Orientalism in sweden and the perception of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

This dissertation examines how the conception of the Prophet Muhammad was shaped within Swedish Orientalist knowledge production. It analyzes how Swedishlanguage sources referred to the Prophet, which sources they used, and how these narratives circulated in academic, pedagogical, and public contexts. The study situates Swedish Orientalism within the broader European Orientalist legacy, while showing its distinctive formation through Uppsala and Lund universities, manuscript collections, translation activities, history of religions scholarship, textbooks, and public debates. Methodologically, it combines historical-comparative textual analysis with representation analysis. Its main sources are Swedish Qur’an translations, sira and shamaʾil literature, encyclopedia entries, textbooks, travel writings, popular publications, and academic studies, examined as far as possible on the basis of primary sources. The findings show that the Prophet is presented both as a recipient of revelation, moral guide, and source of the Sunnah, and as a founder of religion, lawgiver, political leader, reformer, or historical figure subject to psychological explanation. The study also shows a shift from harsh polemical language to academic and pedagogical narratives, while prophethood is often reconstructed within historical, philological, or psychological frameworks. It further considers the impact of this conception on Muslim religious life, educational processes, public sensitivities, and Christian-Muslim relations. The dissertation argues that the conception of the Prophet Muhammad in Sweden should be read through representation, impact, and transformation.