Ismail Cerrahoglu’s Approaches to Orientalism and the Orientalists in his Studies on the Exegesis Of Qur’an (Tafsīr)

Oriental studies in the West including the Islamic studies progressed remarkably in 19th century. In this period, it can be clearly seen that the orientalists who pursued their studies in the field of Islamic studies focused especially on the issue of the source of Islam and Qur’an. The quality of some orientalist works specifically led them to be considered as “studies that can’t be ignored” and perceived as “the sources of reference”. In this context, the field of Theology as well as the exegesis of Qur’an (tafsīr) had their share in this perception, and the researchers began referring to the oriental studies. In this article, we will try to discuss and evaluate the approaches of Ismail Cerrahoglu, who is considered as one of the “doyen” scholars of tafsīr field in our country, to the oriental studies as well as his views concerning the orientalists. That Cerrahoglu is a leading tafsīr academician in Turkey adds to the importance of this article in our opinion in terms of tracing the initial course of the reactions against the orientalists in the field of tafsīr