A Contextual Approach to Qurʼānic Interpretation in the Modern Era

Abstract

The contextual approach to Qurʼānic interpretation has gained tremendous scholarly attention in the modern era. Contextual approach is a form of interpretation to understand Qurʼānic concepts in socio-political contexts for linking certain Islamic concepts and modern socio-political values, thus bridging the gap between the two. There is a strong need to explore the trends and transformations in the history of contextualization. This library-based research is focused to understand how Contextual approach to Qurʼānic interpretation can enable Muslims to follow Qurʼānic teachings according to the contemporary needs while keeping the fundamental Qurʼānic values intact. The research extends the concept of contextualized Qurʼānic interpretation further by relating it to the instrument of Ijtihād and explains that how the contextual approach to Qurʼānic interpretation can be applied to revitalize the spirit of Ijtihād.By highlighting the significance of socio-historical context to understand the universality or specificity of the Qur'anic message in various circumstances, the needs that justify the application of a contextual approach to Qur'anic interpretation will be discussed.The researchhighlighted the views of several neo-modern scholars about various issues and shows that early and neo-modern Muslim scholars adopted a new paradigm for Qur'anic interpretation based on a contextual approach to address the problems brought on by the demographic, social, culturaland politicaldevelopments of the modern world.