Thoughts of Selected Orientalists on Hadith )In the light of Articles Published in HEC Approved Journals(

حدیث سے متعلق منتخب مستشرقین کے افکار کا جائزہ (ایچ ای سی کے منظورشدہ مجلات کی روشنی میں)

Abstract

Orientalism is the concept that there is something very special and different about the thoughts of those living in the East, which can be discovered through the methods of scholarship current in the West. It reflects the relationship of imperial and intellectual domination of a West which feels it is superior to an 'inferior' East. This often results in an understanding of Islamic philosophy which sees the latter as essentially unoriginal, derivative and of only historical interest. While orientalists have produced interesting and important works, most fail to appreciate the independent status of the material which they analyze. In an Islamic context, the Orientalists can be described as a group of non-Muslim authors, particularly from the West, using the traditional western ideology to study Islam. Orientalists targeted Islam from all sides according to their own goals and their own mental level, and who possessed certain moral values or a sense of justice appreciated some of the teachings. Orientalists misrepresented Muhammad's personal life, revelation, his family, Ahl-al Bayt, Companions, the Holy Qur'an and the principles of the Qur'an, hadiths, polygamy, slavery and jihad. Prophet Muhammadﷺ is the only source of Islam and we have received the religion of Islam through him in the form of proven Qur'an and Sunnah.  This article highlights the thoughts of  prominent orientalists in Uloom ul Hadith of Joseph Shakht’s theory by the narrator and Muta Imam Malik ,William Albert’s objection concerning Hadith Qudsia, Harald Motzki’s review on Hadith ,Goldziher’s  integrity of Rijal ul Hadith, and Critical analysis of Reynold Alleyne Nichoson.This article is meant to expose their partiality on the basis of true facts.An impartial criticle study about the undeniable thoughts and principles of Islam has been presented for the readers. This paper, though an introductory review of important hadith scholars to expected to provide the readers with a basic framework for further ventures.