W. Montgomery Watt

The Reverend W. Montgomery Watt
Watt (right), being interviewed by Ali Akbar Abdolrashidi.
Born	William Montgomery Watt (1909-03-14)14 March 1909 Ceres, Fife, Scotland
Died	24 October 2006(2006-10-24) (aged 97) Edinburgh, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish
Title	Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies
Academic work
Discipline	Oriental studies and Religious studies
Sub-discipline	Arabic History of Islam Muhammad Islamic Philosophy Islamic theology
Institutions	Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem University of Edinburgh
Notable works	Muhammad at Mecca (1953) Muhammad at Medina (1956)

William Montgomery Watt (14 March 1909 – 24 October 2006) was a Scottish Orientalist, historian, academic, and Anglican priest. From 1964 to 1979, he was Professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Edinburgh. He was also a contributor to the field of Quranic studies.

Watt was one of the foremost non-Muslim interpreters of Islam in the West, and according to Carole Hillenbrand "an enormously influential scholar in the field of Islamic studies and a much-revered name for many Muslims all over the world". Watt's comprehensive biography of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Muhammad at Mecca (1953) and Muhammad at Medina (1956), are considered to be classics in the field.^[1]