سیرتِ رسولﷺ پر مستشرقین کے اعتراضات اور ان کا رد(ضیاءالبنی کا اختصاصی مطالعہ)

Objections of The Orientalists on The Biography of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and their Answer (A Specific Study of “Dhia Al-Nabi”)

Abstract

From the very inception of Islam, while there were individuals who made sacrifices to embrace and propagate the religion, attempts to obliterate it were also evident, persisting in various forms to this day. Alongside Muslim scholars, Western researchers, referred to as Orientalists, have also studied Islamic sciences. Some pursued research with purely academic objectives, while others harbored ulterior motives. Orientalists critiqued the Qur’an, Hadith, the life of the Prophet ﷺ, Islamic beliefs, and civilization, often targeting the Islamic system. Their primary focus was the personality of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Muslim biographers have critically analyzed the objections raised by Orientalists and provided reasoned responses. Among these scholars, Pir Muhammad Karam Shah Al-Azhari stands out, as he comprehensively addressed Orientalist objections in the sixth and seventh volumes of his work Zia-un-Nabi.

This paper aims to examine the objections of Orientalists considering Zia-un-Nabi and understand the nature of the responses provided. Through an analytical research methodology, the study will identify the ways in which Orientalists criticized the life of the Prophet ﷺ and how the author of Zia-un-Nabi countered those critiques. Based on the findings of this research, recommendations will be formulated, which will prove beneficial for the study of Orientalism.