American Orientalists on Collection and Compilation of the Qur’an: An analysis of Robert Spencer’s Views
Main Article Content
Abstract
Orientalists have criticized Holy Quran for the satisfaction of their sinister and multifarious motives since dawn .There has been a great difference of opinion between Muslim scholars and the Orientalists on the preservation of book of Allah. They have refuted the services of companions in collection and compilation of the Quran. Robert Spencer is included in the list of those Orientalists who have completed their Quran commentaries and presented their views about this particular topic. This paper studies approach of Robert Spencer towards the preservation and compilation of the Qur’an. Like other western scholars and Orientalists, he claims that the existing Qur’an is not identical with the one that was offered by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to his followers. He views that it was compiled by Muhammad’s companions after his death and in the process of compilation, Qur’an lost its originality. After the analytical study this paper reveals that the aforesaid stance is based on prejudice or willful ignorance about the textual history of the Qur’an. In fact, Qur’an was revealed by Allah Almighty and is completely preserved without even a minor change or disruption.
Article Details
References
Richard C. Martin ,Approaches to Islam in religious Studies(Arizona:
University of Arizona Press, 1985), 75.
John Tackle, The Faith of Islam(New Delhi, Deep & Deep Publications, 1988 ), 110
James Kritzeck, Anthology of Islamic Literature, 1st ed (New York,. 1966), 33
John, L. Esposito, Islam the Straight Path,(London: Oxford University Press
, 20
James A Bellamy, “Some Proposed Emendations to theText of the Koran” in
What the Koran Really Says, ed. Ibn Warraq (New York: Prometheus 1999), 489
James A. Bellamy, Some Proposed Emendations to the Text of the Koran , Journal of the American Oriental Society. 113, no. 4 (Oct. – Dec 1993):491-505.
Robert Spencer is an American anti-Islamic writer. He was born in 1962 and has a background in Catholic Christianity. He got his Master Degree from University of Chapal Hill. He is a Director of the website Jihad Watch. He has published more than twenty books on Islam, Quran and other themes. His two books have been the New York Times best seller books. He also wrote a Quran commentary, “Blogging the Quran”. He has published his new Quran commentary, “The Critical Quran: The key Islamic commentary and Contemporary Historical Research” in November 2021
Robert Spencer, The Critical Qur’an: Explained from Key Islamic Commentaries and Contemporary Historical Research (New York: Post Hill Press, 2021), 15.
Spencer, The Critical Qur’an,15.
Spencer, The Critical Qur’an, 15.
Spencer, The Critical Qur’an, 16.
Al-Furqan, 25:5
Muhammad Husain al-Baghawi Masud, Sharh as-Sunna, ed. Zuhair
ash-Shawish, (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islami 1997),4: 522
Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari, Sahih(Riyahd: Dar as Salam, 2000), 433.
Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalani, Fatḥ al-Bārī fī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah, 1367 AH),9:6
abi al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir , Al-Bidaya wa an-Nihaya(Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al Ilmiya, 1987), 3:339-355
Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya wa an-Nihaya, 3:340-341
al-Asqalani, Fathul Bari, 9:16-18
Bukhari, al-,Sahih, 433
Jalal al-Din 'Abd al-Rahman al-Suyuti, al-Itqan fi 'ulum al-Qur'an (Beruit: Dar ibn Kathir, 2006),1:144
Abu Yala Ahmad b. Ali, Musnad Abi Ya'la(Beirut :Dar ul Marifah,n.d), 289
Ibn abi Daud, Kitab al-Masahif(Beruit:Matba ar-Rahmaniya, 1936), 252
Bukhari, al-Jami, 433
Ahmad Kamal Adil, Ulum al-Qur’an, 3rd ed. (Beirut: Dar al-Irshad, 1968), 37
Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah, The Emergence of Islam, trans. Afzal Iqbal, 1sted. (Islamabad: Islamic Research Institution, 1993), 12
abu Bakr abd ar-Razzaq Ibn abi Shaiba, al-Mussanaf, ed. 2nd (Beirut: alMaktab al-Islami, 1983), 3:212
Dr. Hamid Allah, Sahifa Hammam b. Munabba, 64
Bukhari, al-Jami, 435
William Muir, The Life of Muhammad(Edinburgh:John Grant, 1923), preface
Abu Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Qurtubi , al-Jami li Ahkam alQur’an (Beirut: Dar Ihya at-Turath al Arabi, 1952), 1:30
Waqidi Muhammad b. Muhammad, Maghazi, (Oxford: Matbaa Jamia,
,1: 23
Ibn Hajr, Fathul Bari(Lahore: Dar Nashar Al-Kitab al-Islamiya, 1981), 9: 20.
Bukhari, Al-Jami, 433
Ibn Hajr, Fathul Bari, 9:10-16
Bukhari, al-Jami, 433
Ibn al-atir, Al-Kāmil fi at-Tārikh(Beirut:Dar Sader, 2009.),1:111
Bukhari, al-Jami, 433
Bukhari, al-Jami, 433
Tariq Aziz,”Robert Spencer’s Book, Did Muhammad Exist: A Critical Review”(M.phil Thesis:University of Sargodha,2013),57.
As-Suyuti, al-Itqan, 1:120
Abu Muhammad Makki al-qisi, al-Ibana an maani al-Qiraat, 1st ed (Beirut: Dar alMamun at-Turath al-Arabi, 1979), 22-23
Ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad(Beirut: Al-Muktab al-Islami, 1978).2:22.
Ibn Hajr, Fathul Bari, 9: 23.