The Decisive

The decisive is the fixed part of the Qur’anic structure, and it does not admit ijtihad in its original form. In Shahrur’s view, elaboration and ijtihad belong to explaining the decisive and applying it, not to overturning it or re-founding it.

• The verses of the Mother of the Book explain prohibitions
• The verses of elaboration clarify prohibitions
• The verses of elaboration explain prohibitions
• The Mother of the Book is the basis 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 present 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 and functions of the Qur’anic text
• 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
• Boundary-based legislation makes application variable within the constants of the Mother of the Book
• Legislation responds to changing reality
• Distinguishing between the decisive and the elaboration
• Distinguishing between the decisive and the ambiguous methodically distributes ijtihad and interpretation
• Ritual observances fall under elaboration
• The Qur’an is reclassified structurally
• The contemporary reading requires a new interpretive method that goes beyond traditional exegesis
• A systematic reading of the text gathers the verses and rearranges elaboration around interpretation
• The Book and the Qur’an are distinct
• The Qurashian idiom and the reclassification of the Book establish a precise semantic structure for the text
• The decisive does not admit ijtihad
• The decisive and the ambiguous each have their own elaboration
• The decisive verses do not admit ijtihad
• The elaboration of the decisive is the field of ijtihad
• Gathering the verses to understand the decisive

Cross-book concept: See The decisive for the unifying theme across the books.