Orientalism and the Quran

Dr. Ahmad Sanusi Azmi What is Orientalism?

 The Orient means the East. It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world  Traditionally the term 'Orientalism' has denoted the study of the languages, cultures or religions of the Orient. (Hauser, Stefan R)  The term “Orientalism,” later known as “Oriental Studies,” began in reference to the study of languages and cultures of the so-called Orient.  Although initially focused on the ancient and modern Near East, the term “Orient” was indiscriminately used for all of the Asian civilizations encountered by Europeans in their eastward imperial and colonial expansion. (Oxford Bibliographies)

The Origin of the Term

The term “orientalist” first occurs in English around 1779, in French in 1799; “orientalism” had then the broad meaning of “being oriented towards an oriental culture”.

Edward Said’s Definitions

 Said offers three key definitions for 'Orientalism' that in his opinion are interrelated:  1) the academic discipline of Orientalism,  2) more generally, a “style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between 'the Orient' and (most of the time) 'the Occident'” that is found among writers, philosophers, economists, politicians, etc. and,  3) resulting from both, “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient ”[30. 2-3]. (Brill New Pauly by Hauser, Stefan R. (Berlin)) Why Did They Learn About East?

Theological/ Polemical Encounters?

Pure Colonial Academic? Apparatus?

Economic Motives? Religious Factor

 Muṣṭafā al-Sibāʿī ranked religion as the main factor behind the western’s interest in pursuing research on the east.  This was based on his study of the major pioneers who explored this area. Most of the patrons who inspired the ideas, advocated and encouraged the orientalist’s enterprises were priests or those who were related to the church in some way.  He named the Cluniacs, Benedictines, Dominicans and Franciscans as a few of the main church establishments which undertook an important role in the western’s research on Islam Colonialism Factor

Having failed totally in the Crusades, the west did not give up their efforts to conquer the eastern territories. They began their quest to study the east in order to find the way to physically conquer the Arabs in general and Islam in particular.

Colonial

 For example, the encyclopaedia about Egypt entitled Description de l’Egypte which was compiled between 1809 and 1822 was produced by French scholars during France’s occupation of Egypt, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, this work was written by or at the very least commanded by Napoleon himself.  Similarly, a work by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936), who for several years was the adviser in religious matters to the government.

Economic and Political Factor

 The establishment of Chairs of Arabic, academic positions which were created in western universities such as at Oxford and Cambridge were often supported financially by British traders or companies who wished to expand their business network and beyond the Mediterranean areas.  Waardenburg, furthermore, explains that economic, politics and military progress under the reign of the ʿUthmāniyyah Empire became the main factor which spurred studies on social and cultural aspects of the east. Strong development in the middle of the 16th century attracted many western researchers to conduct studies on the success of the Uthmāniyyah Caliphate CRITICISM ON THE QURAN Early Non Muslims Views on the Quran

10th Century- 8th Century 9th Century 12 century 13-14 Century 15-16 Century

John of 1-Refutation of 1- Mark of Toledo The conquest of Damascus: 1- Peter the the Qurʾān. 2- Liber Constantinople in Venerable “Heresy of (Tafnīd al-Qurʾān) denudationis 1453 2- Rober of the 2-Apology of al- 3- Raymond Lull Ketton Ishmaelites Kindī” 4- Jaen, Pedro 1- Dionysius Rijkel 3-Niketas of Pascual 2- John of Segovia Byzantium 5- William of Tripoli 3-Nicholas of Cusa 4- Eulogius of 6- Riccoldo da 4- Petrus de Pennis Cordoba Monte Croce 5- Alfonso de Spina 6- Juan Andrés