Some Qur'anic legal texts in the context of Fazlur Rahman's hermeneutical method (M.A. Dissertation)

This thesis analyzes Fazlur Rahman's hermeneutical method, his theory of the divine revelation of the Qur'an and its application to the case of zakat (alms) and riba (usury) in particular. He seeks to determine the general theoretical principles behind the Qur'anic legal texts. Rahman encourages Muslims to further develop and evaluate Qur'anic legal injunctions to address contemporary social problems. Rahman considers long-standing ad hoc solutions, such as those of traditionalist Muslims, as flawed due to their fragmentary interpretations of the Qur'an. The thesis then explores Rahman's proposal for hermeneutical philosophy, particularly of Gadamer and Emilio Betti. It illustrates that Rahman's use of the notion of 'effective history' to understand the 'mind' of the Prophet in formulating the Qur'anic laws leads him to subjectivism. Rahman's hermeneutics are lacking in theological considerations, and the legal intentions of the Qur'an are secularized.