A Critical Study of Orientalist's Views on Distortion as Addition in the Holy Quran

Distortion is an issue that questions the originality and credibility of any book or mode of discourse. Attributing distortion to the Holy Quran has the same negative implications. One instance of the latest claims of distortion in the Holy Quran is that of addition, which is not so long standing, as older scholars had mainly discussed such claims as incompleteness and change. However, in the last two centuries, orientalists have spread this specific claim, referring to as much as ten verses. This claim is based on the orientalists’ understanding of the Holy Quran’s texture, style, and content, in addition to their dependence on some sources on Islamic tradition, exegesis, and history. These claims are readily refutable relying on the same sources that have inspired such assertions. The present article attempts to critically analyze half of these so-called theories, in order to reassert the undisputable infallibility of the Holy Quran.