Dahd Daawa al-Mustashriqin anna al-Quran min ind al-Nabi
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Dahd Daawa al-Mustashriqin anna al-Quran min ind al-Nabi (Refuting the Claim of the Orientalists That the Quran Originated from the Prophet ﷺ) is an apologetic theological treatise written by Saud bin Abdul Aziz al-Khalaf . The work focuses on analyzing and refuting Western orientalist claims regarding the origin of the Quran, specifically addressing the allegations that the Prophet Muhammad fabricated the text himself or derived its contents from Jewish and Christian sources .
Background and Purpose
The author contextualizes orientalist critique within a historical continuum of opposition to prophetic missions, comparing contemporary Western skepticism to the arguments raised against earlier prophets like Noah and Moses, as well as the arguments of the Quraysh opponents such as Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah . The treatise aims to demonstrate that modern claims questioning the divine revelation of the Quran are not novel academic discoveries, but rather reiterations of ancient pagan objections wrapped in the guise of modern research and scientific inquiry .
Structure and Content
The work is organized into an introduction, two primary chapters, and a conclusion:
Introduction
The introduction outlines the theological premise of divine guidance through messengers and the recurring historical pattern of denial and hostility faced by prophets from their detractors .
Chapter One: The Orientalists' Claims
The first chapter defines Orientalism, traces its historical roots to church initiatives—referencing figures like Gerbert (Pope Sylvester II) in al-Andalus and the Council of Vienne in 1312—and surveys the primary orientalist theses concerning the Quran . The author cites and discusses specific statements by orientalists and polemicists, including Louis-Pierre-Eugène Sédillot, Ignác Goldziher, Carl Brockelmann, Régis Blachère, and the writer known by the pseudonym al-Khuri al-Haddad . These positions allege that the Quran was composed through psychological delusion, personal poetic genius, or direct borrowing from biblical texts, apocryphal literature, and pre-Islamic figures like Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt .
Chapter Two: Refutation of the Claims
The second chapter systematically counters these arguments across multiple subtopics:
- Refutation of Human Authorship: The author argues that the Prophet Muhammad's lifelong reputation for truthfulness, his illiteracy, and his lack of poetic background preclude self-authorship . He highlights the Quranic challenge to produce even a single comparable chapter, noting the testimony of contemporaries skilled in Arabic rhetoric, such as Anis al-Ghifari and al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, who acknowledged that the Quran did not resemble poetry, soothsaying, or sorcery . Further internal proofs cited include instances where the Quran admonishes the Prophet, the inclusion of scientific realities (such as astronomy, oceanography, and embryology) unknown in the seventh century, and prophecies regarding events that occurred after his lifetime .
- Refutation of Jewish and Christian Borrowing: The author notes that the Prophet did not have regular access to Jewish or Christian teachers prior to his mission, and that his subsequent encounters with Jewish communities occurred under mutual hostility in Medina rather than instructional transmission . He also highlights substantial theological and narrative divergences between the Quran and the Torah and Gospel, asserting that points of shared historical narrative reflect a single divine origin rather than plagiarism .
Conclusion
The study concludes with a summary of findings, reaffirming the divine origin of the Quran and characterizing orientalist theories as unsubstantiated reinterpretations of early pagan arguments .
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