Walid bin Bulayhish al-Umari
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Walid bin Bulayhish al-Umari is a contemporary scholar and researcher known for his critical studies on Western encyclopedias and orientalist writings concerning Islamic history and the Prophet's life .
Scholarly Focus and Critique
Al-Umari is best known for his monograph al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah fī Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-Birīṭāniyyah (The Prophetic Biography in the Encyclopædia Britannica), in which he critically evaluates how Islam and the life of the Prophet Muhammad are portrayed within the prestigious Western reference work . His study traces the historical development and prominent standing of the Encyclopædia Britannica, while investigating whether its editorial standards uphold the neutrality and scholarly rigor claimed by the publication .
In his analysis, particularly focusing on the entry titled "Muhammad: the Prophet and his message," al-Umari argues that the encyclopedia departs from objective methodology when treating Islamic subjects . He examines how its contributors adopt assumptions and polemical views advanced by leading figures in modern Orientalist scholarship, seeking to refute factual misrepresentations and unsubstantiated claims regarding the Prophetic mission .
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List of Works
al-Sira al-Nabawiya fi Dairat al-Maarif al-Britaniya (The Prophetic Biography in the Encyclopædia Britannica) is a critical scholarly study evaluating the presentation, sources, and methodologies used in depictions of the life of the Prophet Muhammad within the Encyclopædia Britannica. The work specifically focuses on the entry titled "Muhammad: the Prophet and his message" in the Macropaedia section, examining its reliance on orientalist sources and analyzing its editorial claims of neutrality and objectivity.