This is a glossary entry that gathers the technical meaning of this term in Shahrur’s work across his various books, and connects its multiple usages.
This entry belongs to the Shahrurian glossary. For reading by theme, you can refer to Shahrur’s major themes and shared concepts.
The meaning in Shahrur
The decisive is the fixed part of the revelation that serves as the referential foundation in the Qur’anic structure; it includes the limits, commands, prohibitions, and obligations, and establishes a legislative domain that cannot be overturned by ijtihad. The role of ijtihad lies in understanding it, elaborating it, and applying it, not in re-establishing it or turning it into a field for free interpretation.
Distinctions
- It is not identical to the ambiguous verses; interpretation pertains to what admits multiple possibilities, whereas the decisive has a fixed meaning and binding referential authority
- It is not the same as elaboration itself; elaboration explains the decisive and applies it, and does not alter its basis or remove its fixity.
Passages from his books
- The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration: the decisive is the fixed part of the Qur’anic structure, and its basis is not open to ijtihad. In Shahrur’s view, elaboration and ijtihad take place in explaining the decisive and applying it, not in overturning it or re-establishing it
- Draining the Sources of Terrorism: the decisive is the fixed part of the revelation that represents the Mother of the Book and includes the limits, commands, prohibitions, and obligations. Its importance lies in the fact that it establishes a fixed legislative foundation, in contrast to the space of ijtihad and variation in understanding and elaboration.
What accompanies it and differs from it
- The verses of the Mother of the Book explain the prohibitions
- The verses of elaboration clarify the prohibitions
- The verses of elaboration explain the prohibitions
- The Mother of the Book is the foundation of the Muhammadan message
- The Mother of the Book establishes a boundary-based and civil legislation that restricts prohibition and frees ijtihad
- The Mother of the Book is the decisive verses
- The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration presents a project for rebuilding the understanding of the Qur’an, religion, and legislation on contemporary foundations
- Reclassifying the Book and the Mother of the Book organizes the structure of the Qur’anic text and its functions
- Ijtihad in the elaboration of the decisive verses
- Ijtihad pertains to the decisive verses
- Interpretation is the cause of disagreement
- Interpretation pertains to the ambiguous verses