Challenging the verdict of epigonality: A study of late antique judeo-christian literature traces in the quran

Abstract

Is the Quran an epigonic text? In other words, does the Quran rely on Late Antique JudeoChristian literature for its stories, figures, and themes? This article examines the widely debated claim among Western scholars that the Quran is an epigonic work, borrowing from prior religious texts, and aims to critically assess this assertion. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, many Western Orientalists argued that the Quran was constructed through selective borrowing from Judeo-Christian literature. Key figures promoting this view include Abraham Geiger, Michael Cook, and Christopher Luxenberg. However, from the latter half of the 20th century onwards, there has been a significant shift in Western academic perspectives on the Qur'& amacr;n, with increasing recognition of its originality and theological independence. Scholars like Sidney Griffith and Joseph Witztum argue that while the Quran may have adapted stories from earlier religious traditions, it reinterprets them within a distinct theological framework, exhibiting originality. Although certain Quranic narratives bear similarities to Jewish and Christian sources, their recontextualization within the Quran highlights the text's unique theological message. This paper challenges the notion of epigonality by examining the Qur'& amacr;n's originality and its divine origins in light of recent academic discourse.