امور وحی سے متعلق امریکی مستشرقین کے فکری رجحانات کا جائزہ

A review of the intellectual trends of American orientalists regarding matters of revelation.

Abstract

This study explores the intellectual trends of American orientalists concerning the concept of wahy (revelation) in Islam. Revelation, as understood in Islamic theology, is the divine communication through which Allah conveys His message to His chosen prophets. While Muslim scholars regard wahy as a transcendental and metaphysical reality beyond human comprehension, American orientalists have approached it from secular, psychological, and historical perspectives. Thinkers such as William James, Montgomery Watt, and John Wansbrough interpret revelation not as a supernatural event but as a subjective, spiritual, or socio-cultural phenomenon. They argue that the Prophet Muhammad’s revelatory experiences reflect intense inner consciousness, poetic creativity, or social reformist inspiration rather than direct divine speech. These interpretations align with the broader Western intellectual tradition that seeks natural explanations for religious experiences. However, such views often overlook the internal coherence, transformative power, and divine authenticity claimed by Islamic revelation. The study critically examines these orientalist perspectives, highlighting their methodological biases, epistemological limitations, and their divergence from the Qur’anic worldview. It concludes that while American orientalists have contributed to expanding the academic study of revelation, their analyses remain confined within humanistic frameworks that fail to grasp the transcendent essence of wahy as a divine-human encounter central to Islamic belief.