Islam and literalism : literal meaning and interpretation in Islamic legal theory

**Traces the emergence and development of the idea of literal meaning in Islamic legal hermeneutics** GBS\_insertPreviewButtonPopup(['ISBN:9780748689866','ISBN:9780748625703','ISBN:9780748631131','ISBN:9780748655540']);In this reading of Islamic legal hermeneutics, Robert Gleave explores various competing notions of literal meaning, linked to both theological doctrine and historical developments, together with insights from modern semantic and pragmatic philosophers. Literal meaning is what a text means in itself, regardless of what its author intends to convey or the reader understands to be its message. As Islamic law is based on the central texts of Islam, the idea of a literal meaning that rules over human attempts to understand God’s message has resulted in a series of debates amongst modern Muslim legal theorists. #### Key Features * Focuses on Islamic legal writings, with reference to Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) and Arabic rhetorical works * Describes Muslim debates through the lens of modern Western linguistic philosophy, opening the topic up for Western scholars " Literal meaning is what a text means in itself, regardless of what its author intends to convey or the reader understands to be its message. The idea of literal meaning, together with insights from modern semantic and pragmatic philosophers, informs this reading of Islamic legal hermeneutics. Robert Gleave explores various competing notions of literal meaning, linked to both theological doctrine and historical developments. The idea of a text's literal meaning that rules over human attempts to understand God's message has become an element in discussions about who has the authority to interpret the revelatory texts, and how they can identify this meaning. This has resulted in a series of debates over the processing of legal meaning amongst modern Muslim legal theorists, which centre on the importance of defining, identifying and promulgating the literal meaning of the central texts of Islam. Focuses on Islamic legal writings, with reference to Quranic exegesis (tafsir) and Arabic rhetorical works Describes Muslim debates through the lens of modern Western linguistic philosophy Structured chronologically along the lines of the development of Muslim conceptions of literal meaning Traces the emergence and development of the idea of literal meaning in Islamic legal hermeneutics GBS_insertPreviewButtonPopup(['ISBN:9780748689866','ISBN:9780748625703','ISBN:9780748631131','ISBN:9780748655540']); In this reading of Islamic legal hermeneutics, Robert Gleave explores various competing notions of literal meaning, linked to both theological doctrine and historical developments, together with insights from modern semantic and pragmatic philosophers. Literal meaning is what a text means in itself, regardless of what its author intends to convey or the reader understands to be its message. As Islamic law is based on the central texts of Islam, the idea of a literal meaning that rules over human attempts to understand God’s message has resulted in a series of debates amongst modern Muslim legal theorists. Key Features Focuses on Islamic legal writings, with reference to Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) and Arabic rhetorical works Describes Muslim debates through the lens of modern Western linguistic philosophy, opening the topic up for Western scholars In this reading of Islamic legal hermeneutics, Robert Gleave explores various competing notions of literal meaning, linked to both theological doctrine and historical developments, together with insights from modern semantic and pragmatic philosophers. Literal meaning is what a text means in itself, regardless of what its author intends to convey or the reader understands to be its message. As Islamic law is based on the central texts of Islam, the idea of a literal meaning that rules over human attempts to understand Godʹs message has resulted in a series of debates amongst modern Muslim legal theorists. -- Publisher description An investigatigation of the phenomenon of literal interpretation in Islam, which proposes the literal meaning as the only acceptable one. It focuses on the tradition of Muslim legal writings, and also makes reference to Quranic exegesis (tafsir) and Arabic rhetorical works. The Muslim debates analysed in the book are described through the prism of modern Western linguistic philosophy, and a chronology of the development of Muslim conceptions of literal meaning structures the book. Understanding Literal Meaning -- Literal Meaning, Hermeneutics And Islamic Legal Theory -- The Emergence Of Literal Meaning In Early Islamic Thought -- Literal Meaning In Early Islamic Legal Theory -- Early Shīʻī Conceptions Of Literal Meaning -- Zahirism, Literalism And Ibn Ḥazm -- Literal Meaning In Modern Muslim Legal Theory : Two Examples. Robert Gleave. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [197]-207) And Index. As Islamic law is based on the central texts of Islam, the idea of a literal meaning that rules over human attempts to understand God's message has resulted in a series of debates amongst modern Muslim legal theorists. This book traces the emergence and development of the idea of literal meaning in Islamic legal hermeneutics.