Western Orientalists' Biases

Western Orientalists, driven by their religious biases and political considerations, have been tirelessly working for centuries to distort the image of Islamic culture. These supposed "scholars" have not only twisted historical events and Islamic beliefs but have also actively perpetuated negative stereotypes about Muslims, portraying them as eccentric, backward, and irrational.

A neutral researcher, with a little effort, can reveal their non-innocent motives, lies, ignorance, and blatant deceit in a desperate attempt to erase the clear truths of Islamic heritage by examining some famous literary works.

Methods of Distorting Islamic Heritage

One of their most important methods in distorting this heritage is misinterpreting the Quran. They do this through the malicious use of the Western critical approach, which relies on doubt and skepticism about everything, raising all possible suspicions and clinging to them, defending them with all they have.

Examples of Orientalist Misinterpretations of the Quran:

• Jacques Berque: The French Orientalist interpreted the word "ṣibghah" in the verse:" Say, “Take Allah’s color, and who can give a better color than Allah? Therefore, we worship and submit to Him alone. “(Quran, Al-Baqara: 138), as "color"! The correct meaning of "ṣibghah" in the verse is religion, named so because its effect on its adherent is like the effect of dye on a garment, as it sticks and does not leave them like dye in the fabric.
• Arent Jan Wensinck: The Dutch Orientalist interpreted the word "ummi" in the verse: "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet." (Quran, Al-A'raf: 157) as "pagan"! It is clear that this interpretation is deceitful. The correct interpretation is that "ummi" refers to someone who does not read or write.
• James Bellamy: The American Orientalist intervened in interpreting the verse: "Indeed, you and what you worship other than Allah are the firewood of Hell." (Quran, Al-Anbiya: 98), claiming that "ḥaṣab" should be "ḥaṭab" (firewood). He suggested a scribal error where the vertical stroke for the letter "ṭa" was omitted, turning it into "ṣad". The verse actually speaks about the act of throwing, not fuel.
• Elijah Kola Akindele: The Orientalist and Christian pastor from the Jehovah's Witnesses sect translated the verse: "And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment." (Quran, An-Nur: 31) into Yoruba, suggesting it prohibits revealing a woman's thigh by crossing her legs. This is a misinterpretation, as it refers to the anklets worn by women on their feet.
• Claude-Etienne Savary: The French Orientalist misinterpreted the verse: "And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne, exalting Allah with praise of their Lord." (Quran, Az-Zumar: 75), claiming it means the angels are "barefoot"! The correct interpretation is "ḥāffīn" meaning "encircling".

Raising Suspicions about the Prophet and His Sunnah:

• Ignaz Goldziher: The prejudiced Hungarian-Jewish Orientalist claimed the Prophet's hadiths are merely a collection of previous beliefs and customs, a mix of Persian and Greek doctrines and rituals.

Comparing the Islamic veneration and exaltation of Allah with the Jewish view of God as "Azazel" (Quran, At-Tawbah: 30) who makes mistakes, gets angry, regrets, and rests, or the Christian belief in the Trinity, or the Magian polytheism, is baseless.

• Orientalists' Claims about the Prophet's Inclination Towards Women: This is a baseless accusation, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not marry out of desire or mere lust. His marriages had legislative, social, and compassionate purposes, attracting the leaders of tribes, teaching respect for women, and leaving behind mothers of believers to educate and teach women about the religion.
• Questioning the Authenticity of Hadiths: Orientalists claim most hadiths emerged from religious, political, and social developments in the first and second centuries, and are not authentic. For example, they falsely attribute the hadith: "Actions are only by intentions," to later developments.

They mistakenly believe Islam, the true religion, started simple and then evolved. However, the Quran states the completion of the religion before the Prophet's death: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion." (Quran, Al-Ma'idah: 3).

Dr. Mustafa As-Sibai stated in his book "The Sunnah and Its Place in Legislation" that the maturity of Islam in its early period is evident in how Caliph Umar managed the Persian and Roman empires better than their own kings, even though they were more advanced. If Islam were immature at that time, Umar could not have established justice, security, and happiness in those vast lands.

Humanity has not known and will not know a heritage greater than Islamic heritage. This is not a claim of superiority or excellence, but as Muslims and an Islamic Ummah, we are humans created by Allah. The greatness of our Ummah and its heritage lies in its foundation on the truthful revelation of the Quran, free from falsehood, and the purified Sunnah and noble biography of its Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).