A Critique of Orientalist Objections Regarding the Qurʾān’s Brevity Style: Lammens, Goldziher, and Sale

Brevity (known as ījāz in Arabic) is the art of expressing ideas concisely, using as few words as possible while maintaining clarity. In the context of the Qurʾān, brevity is considered a miraculous and rhetorical style employed for various purposes, including facilitating easy and quick comprehension, conserving time, and concealing meaning from outsiders. Some early Orientalists have criticized the Qurʾān, arguing that its brevity has resulted in incomplete or insufficient sentences in certain verses. However, it is important to recognize that these objections were often driven by a desire to undermine the truth and authenticity of the Qurʾān’s divine revelation. This research aims to explain, analyze, and critique the rhetorical objections raised by these Orientalists regarding the brevity style of the Qurʾān. By utilizing a descriptive-analytic method and adopting a critical approach, this article defends the sanctity of the Qurʾān against Orientalist misgivings and argues that it was indeed revealed by God. The article addresses the objections raised by Orientalists such as George Sale, Henri Lammens, and Ignác Goldziher regarding the rhetorical style of the Qurʾān. The author contends that the Qurʾān possesses the utmost eloquence and rhetoric. The claims made by Orientalists in this regard are influenced by their own goals, intellectual assumptions, and different notions of Islamic studies. These notions include assumptions about the Qurʾān’s human origin, as well as its influence from the social environment and the culture of its time. The methodologies employed by these Orientalists in their Qurʾānic studies often exhibit superficiality, partiality, illusionism, and a lack of accurate information regarding the intricacies and nuances of the Qurʾānic language. In some cases, their motivations may even be hostile.