Motzki’s Argument

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Motzki’s argues that Muslim accounts of the history of the Qur’an are much earlier and much nearer to the “time of the alleged events” than assumed by non-Muslim scholars. In order to do this, Motzki meticulously sets up his thesis by first identifying a fundamental problem between Muslim scholars and non-Muslim scholars when studying the Qur’an.

1. Muslim scholars consult the Qur’an for legal and theological questions.

2. Non-Muslim scholars study the Qur’an as a historical text—a document of early Islam and Muhammad’s preaching.

By following the approach of non-Muslim scholars, Motzki reveals their methodological errors, which opens space for his thesis that dismisses over one hundred years of scholarship.