Concept Hub: the Muḥkam

Attributed to Shahrur

Shahrur says: “1. The muḥkam Book, that is, the set of muḥkam verses, for which he gives a specific definition: it is the Mother of the Book: {Among it are verses that are muḥkam; they are the Mother of the Book}.”

He adds: “The muḥkam verses are the set of rulings that came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and which contain the rules of human conduct: ‘the lawful and the unlawful.’”

In distinguishing between the components of the Revelation, he says: “The Book is everything contained between the two covers of the muṣḥaf, whereas the Qur’an is its mutashābih part.” Within his terminology, this entails that the muḥkam and the Qur’an should not be treated as synonymous.

For the detailed entry, see: the muḥkam; and for the Qur’anic context on which this classification is built: Āl ʿImrān 7.

Atlas Explanation

The page does not make “the Mother of the Book” and “the muḥkam” synonymous beyond the formulation established by the text: the Mother of the Book is the set of muḥkam verses, and “the muḥkam Book” is Shahrur’s designation for this set.

Synthetic Inference

This definition implies that the practical question in reading the muḥkam according to Shahrur is not: is the expression self-evidently clear? Rather, it is: does the verse, in his classification, fall within the set of rulings that he calls the Mother of the Book? This is an organizational inference drawn by connecting his definition of the muḥkam to its function in rulings, not an additional definition beyond his text.

Open Question and Limits of the Evidence

The existing page points to claims concerning the “elaboration of the muḥkam” and ijtihād, including the elaboration of the muḥkam is a domain of ijtihād and the muḥkam does not admit ijtihād. However, the evidence provided for this page does not settle the form of the relationship between the muḥkam and ijtihād or elaboration; therefore, reference to the pages for these claims remains necessary before reaching a comprehensive conclusion.

Likewise, the presence of a critique of analogical reasoning in juristic analogy does not extend to Qur’anic narratives does not establish, on the basis of the evidence available here, that it is part of the definition of the muḥkam itself.

Related Paths

The following lists preserve the links on the existing page. A link alone does not establish that its content is part of the definition of the muḥkam; paths requiring independent examination do not settle the open question concerning ijtihād or elaboration.

Direct Definitions and Relations

• Shared entry: the muḥkam
• Glossary: the muḥkam
• The muḥkam in The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration
• The muḥkam in Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism
• Āl ʿImrān 7
• The Mother of the Book means the set of muḥkam verses
• The muḥkam represents the Mother of the Book
• The Book and the Qur’an are distinct
• The muḥkam and the mutashābih each have their elaboration
• The distinction between the muḥkam and the mutashābih methodologically distributes ijtihād and interpretation

Connected Paths Requiring Independent Examination

• Ijtihād pertains to the muḥkam verses
• The muḥkam does not admit ijtihād
• The elaboration of the muḥkam is a domain of ijtihād
• Elaboration rests on a methodological distinction
• The distinction between the muḥkam and elaboration
• Qur’anic legislation requires contextual elaboration
• Rituals fall within elaboration
• Collecting verses to understand the muḥkam
• A methodical reading of the text gathers verses and rearranges elaboration around interpretation
• Elaboration is a domain of human ijtihād
• Messengerhood is the domain of fixed rulings
• The structure of revelation and disciplined historical interpretation prevent the transformation of religion into violence
• Terrorism is the product of a rigid historical reading

Related Claims

• Juristic analogy does not extend to Qur’anic narratives
• The accusation of borrowing from Nestorianism is not well-founded
• Juristic analogy does not extend to narratives
• The verses of the Mother of the Book explain prohibitions
• The verses of elaboration explain prohibitions
• Attention to the semantic dimension of texts
• Interpretation froze the movement of knowledge
• Interpretation is specific to the mutashābih
• Interpretation is the cause of disagreement
• Understanding changes according to the problematique
• The Qur’an is structurally reclassified
• The contemporary reading dismantles the mediating role of tradition
• A report of momentous news becomes ordinary news through interpretation
• The contemporary reading requires a new interpretive method that transcends traditional exegesis
• Rational interpretation transforms the unseen into knowledge consistent with reality