evolution process of the orientalist’s views concerning origins of the qur´n

in two recent centuries, orientalism has undertaken to study academically some issues in which western scholars interested. during this period they have markedly paid attention to islam and the quran. the necessity of presenting theories through valid and scientific methods and readiness for accepting logical criticisms from rival theories, were two characteristics of this period of orientalism. thus, the qur'anic studies made by the recent orientalists are different from what has been done before. the originality of the qur'an in comparison with other religious texts was one of the fields about which the western qur'an researchers have made some works. the presupposition of many of the orientalists is that the qur'an is a human made work and the prophet mohammad has used the previous learning and historical reports for creating the qur'an. however, the orientalists do not think the same in this respect. this paper seeks the following aims: first, to let the readers be familiar orientalists' works and their historical process; second, to state transformation of their ideas and their disputes and third, to analyze their theories.