ORIENTALISTS’

STUDIES OF
THE QURAN
AND SUNNAH
(QNR2043)
COURSE OUTLINE
OBJECTIVES:
1. To learn the history and development of Orientalism,
their major schools of thought and prominent figures
that contributed in the study of the Quran and hadith.
2. To critically analyse the Orientalists’ views and
explore their works and studies on the Quran and
hadith.
3. To discuss and provide a thorough appraisal on the
Orientalists methods, thoughts and criticisms on the
Quran and hadith.
4. To refute the Orientalists’ views with constructive
criticism and arguments based on the Quran and Sunnah
perspectives.
 TOPICS
1. Introduction to Orientalist Studies
2. Criticism on the Quran: A Historical
Overview
3. The Process of Collection and
Codification
4. Foreign Theological Influences in the
Quran
5. Linguistic Obscurity of the Quran
6. Crystallization of the Quran and
Wansbrough’s Theory
7. The Quran as Historical Source
8. Criticism on Matn (Hadith)
9. Criticism on Sanad
10. Criticism of the 20th century
11. Criticism on Sirah Nabawiyyah
ASSESSMENT

COMPONENTS PERCENTAGE %
Individual Essay 25
Project (Group Work) 25
Final Exam 50
TOTAL 100
RULES AND REGULATIONS

ATTENDANC HYBRID/ PARTICIPATI

Punctuality
E Synchronize
ONLINE Language(s)
ON
Mentally and (MS 2 ways
Physically Team/Google
TEACHING AND LEARNING
METHOD
Lecture:
Face to Face
Online/Synchronize – Week 4 & Presentation Week

PLEASE REFER TO:

Tutorial Class COURSE TEACHING P
LAN
Face to Face
Online/Synchronize
Asynchronize (WhatsApp/GOALS)
ORIENTALISM?
ORIENTALIST?

Opinion?
WHAT IS ORIENTALISM?
 The Orient means the East. It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to
the Eastern world
 Traditionally the term 'Orientalism' has denoted the study of the languages, cultures
or religions of the Orient. (Hauser, Stefan R)
 The term “Orientalism,” later known as “Oriental Studies,” began in reference to the
study of languages and cultures of the so-called Orient.
 Although initially focused on the ancient and modern Near East, the term “Orient”
was indiscriminately used for all of the Asian civilizations encountered by Europeans in
their eastward imperial and colonial expansion. (Oxford Bibliographies)
ORIGIN OF THE TERM
The term “orientalist” first occurs in English around 1779.

In 1769, Edward Holdworth was the first author who adduced the term in his article entitled
Remarks and Dissertations on Virgil.

In French in 1799; “orientalism” had then the broad meaning of “being oriented towards an
oriental culture”.

Orientalism refers to “ineradicable distinction between Western superiority and Oriental

inferiority.” (Edward Said, 1978)
Other Muslims discussed on orientalism: al-Tibawi in 1963, and some Muslim reformers like
al-Afghani and Muhammad at the end of 19th century and early of the 20th century.
ORIENTALIST
•A researcher of the Eastern matters, studying or seeking orient.
•Scholars who are conducting studies about the east in all aspects.
•“Anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient and this applies whether the person
is anthropologist, sociologist, historian, or philologist either in its specific or its general aspects”
(Said, 2003).
•“The Western scholars who wrote about Islamic thought and civilization” (Malik Bennabi, 1977)
•“The scholars who want to search in the language and the sciences of the Orient” (Mohammaed
Kurd Ali).
•“The one who studies the civilization of the Arab and Islam” (al-Ziyadi).
•The orientalists have desire to go against Islam and make the Muslims away from their belief,
and this could be one of the objectives of orientalism (Ahmad Ghorab, 1995).
EXAMPLES OF
ORIENTAL STUDIES
 SOAS University of London (the School of
Oriental and African Studies) London, England.
 The Faculty of Oriental Studies, formerly the
Oriental Institute (O.I.), is part of the Humanities
Division of the University of Oxford.
 Institute of Oriental Studies, University of Vienna.
 The University of Leipzig Institute of Oriental
Studies (IOS) is one of the few regional-
scientifically aligned teaching and research
establishments in Germany.
EDWARD SAID’S
DEFINITIONS
Orientalism is a term signifies the Western studies for the purpose
of purporting colonialism (1978). It refers to at least three separate
but interrelated meanings:
1. An academic discipline, tradition, or field
2. A worldview, a representation, a “style of thought based upon
an ontological and epistemological distinction made between
'the Orient' and (most of the time) 'the Occident'” that is found
among writers, philosophers, economists, politicians, etc.
3. As a powerful political instrument of domination, “a Western
style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over
the Orient ”[30. 2-3]. 

How the West sees the East

 MUSTAFA AL-SIBA’I’S
STUDY ON ORIENTALISM
Among the first Muslims responded the concept of ‘Western colonial
Relig
discourse’, and found the stimulus behind the orientalist research

ious
Fact Colo
Acad
or nialis
emic
m
Fact
Fact
or
Politi Econor
cal omic
Fact Fact
RELIGIOUS FACTOR
• Muṣṭafā al-Sibāʿī ranked religion as the main factor behind the
western’s interest in pursuing research on the east.
• This was based on his study of the major pioneers who explored
this area. Most of the patrons who inspired the ideas, advocated and
encouraged the orientalist’s enterprises were priests or those who
were related to the church in some way. Among them: Jerbert (999),
Pierrela Aenere (1156), and Gerrad de Gremone (1187)
• He named the Cluniacs, Benedictines, Dominicans and Franciscans
as a few of the main church establishments which undertook an
important role in the Western’s research on Islam.
COLONIALISM FACTOR
• Having failed totally in the Crusades, the West did not give up
their efforts to conquer the eastern territories.
• They began their quest to study the east in order to find the
way to physically conquer the Arabs in general and Islam in
particular.
• However, Mustafa al-Siba’I failed to identify any other
examples of research done by the orientalism related to
colonialism.
COLONIALISM
FACTOR
For example, the encyclopaedia about Egypt
entitled Description de l’Egypte which was
compiled between 1809 and 1822 was produced by
French scholars during France’s occupation of
Egypt, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, this
work was written by or at the very least commanded
by Napoleon himself.
Similarly, a work by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje
(1857-1936), who for several years was the adviser
in religious matters to the government.

(1511) A VIEW OVER MALACCA SHORTLY
AFTER IT'S CONQUEST BY THE
PORTUGUESE, AS DRAWN BY GASPAR
CORREIA IN HIS 'LENDAS DA ÍNDIA',
WRITTEN IN THE 16TH CENTURY.
It is well-documented that the specific
orders given to Afonso de Albuquerque
by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1505
was to crush Muslim power and trade in
the East by capturing Aden, Ormuz and
Malacca. de Albuquerque later added the
sultanate in Goa to the list. So this notion
that the Portuguese explored the East
purely as friendly, peaceful traders is a
fantasy. Even a cursory reading of the
'The commentaries of the great Afonso
D'alboquerque' or the great 'Os Lusíadas'
by de Camões will reveal that the primary
goal of Portuguese expansion into the
East was the destruction of its Muslim
Sultanates and the subjugation of the
'Moros' by conquest - the profits gained
by monopolised trade and the looting and
acquisition of new territory were just
welcome by-products of that policy.
 ECONOMIC FACTOR
• Economically, the western colonial aims to widen their business empires, as well
as to collect natural resources, and as a result, they gave negative impacts to the
native population.
• The establishment of Chairs of Arabic, academic positions which were created in
western universities such as at Oxford and Cambridge were often supported
financially by British traders or companies who wished to expand their business
network and beyond the Mediterranean areas.
• Waardenburg, furthermore, explains that economic, politics and military progress
under the reign of the ʿUthmāniyyah Empire became the main factor which
spurred studies on social and cultural aspects of the east. Many western
researchers were interested to conduct studies on the success of the Uthmāniyyah
Caliphate.
POLITICAL FACTOR
• Politically, each ambassador placed in Islamic countries was
responsible for acquiring the local language and gathering info on its
culture and politics.
• Modernisation is the main hidden agenda of the West to prospel
research into the east to penetrate the political boundaries of the
Levantine countries.
• Political relationship between the east and the west – diplomatic
letters between countries required delegate and translators during the
Umayyad caliphate.
ACADEMIC FACTOR
 Among the main factor that motivates the west to explore the east
 Intellectual exploration of culture, language as well as eastern
religions was one of the main factors which became the basis for
western researchers to study the orient/east.
 Many works have been produced by scholars which are extremely
beneficial to both western and eastern communities.
WHAT IS YOUR OWN
DEFINITION? Any Question?