This is a lexicon entry that gathers the terminological meaning of this term in Shahrur across his various books, and connects its multiple uses.
This entry belongs to Shahrur’s lexicon. For reading by theme, see Shahrur’s major themes and shared concepts.
Meaning in Shahrur
The ambiguous is what cannot have its meaning settled directly, and is therefore referred to interpretation rather than direct independent reasoning. It is the field of inquiry in which one is asked to gather the relevant verses and refer the meaning back to the objective truth or rational law; hence interpretive disagreement arises within it.
Distinctions
- It differs from the determinate, because the determinate is handled by direct independent reasoning and is not referred to interpretation
- It differs from traditional exegesis or general reading; the ambiguous requires interpretation that links it to other verses and to a rational structure consistent with reality.
Places in his books
- The Mother of the Book and Its Detail: the ambiguous is the field specific to interpretation in Shahrur, not direct independent reasoning. Its function is to be referred back to objective truth or rational law, and it is therefore linked to interpretive disagreement and to the need to gather the relevant verses
What is adjacent to it and what distinguishes it from it
- interpretation
- The Mother of the Book and Its Detail presents a project for reconstructing the understanding of the Qur’an, religion, and legislation on contemporary foundations
- independent reasoning pertains to the determinate verses
- rational interpretation turns the unseen into knowledge consistent with reality
- interpretation is specific to the ambiguous
- interpretation is the cause of disagreement
- interpretation pertains to the ambiguous verses
- the distinction between the determinate and the ambiguous distributes independent reasoning and interpretation methodologically
- the Qur’an is reclassified structurally
- contemporary reading requires a new interpretive method that goes beyond traditional exegesis
- the Book and the Qur’an are distinct
- the determinate and the ambiguous each have their own elaboration