Christoph Luxenberg

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Christoph Luxenberg is a German scholar and professor of ancient Semitic and Arabic languages [1]. He is the author of The Syro-Aramaic Reading Of The Koran: a contribution to the decoding of the language of the Qur'an (2007)), and several articles in anthologies about early Islam.

Luxenberg came into the public eye in the years after 2000, following the publication of his first book (at least the first one under this pseudonym) The Syro-Aramaic Reading Of The Koran which asserted that the language of the early compositions of the Qu'ran's is not exclusively Arabic, as assumed by the classical commentators, but rather is rooted in the Syrio- Aramic dialect of the 7th century Meccan Quraysh tribe which is associated in the early histories with the founding of the religion of Islam. Luxenberg’s premise is that the Aramaic language ­ prevalent throughout the Middle East and during the early period of Islam was the the language of culture and Christian liturgy ­ and had a profound influence on the scriptural composition and meaning of the contents of the Koran. [2]


Pseudomnymous author

Christoph Luxenberg is pseudonymic name which may be a play on the "destroyer of myths"[3] Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, since Lux (Latin) translates as Licht (German)[3]. Luxenberg himself claims to have chosen a pseudonym "...upon the counsel of Arab friends, after these became familiar with my work theses"[3], to protect himself against possible violent repercussions[4], since Suliman Bashear, who voiced similar theories at the An-Najah National University in Nablus, was thrown out of the window by his scandalized Muslim students.[5]

The real identity of the person behind the pseudonym remains unknown. The most widely circulated version[3][6][7] claims that he is a German scholar of Semitic languages; Other claims, mostly (but not exclusively, see: [8]) in internet blogs, include him being Lebanese, or having no knowledge of Arabic, being no scholar at all, or being a Christian missionary.[9]

Views on the Qur'an

Main article: The Syro-Aramaic Reading Of The Qur'an

Luxenberg remarks that the Qur'an contains much ambiguous and even inexplicable language, and asserts that even Muslim scholars find some passages difficult to parse and have written reams of Quranic commentary attempting to explain these passages. However, the assumption behind their endeavours has always been that any difficult passage is both true and meaningful, and that it can be deciphered with the tools of traditional Muslim scholarship. Luxenberg accuses Western academic scholars of the Qur'an of taking a timid and imitative approach, relying too heavily on the work of traditional Muslim scholars.

Luxenberg argues that scholars must start afresh, ignore the old Islamic commentaries, and use only the latest in linguistic and historical methods. He argues that Muhammad was preaching concepts that were new to many of his Arab hearers, concepts that Muhammad had learned from his conversations with the Arabian Jews and Christians, or from the Christians of Syria (where he is believed to have traveled). Hence, if a particular Quranic word or phrase seems meaningless in Arabic, or can be given meaning only by tortured conjectures, it makes sense -- he argues -- to look to the Aramaic and Syriac languages as well as Arabic.

Traditional Islamic commentary generally limits itself to Arabic lexicology; Luxenberg is proposed to expand the number of languages to be consulted. Luxenberg also argues that the Qur'an is based on earlier texts, namely lectionaries used in the Christian churches of Syria, and that it was the work of several generations to adapt these texts into the Qur'an we know today.

Bibliography

  • Luxenberg, Christoph (2000) -- Die Syro-Aramäische Lesart des Koran: Ein Beitrag zur Entschlüsselung der Koransprache. Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler. ISBN 3-89930-028-9.
  • Luxenberg, Christoph (2004) -- Weihnachten im Koran. in Streit um den Koran, Die Luxenberg Debatte: Standpunkte und Hintergründe Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler. 2004. ISBN 3-89930-067-X.
  • Luxenberg, Christoph (2004) -- Der Koran zum Islamischen Kopftuch: in: imprimatur, issue 2/2004,
  • Luxenberg, Christoph (2005) --Neudeutung der arabischen Inschrift im Felsendom zu Jerusalem. in Die dunklen Anfänge, neue Forschungen zur Entstehung und frühen Geschichte des Islam Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler. 2005. ISBN 3-89930-128-5.
  • Luxenberg, Christoph (2007) -- Relikte syro-aramäischer Buchstaben in frühen Korankodizes im hejazi- und kufi- Duktus. in Der frühe Islam Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler. 2007. ISBN 3-89930-090-4.
  • Luxenberg, Christoph (2007) -- The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran - A Contribution to the Decoding of the Koran. Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler. 2007 ISBN 3-89930-088-2.

Interviews

References

  1. ^ The Virgins and the Grapes: the Christian Origins of the Koran
  2. ^ Giving the Koran a history: Holy Book under scrutiny Critical readings of the Muslim scripture offer alternative interpretations of well-known passages ,"Luxenberg asserts that Koranic Arabic is not Arabic at all, at least not in the sense assumed by the classical commentators. It is written, rather, in the dialect of the Prophet’s tribe, the Meccan Quraysh, and heavily influenced by Aramaic. Luxenberg’s premise is that the Aramaic language ­ the lingua franca of the Prophet Mohammed, the language of culture and Christian liturgy ­ had a profound influence on the Koran. Extensive borrowing was necessary simply because at the time of the Prophet, Arabic was not yet sophisticated enough for scriptural composition."
  3. ^ a b c d "Keine Huris im Paradies". Die Zeit. 2003-05-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Template:De icon
  4. ^ "Low profile for German Koran challenger". Reuters. 2004-11-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "The Virgins and the Grapes: the Christian Origins of the Koran". La Repubblica. 2004-03-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Radical New Views of Islam and the Origins of the Koran". New York Times (mirrored at rim.org[1]). 2002-02-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "The Koran As Philological Quarry" (PDF). Goethe Institute.
  8. ^ Francoise de Blois. "Review of "Die syro-aramäische Lesart..."". Journal of Qur'anic Studies, Vol. V, Issue 1, 2003, pp. 92-97 (mirrored at Aismika Allahuma - Muslim responses to Anti-Islam-Polemics).
  9. ^ Richard Kroes. "Missionary, dilettante or visionary?". Livius - Articles on Ancient History.

See also

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