A General Overview of W. Montgomery Watt's Approach to the Qur'an

Abstract

In this study, we scrutinized the approach to the Qur'an of one of the leading Western Islamic scholars of the 20th century, W. Montgomery Watt (d. 2006) from the perspective of method and mentality analysis. We illustrated that the historical-critical methods, having a dominant effect on the Qur'anic studies of that period, also influenced Watt's evaluations on the Qur'an. In this context, we detected that Watt applied historical-critical methods to such subjects as the meaning of the Qur'an, the textualization process of the Qur'an, the probability to establish the chronological order of the verses, the style of the Qur'an and the nature of the revelation. On the other hand, we put the fact that Watt had a dialogue centered approach to the Qur'an, highlighting the Muslim-Christian dialogue. We revealed that this concern not only affected his style but also the methods he applied.