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ORIENTALIST APPROACHES TO THE QUR’AN: Epistemic Motifs, Power Relations, and Contemporary Muslim Responses Munawir, Munawir; Safei, Abdullah
Asia-Pacific Journal on Religion and Society Vol 9, No 2 (2025): APJRS
Publisher : Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24014/apjrs.v9i2.38954

Abstract

Orientalist scholarship on the Qur’an has significantly shaped global academic and socio-religious discourse through its epistemic assumptions, theological frameworks, and comparative methodologies. This article investigates dominant epistemic motives underlying orientalist approaches to the Qur’an and analyzes how such motives operate within broader knowledge–power relations. Employing qualitative library research and content analysis within a sociology of knowledge framework, this study examines key orientalist works and maps their recurring argumentative structures. The findings reveal three central epistemic tendencies: (1) delegitimizing the Qur’an as divine revelation, (2) constructing negative assessments of the Prophet Muhammad, and (3) positioning the Qur’an as a derivative text of Jewish–Christian traditions. These discursive tendencies are embedded within Western theological, historical, and colonial contexts that privilege Judeo-Christian epistemic norms as benchmarks for evaluating Islamic revelation. The article further highlights contemporary Muslim scholarly responses—particularly within the Asia–Pacific region—that challenge orientalist paradigms through postcolonial critique, interdisciplinary hermeneutics, and socio-religious renewal in Islamic higher education. This study contributes to ongoing debates on religion and society by framing orientalist Qur’anic studies not merely as textual critique, but as socio-epistemic discourse with implications for Muslim identity, scholarship, and interreligious relations in the Asia–Pacific context.
Orientalist Approaches to the Qur’an: Epistemological Motives and Frameworks Zaini, Nuruddin; Safei, Abdullah
Kutubkhanah Vol 25, No 2 (2025): December
Publisher : Lembaga penelitian dan pengabdian kepada masyrakat

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.24014/kutubkhanah.v25i2.39043

Abstract

This study analyzes the principal motives underlying orientalist scholarship on the Qur’an along with the arguments advanced by orientalist scholars. Such an inquiry is considered significant given that orientalist studies of the Qur’an have developed in a massive, systematic, and influential manner within global academic discourse. The research employs a qualitative method in the form of descriptive-analytical library research, supported by a sociological approach to examine the relationship between knowledge and power in the production of orientalist discourse. Data are collected through documentation of relevant orientalist works, while data analysis is conducted using content analysis. The findings indicate that, at a fundamental level, orientalist approaches to the Qur’an are driven by three main tendencies: (1) a motive to delegitimize the authority of the Qur’an, (2) a motive to denigrate the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and (3) the assumption that the Qur’an is a product of Jewish–Christian textual influence. One key argument frequently advanced is the claim that the Qur’an is closely connected to pre-Islamic religious traditions and texts. Within the framework of Jewish and Christian epistemic hegemony, orientalist scholars tend to employ their own scriptures as normative parameters in evaluating the Qur’an, particularly through comparative methods that emphasize the identification of textual similarities as the basis for their conclusions.