Biography of Motzki

Harald Motzki grew up by his parents; Gunther and Brunhilde. He was born in Berlin,
Germany, on 1948, when Hitler empire collapsed.

Motzki got his undergraduate programe in Bonn University. He choose a Commparative

Religion cluster as his object studies and got a master at 1974. Cause of his big attention on
Islamic Studies theme made Motzki continue his doctoral program on the same theme. Then
he made an academical contact with Prof. Dr. Albrecht Noth.1 Under Noth supervision, Motzki
finished his dissertation which titled Dimma und Egalite. Die Muslimichen Minder Heiten
Agyptens in der Zweiten Halfte des 18 on 1978.

The dissertation made a wide attention among Hadith scholars in Germany. Most of them gave
a positive comment about that. Meanwhile, some small group of scholars still refused his idea.
After that, he continued his studies into Postdoctoral programe. Finally, he finished his
postdoctoral programe with a research namelly Die Anfamge der Islamichen Jurisprudenz. Ihre
Enwitcklung in Mekka bis zur Mitte des 2/8 Jahrhunderts.

This research got a rise out of attention of many hadith scholars. Some seminar and public
discussion held for discussed his research. On 1991, the research published as a book in
Stuttgart, Germany. Then the book translated into English language on 2002 in Leiden and
Boston with titled The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence. Meccan Fiqh before The Classical
Schools.

His academical carrier started on 1989 at Hamburg University. He have a class and teached a
students. Then got an academical position as a professor on Islamic Studies in Radboud
University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.2 His position started at 1991 and ended at 2011.

As a lecturer, Motzki have a partner in Radboud University, Kees Versteheg.

1
Prof Dr. Albrecht Noth was a lecturer in Bonn University. He made many research about Islamic Styudies
especially on study of text. There are some research by him: a book titled The Early Arabic Historical Tradition:
a Source-Critical Study (Germany edition: Quellenkritische Studien zu Themen, Formen und Tendenzen
fruhislamicher Geschichtsuberlieferung) which wroten with Lawrence I. Conrad. Look out, Albrecht Noth and
Lawrence I Conrad, The Early Arabic Historical Tradition: a Source-Critical Study, (Michael Bonner, Studies in
Late Antiquity and Early Islam, 1973), Princenton; Darwin Press
2
Beberapa peneliti tentang Motzki sebelumnya hanya mencantumkan nama Universitas Nijmegen saja.
Setelah peneliti lacak secara lebih mendalam, ternyata nama lengkap Univeristas tersebut adalah Radboud
University Nijmegen (dalam Bahasa Belanda dikenal dengan nama Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen atau juga
Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen. Didirikan pada tanggal 17 Oktober 1923 di salah satu kota tertua di Belanda.
Universitas ini pernah mengalami serangan parah pada saat perang dunia kedua dan menewaskan banyak
akademisi disana.
 1. Works of Motzki

There is an articles which titled “The Jurisprudence of Ibn Shihab al Zuhri: A Source-Critical
Study”. This articles published on journal Der Islam vol 68 at 1991. This articles also published
in Germany version; “Der Fiqh des Zuhri: Die Quellenproblematik”. This articles tried to
critized theory of Schacht which said al Zuhri (transmitter) as a fabrigator or fictious. Motzki
tracked the early hadith collection which contained al Zuhri as a transmitter. He succesfully
recontructed all chain link of informan of al Zuhri such as teacher and student of al Zuhri.
Motzki also comparated the data from hadith collection with data in Sirah.

On 2000, this articles translated into English version by Prof. Sergio Noja Noseda. Draft of
translation published on Journal Taquino-Taqwim (Rivista del Centro Interdipartemente di
Scienze dell Islam “re Abdulaziz” dell Universita Bologna. Pooli and Vivian Reid also
translated this articles into English version and published on Radboud University website.

This articles can found in Turkish version which titled “Bati’da Hadis Calismararinin Tarihi
Seyri” (published on 2010 in Istanbul) and Arabic version which titled “Bidayat al Fiqh al
Islami wa Tatawwaruhu fi Makka” (published in Beirut on 2010).

Another articles which titled “Whither Hadith Studies?” was published on Journal Der Islam
vol 73 at 1996. The original title is; “Quo Vadis Hadith Forschung? Eine Kritische
Intersuchung von G. H. A Juynboll: ‘Nafi the Mawla of Ibn Umar and his Position in Muslim
Hadith Literature’”. This articles discussed the methods and thought of Juynboll about hadith
authenticity especially case of Nafi (transmitter). He explained all pieces of ‘tecnical word’ of
Juynboll methods such as “genuine and seeming common link”, “single strand”, and “dive”.
Motzki also tested Juynboll methods to some case of isnad of hadith. In the end, he evaluated
case of Nafi with his own theory, isnad cum matan.