Islam and Modern Life — Page 27
ISLAM AND MODE RN LIFE 27 And that claim is contained in the Quran also. ِﻛ ٰﺘ ٌﺐ ُا ۡﺣ ِﻜ َﻤ ۡﺖ ٰا ٰﻳ ُﺘ ٗﻪ ُﺛ َّﻢ ُﻓ ِّﺼ َﻠ ۡﺖ ِﻣ ۡﻦ َّﻟ ُﺪ ۡن َﺣ ِﻜ ۡﻴ ٍﻢ َﺧ ِﺒ `ۡ aٍ This is a book, whose verses have decisive meaning, that is to say, certain verses have decisive meaning, and then the rest is an interpretation, a detailed exposition, ﻣ ﻦ ﻟ ﺪ ن from God, ﺣ ﻜ ﯿ ﻢ who is wise, ﺧ ﺒ ﯿ ﺮ who is all aware, he is aware of the needs of mankind, from age to age, and he has put that guidance here. Or again, this was chapter 11, verse 2 , and the next one, chapter 67 verse 15 , َا -َ. Bَ ۡﻌ َﻠ ُﻢ َﻣ ۡﻦ َﺧ َﻠ َﻖ c َو ُﻫ َﻮ ا ﻟ َّﻠ ِﻄ ۡﻴ ُﻒ ا ۡﻟ َﺨ ِﺒ `ۡ aُ Does God not know, who has created the universe, and created you, and he knows all the subtleties, and he is aware of all your needs, and he has put the guidance here? Or again in chapter 17 verse 10 , ِا َّن ٰﻫ َﺬ ا ا ۡﻟ hُ iۡ ٰا َن َﻳ ۡﻬ ِﺪ ۡي ِﻟ َّﻠ kِ lۡ mِ nَ َا ۡﻗ َﻮ ُم َو ُﻳ َﺒ pِّ %ُ ا ۡﻟ ُﻤ ۡﺆ ِﻣ ِﻨ `ۡ rَ This Quran guides you to principles, which are enduring, and will continue. Now it has sometimes been suggested that the door of free interpretation, which is supposed to have been closed several centuries ago in Islam, that is to say, the door of exegesis , of commentary, of interpretation, of deduction, should be opened again. Now that also puzzles one. It’s a self - evident truth, if one might borrow these words from a famous declaration, that where there is guidance of this kind, the door of interpretation