Qur'anic Studies in Rudi Paret's "Muhammad and the Qur'an" - A Critical Study

Abstract

The study showed that Rudi Barth – despite his academic rigor and broad knowledge – did not deviate in the essence of his vision from the general framework of traditional Orientalist thought, which seeks to explain the Islamic phenomenon from a historical-material perspective. He attempted to subject the Quranic text to the laws of cultural and social evolution, disregarding its divine nature and its guiding function. Furthermore, his approach often combined scientific analysis with subtle insinuation, presenting established facts and then subtly casting doubt on the Quran's source and revelation without providing sufficient scientific evidence. Research through tracing his book “Muhammad and the Qur’an” revealed a number of methodological distortions and intellectual fallacies, most notably his neglect of the reasons for revelation, his reliance on the apparent meaning of the text without referring to the authoritative interpretations, as well as his strong influence by Western critical approaches that see religion as a human phenomenon subject to historical interpretation.