Document Type : Review
Author
Payamenoor University
Abstract
The discussion regarding claims of alteration or distortion in the Holy Quran by some Orientalists, particularly concerning the Uthmanic codex, is a subject that has been critically examined in contemporary Quranic studies. James Andrew Bellamy, a leading Orientalist in this field, claimed in his article “Some Proposed Emendations to the Text of the Quran” that the phrase “sab’an min al-mathānī” (seven of the mathānī) was originally “shay’an min al-mutālī” and that a scribal error had occurred. This research aims to examine James Bellamy’s viewpoint regarding the emendation of the word “al-mathānī.” In making this claim, Bellamy relied on comparative linguistic discussions and historical analysis. To evaluate Bellamy’s arguments, this study adopts an analytical-critical approach and employs four main methods: historical examination, linguistic and semantic evolution analysis of the word, intra-textual analysis, and Quranic contextual analysis. The findings of the research indicate that Bellamy’s perspective is shaped by one-dimensional analyses of the Quranic text, without sufficient attention to the nature of oral transmission (tawātur), the miraculous structure of the Quran, and the historical contexts of its revelation and compilation. Through meticulous examination, it is concluded that there is no substantial evidence to support the hypothesis of scribal alterations in the Quran.
Keywords
- Quranic correction
- critical analysis
- lexical correction
- orientalists
- James Bellamy
- Seven of the Repetitions
Main Subjects
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