What Is Attributed to Shahrur
Shahrur says: “Sound ijtihad is not outside the text, but within the text—specifically, in elaborating the muhkamat.” He thereby locates sound ijtihad within the text and links it to the elaboration of the muhkamat.
Atlas Explanation
This statement is read as defining the sphere of ijtihad: it is work within the text, not work separate from it. The page does not add an operational definition of “elaboration,” because the cited passage does not provide one.
Inference
The denial that ijtihad lies outside the text may be understood to mean that it does not grant ijtihad independence from the text. However, describing this as “creating independent legislation” is an inferential formulation, not wording quoted from the cited passage.
Open Question and Limits of the Evidence
What steps or criteria make the elaboration of the muhkamat sound ijtihad? This cited passage alone does not answer that question, nor is it sufficient to establish a detailed terminological connection between the muhkamat and the Mother of the Book.