He is asking about reinterpreting the Qur’an and Sunnah to suit the age

Praise
be to Allah

The call to interpret the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s
Sunnah in a manner that is appropriate for our modern era may be right or it
may be wrong. In other words, it may be understood in a proper way or in a
wrong way, depending on what the questioner intends thereby, and depending
on whether its aims and goals are genuine (Islamic) or are alien ideas.

If the aim is to reinterpret what is proven and clear (of
Islamic beliefs and principles) in such a way as to make them drift from the
original, definitive meaning, and twist the meanings and objectives of these
principles in such a way as to suit the people’s changing whims and desires,
thoughts and ideas, then in that case the purpose behind it (reinterpreting
basic Islamic beliefs and principles) is undoubtedly wrong. That approach
will never stop at cancelling the Qur’anic text and concealing its light
only; rather it will go beyond that to cancelling the reason through which
we think and understand what we read and hear.

That is because language, which is something common to all
people and which may vary from one region to another, is a trustworthy
transmitter of goals and meanings, and is the basic means of communication
between people. This is something clear in people’s minds and hearts. So
whoever hears praise from some person, or lampooning, or criticism, or a
command or prohibition, in a clear statement, with a clear meaning, then it
makes no sense to understand it as the opposite of the meaning indicated by
the language and to change its meaning in a manner that is appropriate to
his environment, as he claims. So he understands praise as criticism, a
command as a prohibition, a true report as something imaginary, and so on,
for that interpretation will lead to real confusion and loss.

Why do such people want to interpret the Qur’an and Sunnah in
such a manner, when they know that the basic objectives of the Qur’an are
stated in clear texts, and cannot be undermined by interpretations that are
based on illusions, and cannot be changed by the interpretations of those
who have ulterior motives?

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning):

“And thus have We sent it (the
Qur’an) down to be a judgement of authority in Arabic. Were you (O Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) to follow their (vain) desires
after the knowledge which has come to you, then you will not have any Walee
(protector) or defender against Allah”

[ar-Ra‘d 13:37]

“And indeed We have put forth
for men, in this Qur’an every kind of similitude in order that they may
remember.

An Arabic
Qur’an, without any crookedness (therein) in order that they may avoid all
evil which Allah has ordered them to avoid, fear Him and keep their duty to
Him”

[az-Zumar 37:27, 28].

The knowledge and guidance with which the Qur’an and Sunnah
were sent down is guidance that is based on fundamental principles and
sublime goals, that enable man to learn about the reason for his existence
and the purpose of his creation, and the nature of his relationship with his
Creator, may He be glorified and exalted, and what will happen after death
of the resurrection and reckoning; it explains to people the path of virtue,
good manners and noble values. Moreover it is based on the objectives of
sharee‘ah, which aim at protecting people’s essential and fundamental needs.
In the Qur’an and Sunnah we also find stories of the Messengers and Prophets
who carried the torch of light throughout human history, and examples of the
sacrifices that they made, and what they had to endure of suffering and
persecution at the hands of their nations and peoples, so that these stories
might offer lessons for all subsequent generations, in order that humanity
will not forget the purpose of their existence, which may be summed up in
the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“Who has created death and life,
that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty,
the Oft-Forgiving”

[al-Mulk 67:2].

It is the right of all people to question in this regard what
would be changed of these great basic principles with the change of time and
place.

How can it be possible to turn around these holistic
objectives to suit our time and present, when they are – in their content
and wording, and in their nature – fixed and original values that are not
subject to change with changes in time, place and circumstances. Rather
these objectives are well-established in the messages of all the Messengers
and Prophets, and will remain so until Allah inherits the earth and all who
are on it.

What this (the call to reinterpret the religious texts)
implies is that the Islamic texts, and the commands and prohibitions they
contain, were only addressed to the people who lived at the time when the
revelation was sent down, or whose situation is similar to that of those
among whom the Qur’an was revealed. As for those who came after them and
lived in a world different from theirs, these Islamic texts are not
applicable to them.

When people’s circumstances and way of life in general change
– as is the case with people nowadays – then (as this call implies) these
rulings that are included in the Islamic texts are not applicable to them,
whether in terms of commands or prohibitions, and (it implies that) they may
interpret the texts in a manner other than the original meaning, and live
their lives accordingly, and regard this new interpretation as the correct
understanding of the religion in their case, just as the original
interpretation represented the correct understanding of the religion in the
case of those who were addressed at the time of revelation.

One of those who have this mentality said: The Qur’anic
attitude towards women was an attitude that was connected to a particular
era, and these rules and regulations were appropriate for a particular era.
It is very possible that such rulings and regulations may not be suitable to
be applied in the era in which we live. [Hiwaar hawla Qadaayaa Islamiyyah,
by Iqbaal Barakah, p. 102].

Another one said: We know that the ancient religious texts
were not disconnected from the ancient societies, and that the system of
rule, the status of women, man’s rights and duties, and the relationship
between religion and political authority in these texts is an expression of
the reality of ancient societies, that no longer exists and there is no
longer any need for it.

Some of them think that the rules and regulations that have
to do with worship and business dealings were dictated by the simple
environment of the Hijaz at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him), and they are not connected to any other environment.
[Islam Bayna ar-Risaalah wa’t-Taareekh by ‘Abd al-Majeed ash-Sharafi,
p. 61]. So man today is not obliged to adhere to these rules and
regulations, as a result of the new circumstances he is living in, and when
the Qur’an addresses people (“O people…”), what is meant by the people here
is the first community that surrounded the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and that heard the Qur’an from his lips for the first
time. [al-Fikr al-Usooli by Arkoon, p. 30].

One of them said: Similarly, it is appropriate here to
re-examine some Islamic rules and regulations that were appropriate at that
time, but we cannot imagine implementing them nowadays, after the
development of international political thought, foremost among which is what
is known as fiqh ahl adh-dhimmah (jurisprudence regarding non-Muslims
living under Muslim rule)…. There is no way to implement this chapter of
fiqh which was produced in particular circumstances in the past.

He also demands re-examination of some economic shar‘i rules
and regulations that were introduced in response to a social reality that is
completely different from our contemporary reality, foremost among which is
that which has to do with bank dealings that form the basis of contemporary
economics, such as returns on capital that is loaned, where the aim of
prohibiting such returns at that time was to protect the weak and needy,
lest the need for money to buy their daily food be exploited, and thus debts
would accumulate and the lender would end up seizing their houses and
fields.

Something similar may be said about the hadd punishments
which were dictated by the circumstances of society at that time, as society
at that time was primitive and there was no state or government to ensure
safety and security; rather people at that time would pounce on one another
for revenge. Therefore establishing the hadd punishments was the least evil
and the least harmful of options, because even though they were barbaric,
they offered protection to the society of that era from that which was
worse, more violent and more barbaric. [Al-Islam wa’l-Hurriyyah al-Iltibaas
at-Taareekhi, by Muhammad ash-Sharafi, p. 89].

The hijab is no longer appropriate in the modern era,
according to their claim, and it is not befitting to the status and freedom
that women have attained, as they are now involved in all fields of public
life, such as schools, universities, factories, management and business.
Indeed, even acts of worship are subject to change in the modern era,
because the way in which the Muslims used to worship at the time when the
Qur’an was revealed is not binding upon those who come after them, if their
life circumstances change. Rather they can select of these acts of worship
those that are appropriate to their circumstances.

if – for example – the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) used to perform his prayers in a certain way, that should not
mean that the Muslims in all places, times and circumstances are obliged to
adhere to this method. [al-Islam bayna ar-Risaalah wa’t-Taareekh by
Muhammad ash-Sharafi, p. 62-63].

Based on this understanding, the conclusion will be that
there is no fixed meaning to the Islamic texts, so what the people of a
particular era understand as being required of them may become something
that is not required for others, and what they understand to be not required
of them may be understood by others as being required, as a result of
changes in cultures from one time to another. [an-Nass, as-Sultah, al-Haqeeqah,
by Nasr Haamid Abu Zayd, p. 139].

The reason for this misguided approach is because they view
the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah as texts written by humans that are to be
dealt with like any other texts; therefore they may be subjected to what
other texts are subjected to, and may be examined in the light of history
and the changes and developments that affect societies!?

Therefore Nasr Haamid Abu Zayd said: The Qur’anic text – even
though it is a divine text – does not go beyond being a text; therefore it
should be subject to the rules of literary criticism, like any other
literary text. [Mafhoom an-Nass: Diraasah fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’an, by
Nasr Abu Zayd, p. 24].

Arkoon said: The Qur’an is no more than one text among
others, and is the same in terms of complexity and the rich and powerful
meanings that it contains, like the Torah, Gospel, and Buddhist and Hindu
scriptures. Each of these fundamental texts was subject to various
interpretations at different times of history, and may be subject to further
interpretation in the future. [al-Fikr al-Usooli by Muhammad Arkoon,
p. 36].

This is clearly a specious argument. How could you equate the
Book of Allah with these distorted books or those that were written by
humans? How can you compare the words of the Lord of the Worlds, Who has
knowledge of what was and what shall be, with the words of humans who have
but little knowledge? The words of Allah cannot be limited and restricted to
a particular time, because Allah revealed it to be a constitution and
guidance for all people in every time and place, and He knows what is best
for His slaves and what is appropriate for them in all times and
circumstances; nothing is hidden from Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the
All-Seeing. We say to these people (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do you know better or
does Allah?” [al-Baqarah 2:140].
End quote from Bid‘at I‘aadah Fahm an-Nass, by Shaykh al-Munajjid (p.
51-56).

But if what is meant by his question is understanding new
developments in the light of Islamic teachings by applying the texts of
revelation to these developments in our own time, and trying to examine
these new developments, whether minor or major, in the light of the Islamic
texts and in a manner that serves the objectives and fundamentals of the
Qur’an and Sunnah, and in a manner that respects the basic principles of
Islam in general, and emphasises the importance of adhering to the commands
and prohibitions of sharee‘ah, whilst taking into account the changes in
time, place and circumstances in issues that are subject to ijtihad and the
weighing up of pros and cons, where there is no specific text concerning
these issues, then that should be done in a manner that is based on proper
understanding of the spirit of Islam and its core message, in such a way as
to deal with the concerns of modern man and enable him to adhere to the
rules and regulations prescribed by Allah for His slaves. This is a sound
aim that we should all strive for, and it is approved by all scholars, who
have all striven to achieve it in all times and eras.

The scholars discussed – for example – the value of
truthfulness and sincerity, and how that may be achieved and applied within
the variables of their societies, and how belief in the unseen and in the
resurrection and life after death may present an integrated framework for
dealing with the concerns of our time and the troubles that people are
facing, and the impact that this belief may have in achieving justice in the
rules and regulations that govern people’s lives, if their constitutions and
systems of law were based on the principles of justice and mercy and the
objectives of the last message to humanity, namely the message of Islam.
There are many similar examples and details that we could discuss, with no
end. All of these are noble aims and a sound approach, and we call for and
support all of it, as the teachings of Islam themselves call for it and
support it, because the teachings of Islam include factors that make it
suitable for every time and place, and qualify it to give answers for new
developments throughout the ages, helping the scholars to understand the
changing social dynamics and to avoid being frozen in some traditional
mould. This is a matter the reality of which cannot be understood except by
one who understands the sciences of usool al-fiqh (basic principles of
Islamic jurisprudence), qawaa‘id at-tafseer (foundations of Qur’anic
exegesis) and the philosophy of ‘aqeedat al-Islam (Islamic doctrine).

This type of reinterpretation should be subject to many
guidelines, as the scholars, mufassireen and fuqaha’ are well aware, among
the most important of which are the following:

1.    

Adhering to
scholarly consensus, for whatever the scholars agree upon is constant and
cannot be changed or altered; whatever the scholars differed about may be
subject to re-examination and review, which gives us space for renewal.

2.    

Adhering to the
rules of the Arabic language with regard to the meaning of individual words
and understanding the context of those words as they were understood by the
first generation, in whose language the Qur’an was revealed, and avoiding
any interpretation that is contrary to the guidelines on the language and
sound understanding of the Arabic language.

3.    

Examining all
the shar‘i evidence that helps us to understand a particular text and
interpreting the Qur’an in the light of the Qur’an itself and in the light
of the Prophet’s Sunnah and the views of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een, for the
sources of sharee‘ah – as explained by the scholars of usool – are several;
the mufassir must examine them and understand them so that he may develop a
sound understanding and so that his conclusion will be based on sound
methodology, otherwise his conclusion may not be sound and correct.

4.    

One of the most
important guidelines in this type of reinterpretation is that those who take
on this task must be qualified people who combine knowledge with fear of
Allah, and people whom the people of knowledge testify are well-versed in
knowledge and are specialists who are well-versed in the religious texts and
the objectives of sharee‘ah, in addition to having a sound religious
commitment, piety and fear of Allah, may He be glorified. Thus the way will
be blocked to those who want to violate the sanctity of the Holy Qur’an (by
misinterpreting it), those who claim to have knowledge but are ignorant, and
pretend to possess what they do not have of knowledge of religious texts and
wisdom.

And Allah knows best.