What does the claim mean here?
This does not mean that, in this reading, the verses prescribe a single, specifically defined form of dress. Rather, they establish a minimum requirement for clothing, expressed in the cited passage as covering the concealed pockets. For the broader context, see Muhammad Shahrur: Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence.
What is attributed to Shahrur
The cited passage attributed to Women, Family, and Dress states that the verses of Surat al-Nur make covering the concealed pockets the basis of the minimum requirement for dress, and denies that they imposed “one absolute form of hijab.”
Atlas explanation
This presentation distinguishes between two matters: the minimum requirement for dress identified by the cited passage, and the designation of a single outward form as hijab. This does not in itself introduce a new definition of hijab or dress; the atlas retains these terms within their established boundaries: The verse of Light sets a minimum for dress and leaves the rest to custom.
Conclusion
Elsewhere, Shahrur stated that custom is “what society has come to recognize and approve.” This general principle may explain why diversity is possible after rejecting a single form; however, the available citation does not establish that this connection was made here in those terms, or that it determines any particular detail of women’s dress.
Open question and limits of the evidence
The available citation does not explain in detail what is meant by the phrase “concealed pockets,” nor does it provide an applied criterion for translating it into specific forms of dress. Moreover, the citation on custom is general to commands and prohibitions, rather than being specific to dress; it is therefore insufficient on its own to establish that everything beyond the stated minimum is left to custom and choice.
Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence · The verse of Light sets a minimum for dress and leaves the rest to custom