Taha Jabir Al-Alwani’s Theory of Maqāṣid and Methodology to Studying the Qur’an

Abstract

Maqāṣid theory is constituted of two types: a tri-level teleological type and a discursive type represented in the intended connotations of the discourse of the Qur’an and Sunnah. This article’s central argument is that theory in general, and maqāṣid theory in particular, must be under permanent scrutiny and critique; because the belief in the perfection of maqāṣid theory according to its methodological structure and scientific content ‒ and consequently, the suspension of scientific verification ‒ will turn it into a doctrine or belief, which contradicts the nature of science (i.e., that science needs to be open to correction, revision, assessment, and evaluation). To support this argument, this article considers the methodology of contemplation in Taha Jabir Al-Alwani’s conception of the necessity of interpreting each Qur’anic verse in light of the Qur’an itself, with methodological formulation and applied contemplation principles and tools; which thus represents an interpretative praxis and calls for further and sophisticated research when dealing with the contributions of Qur’anic commentators in the past and present.