Universal Purposes of the Islamic Law and Exegesis Methodologies

Summary

This lecture aims to rekindle critical thinking within the current discourse in the Arab and Islamic World. The lecture makes a link between traditionalism (aṣālah), and renewal (tajdīd) with a view to preserving Islam’s intellectual and legal heritage, while allowing for the deriving new rulings through contemplative and critical study. In doing so it falls in line with the Qurʾānic methodology in cohesively fusing between human understanding and law, between life and knowledge, and methodology and direction.
In this lecture, Dr. Hassan Jabir highlighted the challenges faced by the Qurʾān interpreters in trying to arrive at the meanings intended by the Law-Giver. This is great challenge due to the nature of the Qurʾān being an open book, where the interpreter faces various meanings across a number of complex fields.