A Contextual Paradigm in Contemporary Tafsir

A Comparative Study of Fazlur Rahman, Abdullah Saeed, and Sahiron Syamsuddin

Abstract

Purpose– The increasing complexity of contemporary social, ethical, and intellectual challenges has intensified the need for contextual approaches to Qur’anic interpretation. This study analyses and compares the contextual interpretive paradigms developed by Fazlur Rahman, Abdullah Saeed, and Sahiron Syamsuddin, with particular emphasis on their epistemological foundations, methodological characteristics, and contributions to the evolution of contemporary Qur’anic hermeneutics. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a qualitative library-based research design using descriptive-analytical and comparative methods. Primary data are drawn from the principal works of Fazlur Rahman, Abdullah Saeed, and Sahiron Syamsuddin, complemented by recent peer-reviewed scholarship on contextual Qur’anic interpretation. Comparative analysis is undertaken to identify convergences, divergences, and the intellectual continuity among their interpretive models. Findings – The findings demonstrate that although the three scholars employ distinct interpretive procedures, they share a common epistemological commitment to integrating historical context, ethical reasoning, and contemporary relevance while preserving the normative authority of the Qur’an. The comparative analysis further reveals that their approaches represent successive stages in the evolution of contextual hermeneutics rather than isolated methodologies. Rahman’s Double Movement theory establishes the philosophical foundation through historical reconstruction and universal moral principles; Saeed operationalizes this foundation through the Hierarchy of Values framework; and Syamsuddin further refines it by integrating historical semantics with contemporary significance through the Maʿnā-cum-Maghzā approach. Research implications/limitations – The study is limited to a conceptual comparison of three influential scholars and does not examine the practical application of their interpretive models across diverse contemporary issues. Future research may test the proposed framework through empirical case studies involving specific Qur’anic themes or socio-legal contexts. Originality/value– This study contributes to contemporary Qur’anic studies by reconstructing the intellectual continuity among three major contextual paradigms and proposing an integrated comparative framework that advances the epistemological understanding of contextual interpretation as an evolving hermeneutical tradition rather than a collection of independent interpretive methods.