Günter Lüling
Encyclopedia
Günter Lüling is a German
Protestant theologian, philological scholar (Dr. in Arabistics and Islamics) and pioneer in the study of early Islamic origins. From 1962 to 1965 he was the Director of the German
Goethe-Institut
in Aleppo
, Syria
.
and Martin Werner
, he attempted to demonstrate the textual link between pre-Islamic Christian
hymnody in the Middle East to the composition of the Qur'an
. He theorized that the early believers of what later became Orthodox Islam were originally one of the worldwide last communities sticking to the original, not yet Trinitarian Christian creed whose theological positions were adopted by later generations to become the purely Arab
ethno-centric
religion Islam (i.e. "religion of Abraham and the tribes"). He also proposed that the Meccan and Central Arabian adversaries of Muhammad, the "mushrikun", the "associators" or those who "associate" other gods to God, were Trinitarian Christians but who were in early post prophetic times reinterpreted as if having been "idolators" or "pagans". The far reaching implications of Lülings research has yet to be realized.
Although Lüling is rarely quoted, his ideas seem to have gained ground among European scholars. German Islam expert Tilman Nagel
acknowledged in a 2008 interview these views as a mainstream theory by observing that "(Western Islam research) has moved towards the other extreme: since the late 1970s you hear that 'the historic figure Mohammed is a fiction, the Qur'an was written and changed during centuries by anonymous writers'. Some Islam experts even believe that the first Muslim community was a Christian Syriac sect". Nagel then refutes this idea, which he considers erroneous.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Protestant theologian, philological scholar (Dr. in Arabistics and Islamics) and pioneer in the study of early Islamic origins. From 1962 to 1965 he was the Director of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
in Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Thesis
A student of Albert SchweitzerAlbert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
and Martin Werner
Martin Werner
Martin Werner is a partner at Goldman Sachs, and director general of the firm's operations in Mexico.In 1994, Werner was appointed assistant director of telecommunications in Mexico's Zedillo administration. When the Mexican economy plummeted, the Ministry of Finance hired Werner as Undersecretary,...
, he attempted to demonstrate the textual link between pre-Islamic Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
hymnody in the Middle East to the composition of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. He theorized that the early believers of what later became Orthodox Islam were originally one of the worldwide last communities sticking to the original, not yet Trinitarian Christian creed whose theological positions were adopted by later generations to become the purely Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ethno-centric
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one's own. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with...
religion Islam (i.e. "religion of Abraham and the tribes"). He also proposed that the Meccan and Central Arabian adversaries of Muhammad, the "mushrikun", the "associators" or those who "associate" other gods to God, were Trinitarian Christians but who were in early post prophetic times reinterpreted as if having been "idolators" or "pagans". The far reaching implications of Lülings research has yet to be realized.
Although Lüling is rarely quoted, his ideas seem to have gained ground among European scholars. German Islam expert Tilman Nagel
Tilman Nagel
Tilman Nagel is a German Orientalist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Göttingen. The author of numerous books including The Koran and Timor the Conqueror is recognized as one of the world's leading experts in Islamic Studies, particularly theology and history...
acknowledged in a 2008 interview these views as a mainstream theory by observing that "(Western Islam research) has moved towards the other extreme: since the late 1970s you hear that 'the historic figure Mohammed is a fiction, the Qur'an was written and changed during centuries by anonymous writers'. Some Islam experts even believe that the first Muslim community was a Christian Syriac sect". Nagel then refutes this idea, which he considers erroneous.
See also
- Michael CookMichael Cook (historian)Michael Allan Cook is an English-Scottish historian and scholar of Islamic history. He has co-authored a book with Patricia Crone, notably Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World....
- Patricia CronePatricia CronePatricia Crone, Ph.D., is a scholar, author, Orientalist, and historian of early Islamic history working at the Institute for Advanced Study. She established herself as a major challenger to the established narrative of the early history of Islam.- Career :Patricia Crone completed her...
- Fred DonnerFred DonnerFred McGraw Donner is an Islamic scholar and Professor of Near Eastern History at the University of Chicago.-Early life:Donner was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where he attended public schools...
- Tilman NagelTilman NagelTilman Nagel is a German Orientalist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Göttingen. The author of numerous books including The Koran and Timor the Conqueror is recognized as one of the world's leading experts in Islamic Studies, particularly theology and history...
- Gerd R. PuinGerd R. PuinGerd Rüdiger Puin is a German scholar and an authority on Qur'anic historical orthography, the study and scholarly interpretation of ancient manuscripts. He is also specialist in Arabic paleography...
- John WansbroughJohn WansbroughJohn Edward Wansbrough was an American historian who taught at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies . Wansbrough's emphasis was on the critique of traditional accounts of the origins of Islam...