MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

Montgomery Watt and His View On Wahy

Introduction
Abdullah Ibn Amr reported that the Holy Prophet said: Allah will not take away
knowledge by taking it away from the servants, but He will take away the learned[1] . This
paper will discuss briefly on Montgomery Watts treatment of wahy, and authenticity of wahy in
Islam. Since after the Medievel age, thousands of orientalist has been working hardly,
systematically, and creatively to produce a lot of works about Islam with prejudice and unfair
conclusion. This phenomenon is a result of conflict between The West and Islam where the basis
of this clash is religion. It is exactly this relationship which inspires a permanent intense of
ideologically fabricated misunderstandings between Islam and Christianity, leading to the
increase of dramatic confrontation on these two religions.[2] Those who works on Islam by the
Westerners are known as Orientalism. According to Said (1929) , Orientalism is anyone who
teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient either in its general aspect, is an Orientalist and
what he or she does is Orientalism. [3]
This paper will discuss about Watts biographical background consists of his life,
education, experiences, and works. Watt is acknowledged as a leading European authority on
Islam and the Prophet at the present time. Professor William Montgomery Watt is one of the
most famous scholars especially in field of Islamic studies. Watt is acknowledged as a leading
European authority on Islam and the Prophet at the present time. He has died in age of 97
(24th October 2006). The most famous three books written by him focus on one person that is
The Prophet Muhammad, acknowledged by experts to be classics in the field. [4]
Montgomery Watts Life Sketch
Watt was born in Ceres, Fife where his father died when he was 14 months old. His father
was a Minister. He was educated at George Watsons College, Edinburgh and continued taking
1 Narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim
2 Ferid Muhic, Dialogue of Civilizations Through The Corridors of Faith and Mind, Knowledge,
Language, Thought & The Civilization of Islam, (Johor Bharu: UTM Press, 2010), pg. 200.

3 Edward W. Said, Orientalism, (New York: Vintage Books, 1929), pg 204.

4 Carole Hillenbrand, article on Professor W. Montgomery Watt, Edinburgh Middle East Report Online,
Winter 2006

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

degree at Edinburgh and Oxford Universities where he took three degrees in six years. In year
1937, Watt discovered Islam that took him to a Muslim lodger, KA Mannan, a veterinary student
from Pakistan. According to Watt, he began to learn something about Islam that he had been
largely ignorant about it. But then Watt wrote that stated the dominant impression was that I
was engaged not merely in arguing with this individual but in confronting a whole, century-old
system of thought and life[5].
This discovery also has led him to the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, George Francis
Graham Brown. Brown has become the father figure to Watt, who agreed to join him in
Jerusalem as his chaplain, working on the intellectual approach to Islam. He was fast-tracked
through Cuddesdon Theological College in a year and obtain Deacon in 1939. He was appoint in
1940, and after St Marys was closed because of bomb damage, Watt returned to Edinburgh to
finish his training as a curate at Old St Pauls, and begin work on his doctoral thesis, Free Will
and Predestination in Early Islam.[6]
Returning to Scotland in year 1946, Watt became a lecturer in Arabic at Edinburgh,
University where he remained there until his retirement in 1979. He was given a personal lead in
Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1964. Watt wrote 30 books and scores of articles. He was a well
known figure in the history of Edinburgh University Press, establishing the highly successful
Islamic Surveys series in 1962 to bring the subject to a wider readership, and writing seven
books for that press, all which are still in print and are amongst the bestsellers. His other books
have been translated into a vast line of other languages. Watt was awarded many academic
honors. He had visiting Professorships at the University of Toronto, the College de France, and
Georgetown University, and received the American Giorgio Levi Della Vida Medal and was the
first recipient of the British Society for Middle Eastern studies award for outstanding
scholarship.
Among his works are The Faith And Practise Of Al-Ghazali (1953), Muhammad At
Mecca (1953), Muhammad At Medina (1956), Muhammad : Prophet And Statesmen (1961),
Islamic Philosophy And Theology (1962), Islamic Political Thought (1968), Islamic Surveys:
5 see website : www.alastairmcIntosh.com, An interview with the Last Orientalist - the Rev Prof
William Montgomery Watt by Bashir Maan & Alastair McIntosh
6 Carole Hillenbrand, op.cit.

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

The Influence Of Islam On Medieval Europe (1972), The Majesty That Was Islam (1976), What
Is Islam(1980), Muhammads Mecca (1988), Muslim-Christian Encounters: Perceptions And
Misperceptions (1991), Islamic Philosophy And Theology (1987), Islamic Creeds (1994),
History Of Islamic Spain , Islamic Political Thought (1998), And A Christian Faith For Today
(2002) [7]. Watts stated that he doubted the appropriateness of conversion and felt that those of
all faiths should collaborate in friendship to firm the tide of materialism and secularization. He
was not afraid to express his radical theological opinions. He often thought on the question of
what influence his study of Islam, had influence on him in his own Christian faith. As a direct
result, he came to argue that the Islamic emphasis on the uncompromising oneness of God had
caused him to reconsider the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which is vigorously attached in the
Quran as undermining true monotheism.[8]
His aspirations to the highest degrees of objectivity are apparent in statements like I am
not a Muslim in the usual sense, though I hope I am a Muslim as one surrendered to God;
but I believe that embedded in the Quran and other expressions of the Islamic vision are vast
stores of divine truth from which I and other occidentals have still much to learn[9]. This
statement projects his love towards knowledge and truth, even though some of his views on
Islam are controversial and absolutely contradict to the reality of Islam.
Watts Treatment Of Wahy
In several works of Watt, he has arrived at some conclusion about wahy. Major points
raised by him that will be discussed here are: (1) wahy is a projection of Prophets ideas of socioreligious reforms arising out of his time, environment and circumstances[10]; (2) wahy is derived
from the ancient Arab (pagan) poet has been influenced by the ideas and facts of other religions
such as Christianity, Jews and Zoroastrians which existing in Arabia at the
time; (3) the wahy does not mean verbal communication of a text, but suggestion or inspiration
to give out the Qur`an and Jibril A.S was introduced at a later stage as a conveyer of wahy;
and (4) Satan has outsmarted the Prophet by putting into his mouth some polytheistic ideas.
7 See website : www.wikipedia.com/williammontgomerywatt
8 see website : www.alastairmcIntosh.com, An interview with the Last Orientalist, op.cit.
9 W. Montgomery Watt, What Is Islam, pg. 21.
10 W. Montgomery Watt, What Is Islam, pg. 223. See also W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad: Prophet
and The Statesman, pg. introduction, see also pg. 19-20.

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

Watt admitted some similarities between wahy (which he mentioned as the work of the
Prophet) and works of mans creative imagination such as drama and poetry in the sense that
both type of works have a wide appeal and producing material from the collective unconscious.
Ushama (2012) mentioned [11] that Watt has arrived at conclusion that Prophet Muhammad SAW
may have been mistaken in believing the Qur`an to be a divine message and described the
Qur`an as the Product of Creative Imagination.[12]
The fact is wahy is neither the sudden visions of great poets and artists claim for
themselves; nor the apostolic inspiration of the writers of sacred scripture; nor the illuminative
intuition of the sages and people of discrimination.[13] Israr Ahmad Khan put a question for this
allegation: if it was Muhammad himself who developed the book, why he did not, the attribute
it to his name?[14] Prophet would have undoubtedly hailed by his compatriots as well as the
world today as the most remarkable literary genius for producing the work with extraordinary
language and messages.
Watt seems to have accepted the view the continuance of pre-Islamic (Jahiliah) attitudes
happened in the Qur`an as he try to find similarity of messages in both the Qur`an and the pagan
poetry[15] Also, he try to make conclusion that Qur`an in the earliest passage have no assertion
on the truth that there is no divine being but God. He claimed that in the early time of Islam, the
doctrine of monotheism is unclear and admiration for superior culture like the people of Syria
and Iraq (who believe in one God) and influence of Judaism and Christianity made the
acceptance of monotheism become easier.
Firstly, as mentioned by M. Mohar Ali, for Muhammads emergence as Prophet must
have been marked by something new and better on his part than what was already known. None
would pay any attention to him and become his followers if his ideas were not clearly in advance

11. Thameem Ushama, Issues in The Study of The Qur`an, (Kuala Lumpur: Ilmiah Publisher,
2002), pg. 71
12. W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad: Prophet and The Statesman, (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1948), pg. 15

13. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Prolegomena, pg. 6

14. Israr Ahmad Khan, op.cit, pg. 16
15 W. Montgomery Watt, What Is Islam, pg. 23

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

of those of the enlightened Meccans.[16] Secondly, the message of Tawhid and its principles in
the Qur`an is very clear as mentioned for instance in Surah al-Ikhlas(Qur`an: 112) and surah alKafirun (Qur`an: 109). Thirdly, it is clear that Islam by its nature was conscious of his own
identity from the time of its revelation.[17]
When it appeared on the stage of the world history, Islam is already mature, needing no
process of growing up to maturity. Al-Attas stressed that wahy religion (revealed religion) can
only be that which known itself from the very beginning and that self-knowledge comes from
wahy itself, not from history. Israr Ahmad Khan argued that the Qur`anic account of many
stories is essentially different from the Biblical account, in many respect.[18] Also, the Qur`an
states clearly about the differences between Islam and Judeo-Christian traditions and religions.
[19]
Wahy maybe of different types depending on the nature of the matter communication.
Watt(1988) mentioned there is no mention of Gabriel (Jibril A.S) in the Qur`an until the
Medinan period.[20] According to M. Mohar Ali, Watt invoked the opinion of Karl Ahrens who
said that there is no mention of Jibril in the Meccan passages of the Qur`an. Actually, Watt has
misinterpreted the Qur`anic terms, words and passages. Jibril is mentioned several times in the
Qur`an (especially in Meccan passages) by several names which refers to the Archangel Jibril
A.S such as Rasul Karim[21] and al-Ruh.[22]
Both names are refers to the same individual whom mentioned as the conveyer
of wahy who is also described as al-amin[23] and (nazzala bihi al-ruh al-amin) which means
faithful and having been employed as a messenger by God. Moreover, the specific mention of
him by name Jibril as a conveyer of wahy can be found for example in surah al-Baqarah(2): 97.

16 . Muhammad Mohar Ali, op.cit. pg. 216

17 . Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Prolegomena, pg. 4
18 . Israr Ahmad Khan, op.cit, pg. 49
19 . Surah al-Baqarah(2): 135
20 . W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988), pg. 16
21 . Surah al-Takwir(81): 19
22 . Surah al-Qadr(97): 4, Surah al-Maarij(70): 4, Surah al-Naba(78): 38
23 . Surah al-Syuara(26): 193

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

Watts most controversial view is his theory of Satanic versus.[24] He claimed

that ayah 19-23 of surah al-Najm is those verses. Watt said that: it is assumed in Islam that all
such satanic modifications in the Qur`an have been discovered and corrected[25] and
Satan had managed to slip in the false versus of the first version without Muhammad noticing
it...[26] However the Qur`an already stated that it is impossible.[27] According to Israr Ahmad
Khan, the incident involving those versus is totally different with the story rose by Watt. He
corrected Watt as in 5A.H., when a number of early Islamic community took refuge in Abbysina,
Prophet after having received the complete surah al-Najm (the Qur`an: 53) from Allah, recited it
to a large audience comprising the companions and non-believers. In the end as the last word
demand for doing prostration, Prophet made it and followed by the others including the nonbelievers. The Quraysh, later on felt ashamed of their joining in doing prostration to Allah with
Prophet S.A.W, and to wash off this stigma fabricated the story that they follow the later in
prostration because they heard Prophet Muhammad praising their idol.[28]
Israr Ahmad Khan also in his commentary to this matter said that almost all the
Orientalists described the Prophet as a genius, but Muhammad S.A.W as an intelligent person
cannot realize the nature of the two opposite messages which one is apparently Satanic versus
and the other is genuinely divine versus: the former appreciates the Arabs chief goddesses and
the latter condemn them as falsehood. These two views are too distinct to escape even an
ordinary persons mind. [29]
Concept Of Wahy In Islam
God sends His words to His creation through an imperceptible message called as wahy.
The imperceptible message has played a role in the formation of Islamic civilization and also like
many other concepts in terminology of Islam. Wahy has also be part of victim to the countless
misunderstanding. In the ancient as well as the modern period, people were continuously
occupied in generating ambiguity on the overall concept, background and forms of wahy.
24 . W. Montgomery Watt, What Is Islam, pg. 46
25 . W. Montgomery Watt, What Is Islam, pg. 223. See also pg.42
26 . W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman, pg. 61
27 . Surah al-Haqqah(69): 44-46
28 . Israr Ahmad Khan, op.cit, pg. 50
29 . Ibid. pg. 51

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

There are many false perception and accusations. It is due to the result of totally incorrect
statements made about Islam in the West and spread in the East either being a systematic
condemnation or is based on ridiculous evidence. There are many fabricated truths and the most
dangerous was that the Quran was authored by the Prophet. According to the western scholars
the Prophet invented its wording and formulated its style. The true perception of wahy must be
explained to others and it will help one to understand the position of Islam in the middle of other
philosophies and way of life.
According to Ali (1983) the literal meaning of wahy, , derives from the root or semantic
meaning of surah (quickness or promptness) and khafyah (secrecy). These two meanings
describe the real nature of wahy as it is revealed through human prophets and messenger.
Literally the word wahy also derives from aiha which is means revelation, inspiration, quick
signal, and natural instinct. The lexical meaning of the Arabic word wahy is the secret inspiration
that is felt only by the one who inspires and the other who is inspired. The Quran has used this
word both for instinctive inspiration by Allah to His creation in general and for the revelation
towards His prophets in particular.[30]
As mentioned by Israr Ahmad Khan, wahy means communication. It is taken by verbs
from ahwa that is for instances, denotes sentence of he communicated. Communication is
the backbone of life. It provides the means through which people can communicate to learn from
one another and exchange ideas in organizing normal life in which groups and individuals can
live in peace, harmony, security and prosperity.[31] According to Omar Jah, the first meaningful
line of communication to help men organize life on earth came in a dialogue between God and
the Angles, when Allah communicated to them His decision to appoint a khalifah to be entrusted
with responsibility, to administer the affairs of creatures on earth, to maintain law and order, to
establish peace, security and harmony.[32]
The Khalifah appointed by Allah is properly equipped with divine knowledge to
differentiate truth from falsehood in belief, right from wrong in judgement and good from evil in
action. This was wahy (the divine message) communicated to all Messenger of Allah. The Holy
30 . Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Quran: Translation and Commentary, (U.S.A: Amana Corporation
Maryland, 1983)

31 . Israr Ahmad Khan, op.cit, pg. 35-36

32 . Omar Jah, op.cit, pg. 92-93

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

Qur`an says O ye the Messenger of Allah, do communicate what is being sent to down you, if
you do not, you would not have fulfilled your mission.[33] Wahy also bring the meaning that it is
certainly message from the heaven (Allah). This meaning agreed by Muhammad Abduh, who is
according to him wahy it is a sublime knowledge (irfan) imported in ones heart (qalb) with
absolute conviction and also it must be from Allah.
Furthermore, the wahy in the meaning above may be derived either through a
medium (wasitah) and it is therefore audible in nature by using a voice or it may be without a
medium and it was therefore requested directly to the heart of prophets. It is inaudible that is
mean without a voice (Ushama, 2002) .[34] Watt described that Muslims take what is revealed to
human beings is also called as the word of God. The Arabic term is kalam, and this can be
correctly translated speech, since it also being used for Gods attribute to speech,
while kalima represented the single word.[35]
Meanwhile, Al-Attas refers wahy as speech of God concerning Himself, His creation,
the relation between them, and the way to communicated to His chosen Prophet and Messenger,
not by sound or letter, yet comprising all that He has represented in words, then conveyed by the
Prophet to the mankind in the linguistic form new in nature (Arabic Language of Qur`an) yet
comprehensible, without confusion with the Prophets own subjectivity and cognitive
imagination. This wahy is final, and it not only confirms the truth of preceding revelations in
their original forms, but includes their substance, separating the truth from cultural creation and
ethnic inventions.[36]
Islamic perspective towards divine revelation is that God has not only created human
beings, but also continually guided them by raising series of prophethood since time recorded
history starting with Adam and ending it with the last Prophet Muhammad SAW and it stated that
every prophet or messenger must have received revelation (wahy) from God, which His divine
guidance (huda or hidayah) directing people to lead their lives in accordance with the absolute
33 . Surah al-Maidah (5): 69
34 . Thameem Ushama, Issues in The study of The Quran, (Kuala Lumpur: Ilmiah Publisher, 2002), pg.
44-46

35 . W. Montgomery Watt, Islam and Christianity today: A Contribution to Dialogue, (Edinburgh:

University of Edinburgh Press, 1991) chap. 4, pg introduction

36 . Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Prolegomena, pg. 6

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

command of God. The command is of two kinds, that it is the instructions (al-awamir) and the
prohibitions (al-nawahi). Those who believed and obeyed the command are believers, and those
who rejected are condemned as unbelievers.
Wahy is the primary way of Allah's communication with mankind. The word 'Wahy' is
used in the Qur'an in many different ways. Allah did not mention only on human being but He
references the whole thing logic and very clearly which related with human life. For example, as
an indication of the natural laws of nature when Allah says that He inspired in each heaven the
natural order (Fussilat: 12). In the of people when they have life without law or boundary, it will
lead them.
Montgomery Watt argues that only Muhammad's sincerity can explain his "readiness to
endure hardship and harassment during the Meccan period when from a secular point of view
there was no prospect of success.[37] To carry on in the face of harassment and opposition would
have been impossible for him unless he was fully persuaded that God had sent him.[38]
Montgomery Watt also presents the following possibilities for the sources of Qur'an.
Sometimes he [Muhammad] may have heard the words being spoken to him, but for most
part he simply seems to have "found them in his heart". Whatever the precise "manner of
revelation" and several different 'manners' were listed by Muslim scholars the important point is
that the message was not the product of Muhammad's conscious mind. He believed he could
easily distinguish between his own thinking and these revelations. His sincerity in this belief
must be accepted by the modern historian, for this alone makes convincing the development of a
great religion. The further question, however, whether the messages came from Muhammad's
unconscious, or the collective unconscious functioning in him, or from some divine source, is
beyond the capability of the historian.[39]
According to Islamic scholar Muhammad Shafi Usmani, God has created three media
through which humans receive knowledge: mens senses, the faculty of reason, and the divine
37 . Watt, Muhammad the prophet and the statesman, p.232
38 . Watt, Muhammad the prophet and the statesman, p.17
39 . Cambridge History of Islam, p.31

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

10

revelation; and it is the third one that addresses the liturgical and eschatological issues, answers
the questions regarding God's purpose behind creating mankind, and acts as a guidance for the
mankind as to choosing the correct way. As mention in Gods verse, Quran is guidance for
mankind and the distinction between right and wrong (2;185). Thus, it is very strong evidence to
support that actually, the prophet has been received wahy from God. The prophet of Islam did
not just have imagination and dream like what has illustrated by Montgomery Watt above. Then,
wahy also provides direction to help mankind judge between right and wrong, halal and haram,
warning and harmful; man would surely be in loss.[40]
How Do Prophets Disclose Wahy
As mention in the Quran ;It is not fitting for a man that God should speak to him except by
inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending of a messenger to reveal with Gods permission
what God wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise (Ash-Shura 42:51).[41] To explain, this verse
means that God does not hold a face-to-face talk with any human. The divine message comes to
the prophets through the angel Gabriel. There are other exceptional cases like Abraham (peace be
upon him) getting Gods message in a dream or Moses (peace be upon him) hearing God
speaking to him from behind a burning bush.
According to Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet used to go to a quiet
place ; in the Cave of Hiraa where he used to worship Allah alone continuously for many days
before he desired to see his family. He used to take with him food for the stay and then come
back to his wife Khadijah to take his food again, till suddenly the truth descended upon him
while he was in the Cave of Hiraa.
While he was in the Cave of Hirra, the angel came to him and asked him to read. The
Prophet replied, I do not know how to read. The Prophet added in his report: The angel caught
me [forcibly] and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and
again asked me to read and I replied, I do not know how to read. Thereupon he caught me
again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and
again asked me to read, but again I replied, I do not know how to read (or what shall I read?).
40 . Introduction" (PDF). Maariful Quran.
41 . Ash-Shura 42:51

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

11

Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: Read,
in the name of your Lord, who created, created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the
most bountiful.[42]
When the Prophet was forty years old, he was become the messenger of God, about the
nature of the revelation, the Prophet is reported to have said: Sometimes it is revealed like the
ringing of a bell, this form of inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I
have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me
and I grasp whatever he says. [43]
After the Messenger of God has received wahy, he was encouraged his companions to
learn as many verses as possible. And what is more, whenever a revelation came, he called for a
scribe and dictated it to him. He becomes a teacher among his companions and he used to
explain the meaning of quran clearly and taught with deep detail to them. He was careful to
keep the revealed verses safely recorded.
Consequently, the Quran was available in written form during the Prophets own time. It
is clear from this verse, which says what means:this is indeed a Qur'an most honorable, in a book
(kitab) well-guarded, which none shall touch but those who are clean: a revelation from the Lord
of the worlds.[44]
Conclusion
From our brief survey, we can see that William Montgomery Watt (Watt) is one of the
westerners whose works (most of them) are systematically and scientifically written about Islam.
As stated by Said (1929) : Orientalism is anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the
Orient either in its specific or its general aspect, is an Orientalist, and what he or she does is
Orientalism.[45] Watt was absolutely belongs to them. However, his statements, theories,
interpretations and assumptions about Islam at certain extent look contradict with the truth and
reality of Islam , its Holy Prophet, its Holy Scripture, and Islamic themes including wahy, which
have became our primary subject of this paper.
42 . Hadith narrative : Al-Bukhari and Muslim
43 . Hadith narrative : Al-Bukhari
44 . Al-Waqi`ah 56:77-80
45 . Edward W. Said, Orientalism, (New York: Vintage Books, 1929), pg 204.

MONTGOMERY WATT AND HIS VIEW ON WAHY

12

About wahy, it is clear to us that it is a medium of communication between God and

mankind. Wahy project the worldview of Islam which is the information of the absolute truth and
reality. Wahy is a kind of mans behavioral and spiritual needs. Man stands almost identical to
animals without those wahy. Lastly, based on this survey, we arrived at the conclusion that Watt
was a very famous figure in Islamic studies especially in the West but his criticism to Islam and
its themes especially wahy is invalid, contradictory and irrelevant as it is disable to show the
nature of Islam itself unlike the believe of true Muslim. Hence, as a Muslim, we have to search
for the true knowledge from authentic and reliable people and sources especially in the world
today. [46]

46 . Narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim