Thesis Summary
Shahrur calls for understanding the contemporary Sunna through Qur’anic vocabulary and standards derived from the Revelation, not through inherited sanctification. Thus, the Qur’an and reality become the two criteria for accepting a report or rejecting it.
Foundational Atoms
- Contemporary Sunna Is Read Through the Qur’an
- The Qur’an and Reality as the Criterion of Acceptance
- Qur’anic Approval Is Not Exclusive to the Companions
- Obedience Is to Law, Not to Coercion
Position of the Argument Within the Book
This meaning appears in the first section of the book within the discussion of Sunna and hadiths, and in the middle section when addressing reports that conflict with reality and with the Revelation.
Limits of the Reading
This formulation does not deny the role of transmitted reports, but it places them under the criterion of the Qur’an and rational understanding. Likewise, moving into the present remains constrained by the context provided by the author.