al-Mustashriqun wa al-Sunna
- Author died
- 1439 AH
- Editions
- مكتبة المنار الإسلامية ومؤسسة الريَّان
al-Mustashriqun wa al-Sunna (The Orientalists and the Sunna) is a contemporary treatise in Hadith studies by Egyptian scholar Saad al-Marsafi (d. 1439 AH / 2018 CE), written to refute Western Orientalist critiques concerning the authority, terminology, transmission, and textual corpus of Prophetic Hadith.
Background and Purpose
The book forms part of the author's broader series titled Difa' 'an al-Hadith al-Nabawi fi Daw' Usul al-Tahdith Riwayatan wa Dirayatan wa Radd al-Shubuhat wa Dahd al-Muftariyat (A Defense of Prophetic Hadith in Light of the Principles of Hadith Transmission and Comprehension, Refuting Suspicions and Disproving Fabrications). Al-Marsafi completed the text in Kuwait, signing the introduction on 21 Ramadan 1400 AH (recorded in the text alongside 14 April 1990 CE).
In the introduction, the author argues that while earlier classical adversaries challenged Hadith, Western Orientalist scholarship systematically renewed and amplified these doubts. He devotes particular attention to the influence of the Hungarian Jewish Orientalist Ignaz Goldziher, whose Muhammedanische Studien laid the groundwork for modern skepticism regarding the origins of Hadith by depicting it as a later product of early Islamic social and political development rather than an authentic record of the Prophetic era. Al-Marsafi intended the work to counter these views using the technical principles of Hadith criticism (riwaya and diraya).
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into an introduction, three main chapters, a conclusion, a bibliography, and an index:
- Chapter One: Spotlights on Orientalism and Orientalists (Adwa' 'ala al-Istishraq wa al-Mustashriqun): Defines Orientalism both broadly and specifically as Western study of the Islamic East, its history, Arabic language, and religious texts. It surveys historical phases of Orientalist scholarship, Western collection and analysis of Arabic manuscripts, academic conferences, ties with colonial ventures, infiltration of educational institutions, and ideological biases.
- Chapter Two: Doubts Surrounding the Concept of the Sunna and Its Codification (Shubuhat hawla Mafhum al-Sunna wa Tadwiniha): Analyzes the linguistic and technical meanings of Sunna and Hadith, their distinction, and refutes claims alleging that Sunna originated as a pre-Islamic pagan custom (mustalah wathani). It addresses Orientalist arguments that claim Hadith was only recorded late in Islamic history.
- Chapter Three: Misconceptions Regarding the Isnad and the Matn (Jahalat hawla al-Sanad wa al-Matn): Clarifies the technical definitions and status of the chain of transmission (isnad) and the text (matn). It reviews the early emergence and enforcement of isnad requirements, contrasts Islamic textual criticism with Western biblical/gospel criticism methodologies, and addresses claims that challenge the validity of reported Prophetic actions.
Publication
The work was published in Beirut, Lebanon, as a co-publication by Maktabat al-Manar al-Islamiyya and Mu'assasat al-Rayyan in a single volume spanning approximately 80 pages.
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