احادیثِ نبوی ﷺ پر استشراقی تحقیقات، منہجی اصول اور فکری مباحث کا جائزہ

Orientalist Studies on Prophetic Ḥadīth, A Critical Inquiry into Methodological Principles and Intellectual Debates

Abstract

This study critically examines the intricate landscape of Orientalist research on Prophetic ḥadīth, exploring the methodological foundations, analytical frameworks, and intellectual assumptions that have shaped Western engagements with the Islamic tradition. By tracing the evolution of historical-critical approaches, assessing skepticism toward isnād and textual transmission, and evaluating claims regarding socio-political influences on ḥadīth formation, the paper highlights both the strengths and limitations of Orientalist discourse. It further analyzes the responses of Muslim scholars who, through rigorous hadith sciences, have articulated alternative epistemic models that challenge reductive readings of the tradition. Positioned at the intersection of classical scholarship and modern academic critique, the study identifies the broader intellectual impacts of Orientalist methodologies on contemporary Muslim thought, reformist trends, and global Islamic studies. The concluding reflections outline emerging research trajectories, emphasizing interdisciplinary tools and renewed methodological balance in future ḥadīth studies.