Christian and Shia perspectives on the suffering and redemptive roles of Jesus (AS) and Imam Hussain (AS), respectively, to critically analyze and evaluate Hoffman and Raven's thesis. The research findings demonstrate that the concepts of suffering and redemption in Christianity and Shiism are fundamentally divergent. Within the Christian framework, true suffering originates from Adam's Original Sin, and true redemption is achieved through Jesus' (AS) sacrificial death for humanity's salvation. Conversely, the Shia perspective posits that human nature (fiṭrah) is inherently pure and divine. Imam Hussain's (AS) uprising served to awaken this primordial nature, emphasizing resistance against oppression and the struggle against tyrannical rulers. This constitutes a profound and essential divergence from the Christian understanding of Jesus (AS), thereby rendering untenable any claim of wholesale borrowing or questioning the authenticity of core Shia beliefs https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_733652.html The critical approach in the hadith studies of contemporary Orientalists, based on the premise of the Quranic Orientalists, has been made first towards all Islamic sources in general and secondly towards the hadith in particular. In the discussion of sources, the main attention is paid to the hadith and Islamic tradition, because the hadith and Islamic tradition indicate the Islamic perspective on hadith issues. In the discussion of approaches to hadith, issues such as the origin of the hadith in both temporal and spatial terms, its historical authenticity or lack of authenticity in explaining the issues of early Islam are also raised. One point that should be noted is that in the discussion of the approaches of Orientalists to the Quran, what has been raised is mostly whether Islamic sources, including the hadith, have the value and credibility of a historical document in reconstructing and explaining the truth of the origins of Islam and the real history of early Islam? Clarifying this issue is of great importance in order to correctly prove the legitimacy of the religion of Islam and demonstrate its superiority over other divine religions. This research, using descriptive and analytical methods and a critical perspective, collects and analyzes data and criticizes and evaluates the traditional views of contemporary Orientalists on hadith. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_733654.html Many orientalists have presented their views and theories on the Shiite school and its characteristics. One of them who has a special view on this matter is Mrs. Patricia Crone. Her views are important because she challenges the Shiite school - due to the belief in the existence of infallible Imams (peace be upon them) after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and following them to achieve happiness - and considers them from the beginning of their emergence to the contemporary era to be a clear and objective manifestation of Gnostic thought and its promoter; because from her point of view, the Shiites, like the Gnostics, felt alienated from their environment, so they relied on the Holy Family, who, from the Shiite point of view, were the bearers of "transcendent knowledge". The following article, which is organized in a descriptive-analytical manner, expresses and criticizes the views of Mrs. Crone and proves that the Shiite school has not only never been a propagator and manifestation of Gnostic thought, but is fundamentally different from it and even opposed to it; Because Gnostic thought considers God as a partner and believes in the existence of multiple gods in the creation of the world, while the Shiite school emphasizes the unity of God in all areas and considers the Imams and divine saints only as intermediaries of grace and blessings between servants and God. Therefore, the most fundamental oppositions between the two can be seen in "monotheism versus dualism", "positive view of the world versus negative view", and "belief in the Sharia versus disregard for it". https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_733655.html Shia Quranic studies in the international academia have been mainly influenced by two main currents: contextualism and phenomenology. The contextualism current, relying on historical-critical methods and philology, analyzes the verses of the Quran in the historical, cultural, and social context of the period of revelation and attempts to recognize and reinterpret Shia teachings in light of the conditions of time and place. In contrast, the phenomenology current, emphasizing religious experience and the nature of the sacred, offers a philosophical and semantic approach to the Quran and Shia teachings that relies on symbolic language, mythology, and the analysis of religious experiences. This article, by examining the theoretical foundations, methods, and assumptions of these two currents, evaluates and criticizes their epistemological and methodological approaches in Shia Quranic studies. Inherent doubts in the methods used, limitations in understanding revelation, the limitation of a purely descriptive approach, neglect of the true nature of religion, and lack of attention to historical and cultural contexts are among the most important challenges of the contextualist and phenomenological movements. https://iso.abu.ac.ir/article_733870.html In contemporary Qur’anic studies, comparative analysis of Islamophobic Orientalist perspectives, such as those of Robert Spencer, alongside Islamic exegetical traditions holds particular significance-especially regarding verses that articulate the Qur’an’s dual function in guiding or misleading human beings. In his Critical Qur’an, Spencer adopts an extra-religious approach to verse 82 of Surah al-Isra, interpreting the juxtaposition of the Qur’an’s “healing and mercy” with its “loss for the wrongdoers” as evidence of contradiction and distortion within Qur’anic concepts. The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative examination of Spencer’s interpretation of verse 82 with the views of Allama Tabataba’i in al-Mizan and al-Zamakhshari in al-Kashshaf, thereby elucidating the Qur’an’s dual function in light of the Islamic exegetical tradition and assessing the methodological validity of Spencer’s approach. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and library-based research tools, data were collected from primary sources including The Critical Qur’an, al-Mizan, and al-Kashshaf, and subsequently subjected to comparative analysis and critique. The findings reveal that Spencer, through a textually selective and ideologically driven reading, portrays the verse as lacking coherence and constructs alleged contradictions. By contrast, Islamic exegesis, grounded in theological, philosophical, and rhetorical principles, delineates a systematic harmony between “healing,” “mercy,” and “loss,” framing the Qur’an’s dual effect as contingent upon the stance of its audience. This comparison underscores the methodological weaknesses of Spencer’s approach and highlights the influence of extra-religious presuppositions on his analysis.