Document Type : Original
Authors
1 Associate Proffessor Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences of Ferdowsi Unniversity of Mashhad
2 Department of Qur’anic Sciences and Hadith, Shahid Motahari Faculty of Theology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
The present study, employing a descriptive-analytical method and relying primarily on the major works of John Wansbrough, examines his theoretical foundations regarding the dating of the Qur’an and early Qur’anic exegeses, and analyzes the relationship of these views to the issue of Qur’anic distortion (taḥrīf). Adopting a historical-critical approach, Wansbrough presents a challenging perspective on the authenticity of early Qur’anic exegeses and the process of the formation of the sacred text. Although he does not explicitly advocate the distortion of the Qur’an in its conventional theological sense, the methodological foundations and conclusions of his analyses entail implications that are in tension with the traditional Muslim belief in the stability and preservation of the Qur’anic text. Through methodological, historical, and textual criticism, the present study evaluates the scholarly validity of these views and argues that Wansbrough’s theory is influenced more by the particular methodological presuppositions of Orientalist scholarship within the “late dating paradigm” than by definitive historical evidence. Consequently, extending the results of his theory to claims concerning the distortion of the Qur’an lacks sufficient scholarly support. This study seeks to clarify, while accurately explicating Wansbrough’s perspective, the boundary between legitimate scholarly criticism of Islamic sources and the inconclusive, hypothesis-driven conclusions found in certain Orientalist studies.
Keywords
- Textual integrity of the Qur’an
- John Wansbrough
- Orientalist Scholars
- Dating of the Qur’an
- The Late Dating Paradigm
Main Subjects
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