Comparative Analysis of the Concept of Qur’anic Legislative Inimitability: An Approach to the Perspectives of Muslim Qur’an Scholars and Orientalists

Abstract

“Legislative inimitability” (Iʿjāz Tashrīʿī) — as one of the less frequently explored dimensions of the Qur’an’s miraculous nature — has, in contemporary times, gained significant attention among Qur’an scholars in response to the doubts raised by Orientalists and modern intellectuals regarding the comprehensiveness and originality of Qur’anic laws. The aim of this study is to analyze the concept of legislative inimitability, examine its evidences and characteristics from the viewpoint of Muslim thinkers, and investigate the critical and supportive approaches of Orientalists on this subject. This research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach. Data were collected through a library study of classical and contemporary Qur’anic exegeses, works on Qur’anic sciences, and writings of Orientalists. The views were then categorized, and the arguments of both groups were analyzed and critically evaluated. Findings reveal that Muslim scholars, citing evidences such as the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) illiteracy, the comprehensiveness, permanence, moderation, and harmony of Qur’anic laws with human nature, emphasize the miraculous character of Qur’anic legislation. In contrast, Orientalists can be divided into two groups: some, acknowledging the grandeur of the Qur’an’s legal system, have praised it; while others have raised doubts such as alleged borrowings from previous religious laws (Judaism and Christianity) or from pre-Islamic Arab customs, thereby challenging its originality. This study shows that the raised doubts mostly stem from disregarding the unity of the revelatory source of the Abrahamic religions or from inaccurate historical analyses. The arguments provided by Muslim theologians to demonstrate the independence and superiority of Qur’anic legislation are of strong rational and evidentiary weight. Legislative inimitability represents an effective and dynamic dimension of the Qur’an’s miraculous nature, capable of providing rational defense not only against historical critiques but also in response to the contemporary legal and social needs of humankind. Proper elucidation of this aspect of inimitability can greatly contribute to strengthening religious conviction and demonstrating the superiority of the Islamic legal system.