The History of the Qurʾān by Theodor Nöldeke, Friedrich Schwally, Gotthelf Bergsträßer, and Otto Prietzl; edited and translated by Wolfgang H. Behn

Year 2014, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 251 - 257, 08.07.2015

Gabriel Said Reynolds

https://doi.org/10.12730/13091719.2014.52.111

Abstract

The History of the Qurʾān is the first English translation of the magnum opus of western Qurʾānic Studies, Geschichte des Qorāns. It includes English versions of the second edition of Theodor Nöldeke’s original (1860) work, as revised by Friedrich Schwally (commonly referred to as GdQ1; first published in 1909), “Die Sammlung des Qorāns,” by Nöldeke and Schwally (GdQ2; 1919) and “Die Geschichte des Koran-texts” (GdQ3 1926, 1929, 1938), begun by Schwally but finally written by Gotthelf Bergsträsser and his student Otto Pretzl (all three works were later published together: Hildesheim: G. Olms, 1970). In this review I will first reflect on the nature of the translation and then discuss the usefulness of this classical work of Qurʾānic Studies to contemporary scholars.

The History of the Qurʾān by Theodor Nöldeke, Friedrich Schwally, Gotthelf Bergsträßer, and Otto Prietzl; edited and translated by Wolfgang H. Behn

Abstract

The History of the Qurʾān is the first English translation of the magnum opus of western Qurʾānic Studies, Geschichte des Qorāns. It includes English versions of the second edition of Theodor Nöldeke’s original (1860) work, as revised by Friedrich Schwally (commonly referred to as GdQ1; first published in 1909), “Die Sammlung des Qorāns,” by Nöldeke and Schwally (GdQ2; 1919) and “Die Geschichte des Koran-texts” (GdQ3 1926, 1929, 1938), begun by Schwally but finally written by Gotthelf Bergsträsser and his student Otto Pretzl (all three works were later published together: Hildesheim: G. Olms, 1970). In this review I will first reflect on the nature of the translation and then discuss the usefulness of this classical work of Qurʾānic Studies to contemporary scholars.

Keywords

The History of the Qurʾān, Theodor Nöldeke, Friedrich Schwally, Gotthelf Bergsträßer, Otto Pretzl, Geschichte des Qorāns