The dating of Qur'anic verses in British orientalism

The dating of the Qur'anic verses is one of the main issues of importance among the Western and Islamic scholars in the field of Qur'anic researches. This thesis examines how the verses of the Qur'an are arranged by British orientalists. The main purpose of the research is to determine the methods and preferences of them in chronology of verses. The thesis consists of three parts. In the first part, the birth and development of chronology studies of the Qur'an are given both in Western and Islamic World. The second part deals with five premier British orientalists' approach to the Qur'an. Starting from the lives and works of five British orientalists who have studied the Qur'an chronology are investigated. Afterwards, their list scheme of verses of the Qur'an is presented. In the third chapter, the different methodologies of dating of the verses are described and evaluated.