The Possibility of Writing the History of the Qurʾān by Bypassing Islamic Narratives and Materials -Stephen Shoemaker Example

Bayram Kara

Article Details

The Possibility of Writing the History of the Qurʾān by Bypassing Islamic Narratives and Materials -Stephen Shoemaker Example

Authors:

Bayram Kara

Publisher:

Bartin University

Main Topics:

Tefsir

Journal:

Bartın Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 21, pp.116-138

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322228

pISSN:

2148-3507

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Research shows that Qurʾānic studies in the West have navigated away from the Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigm in recent years. By using this paradigm, Western thinkers attempt to write the history of the Qurʾān with the support of Islamic narrations. American orientalist Stephen Shoemaker claims that the revisionist school broke this paradigm and brought a new perspective to the field in 1977. Stating that the Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigm, which followed the standard Sunnī Qurʾānic history, blocked the field until the 1980s, Shoemaker criticizes Islamic narrations and does not take them as references. Shoemaker believes that the studies will not go beyond the Sunnī paradigm by using purely Islamic narrations. The author, who claims that the Qurʾān emerged and was written in a political environment, argues that historians should consider the works of the surrounding cultures. Shoemaker, who uses the historical criticism method used in holy book readings in the West, focuses on what happened to the Qurʾān rather than what the Qurʾān tells us. Is it possible to write the history of the Qurʾān by bypassing Islamic narrations? The main focus of this article is to reveal the answer to this question through Stephen Shoemakers work Creating the Quran. The work, published in 2022, was seen by Fred Donner as a milestone for the field and stated that everyone working in this department should read it. Our study will ultimately discuss the impasses of Shoemakers approach. In this context, the research will generally apply data collection, text, and discourse analysis methods.

 Research shows that Qurʾānic studies in the West have navigated away from the Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigm in recent years. By using this paradigm, Western thinkers attempt to write the history of the Qurʾān with the support of Islamic narrations. American orientalist Stephen Shoemaker claims that the revisionist school broke this paradigm and brought a new perspective to the field in 1977. Stating that the Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigm, which followed the standard Sunnī Qurʾānic history, blocked the field until the 1980s, Shoemaker criticizes Islamic narrations and does not take them as references. Shoemaker believes that the studies will not go beyond the Sunnī paradigm by using purely Islamic narrations. The author, who claims that the Qurʾān emerged and was written in a political environment, argues that historians should consider the works of the surrounding cultures. Shoemaker, who uses the historical criticism method used in holy book readings in the West, focuses on what happened to the Qurʾān rather than what the Qurʾān tells us. Is it possible to write the history of the Qurʾān by bypassing Islamic narrations? The main focus of this article is to reveal the answer to this question through Stephen Shoemakers work Creating the Quran. The work, published in 2022, was seen by Fred Donner as a milestone for the field and stated that everyone working in this department should read it. Our study will ultimately discuss the impasses of Shoemakers approach. In this context, the research will generally apply data collection, text, and discourse analysis methods.

 Research shows that Qurʾānic studies in the West have navigated away from the Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigm in recent years. By using this paradigm, Western thinkers attempt to write the history of the Qurʾān with the support of Islamic narrations. American orientalist Stephen Shoemaker claims that the revisionist school broke this paradigm and brought a new perspective to the field in 1977. Stating that the Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigm, which followed the standard Sunnī Qurʾānic history, blocked the field until the 1980s, Shoemaker criticizes Islamic narrations and does not take them as references. Shoemaker believes that the studies will not go beyond the Sunnī paradigm by using purely Islamic narrations. The author, who claims that the Qurʾān emerged and was written in a political environment, argues that historians should consider the works of the surrounding cultures. Shoemaker, who uses the historical criticism method used in holy book readings in the West, focuses on what happened to the Qurʾān rather than what the Qurʾān tells us. Is it possible to write the history of the Qurʾān by bypassing Islamic narrations? The main focus of this article is to reveal the answer to this question through Stephen Shoemakers work Creating the Quran. The work, published in 2022, was seen by Fred Donner as a milestone for the field and stated that everyone working in this department should read it. Our study will ultimately discuss the impasses of Shoemakers approach. In this context, the research will generally apply data collection, text, and discourse analysis methods.

 Son yıllarda Batıda yapılan Kuran çalışmalarının Nöldeke-Schwallian paradigmasından ayrıldığı görülmüştür. Bu paradigmada Kuran tarihi İslami rivayetlerden destek alarak oluşturulmaya çalışılmıştır. Amerikalı oryantalist Stephen Shoemaker, 1977 yılından itibaren revizyonist ekolün bu paradigmayı kırdığını ve alana yeni bir bakış açısı kazandırdığını iddia etmiştir. Standart Sünnî Kuran tarihini takip eden Nöldekean-Schwallian paradigmasının 1980lere kadar alanın önünü tıkadığını belirten Shoemaker, İslami rivayetleri eleştirerek referans almamıştır. Ona göre salt İslami kaynakları kullanmak çalışmaları Sünni paradigmanın ötesine taşıyamayacaktır. Kuranın politik bir ortamda ortaya çıktığını ve yazıldığını iddia eden müellif çevre kültürlerdeki eserlerin göz önünde bulundurulması gerektiğini savunmuştur. Batıda kutsal kitap okumalarında kullanılan tarihsel eleştiri yöntemini kullanan Shoemaker, Kuran bize ne diyor? sorusundan ziyade Kurana ne oldu? sorusu üzerinde yoğunlaşmıştır. Dolayısıyla Kuran tarihini İslami rivayetleri devre dışı bırakarak yazmak mümkün müdür? sorusu makalemizde cevaplandırılacaktır. Bu sorunun cevabını Stephen Shoemakerın Creating The Quran adlı eseri üzerinden ortaya koymaya çalışacağız. 2022 yılında yayınlanan eser Fred Donner tarafından alan için dönüm noktası olarak görülmüş ve bu alanda çalışma yapan herkes tarafından okunması gerektiği belirtilmiştir. Çalışmamızda nihai olarak Shoemakerın yaklaşımının çıkmazları ele alınacaktır. Bu bağlamda araştırmada genel olarak veri toplama, metin ve söylem analizi yöntemleri uygulanacaktır.

Article Details

The Possibility of Writing the History of the Qurʾān by Bypassing Islamic Narratives and Materials -Stephen Shoemaker Example

Authors:

Bayram Kara

Publisher:

Bartin University

Main Topics:

Tefsir

Journal:

Bartın Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 21, pp.116-138

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322228

pISSN:

2148-3507

Tafseer

Qurʾān

Stephen Shoemaker

Historical Criticism

History of QurʾānTefsir

Kur’an

Stephen Shoemaker

Tarihsel Eleştiri

Kur’an Tarihi

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Bayram Kara

Publisher: Bartin University

Main Topics: Tefsir

Journal: Bartın Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 21, pp.116-138

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 6/2024

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001322228

pISSN: 2148-3507

Issues

Authors:

Bayram Kara

Publisher:

Bartin University

Main Topics:

Tefsir

Journal:

Bartın Üniversitesi İslami İlimler Fakültesi Dergisi Issue 21, pp.116-138

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

6/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322228

pISSN:

2148-3507