Criticism of the View of the Formation of the Quran Based on Syriac Texts

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Islamic history, Baqer al-Uloom University

2 استاد دانشگاه باقر العلوم (ع)

Abstract

One of the most important views of revisionist orientalists is the gradual formation of Islam from a primitive monotheistic religion that emerged in the form of Islam during the Umayyad period. In the book “Crossroads to Islam: The Basics of the Arabs Religion and Their Government”, Nevo and Koren have given their special explanation from this point of view based on archaeological evidence and Syriac texts of early Islam. One of the main axes of this view is the gradual formation of the Quran until the end of the second century and the beginning of the third century of Hijrah. The following article evaluates this point of view based on the Syriac texts of early Islam using the method of critical analysis based on logical criticism and data criticism and using library resources. The results of the research indicate that Nevo and Koren’s view about the origin of the Quran is not based on the scientific method of using Syriac texts related to the first period of the formation of Islam and provides an incorrect explanation of these texts. Relying on the proof of silence and not paying attention to non-narrative proofs, such as the old versions of the Quran and the proof of massiveness, ignoring the gradual process of Syriac familiarity with Islam and the polemical nature of some Syriac texts and misunderstanding of these texts can be considered as one of their most important problems in references to Syriac texts are listed. Therefore, not only the early Syriac texts of Islam do not speak of the gradual emergence of the Holy Quran, rather they can be considered in line with the traditional Islamic view

Keywords


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