A Comparative Analysis of T. Nöldeke and I. Goldziher: Towards a Shi‘ite Interpretation

In historical Islamic studies, specifically in the field of Quranic re‐ search in the West, the names of two scholars stand out: Ignác (or Ignáz) Goldziher and Theodor Nöldeke. Although the subjects which these two re‐ searchers investigated have undergone changes, nonetheless, their view‐ points are still noteworthy and various current approaches can be seen to be rooted in their theories. Shi‘ite commentary on the Quran is one of the topics which both Goldziher and Nöldeke considered. But although they addressed the same subject, differences in their methods of analysis are discernible. Evaluating a subject of study by using different approaches is a prominent characteristic of Goldziher’s studies.