F1000Research F1000Research 2046-1402 F1000 Research Limited London, UK 10.12688/f1000research.125653.4 Research Article Articles Interpretasi milenial Muhammad Shahrur tentang isu-isu perempuan

[version 4; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

 Herlambang Saifuddin Conceptualization Data Curation Formal Analysis Funding Acquisition Investigation Methodology Project Administration Resources Supervision Validation Writing – Original Draft Preparation Writing – Review & Editing https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3909-6367 a 1 Fakultas Ushuluddin, Adab dan Dakwah, State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Pontianak, Pontianak, West Borneo, 78243, Indonesia sayf.herlambang@gmail.com

No competing interests were disclosed.

 26 9 2024 2023 12 39 20 9 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Herlambang S 2024 This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background

This study examines Muhammad Shahrur’s theory of limits and women’s issues. This theory adjusts the muhkamat verses to remain relevant to sociocultural conditions while remining within the jurisdiction of Allah SWT. Shahrur’s approach conveyed women as different from traditional ulemas and controversial. Therefore, it is necessary to describe Shahrur’s theory and interpretation of women’s issues.

 Methods

This was an exploratory bibliographic study using descriptive-hermeneutic analysis. Two of Shahrur’s books were selected and five chapters from  Al-Kitāb wa Al-Qur’ān, Qirā’ah Mu’āshirah and five chapters from  Nahw Ushūl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy; Fiqh al-Mar’ah .

 Results

Shahrur’s interpretations on women’s issues are: a) relationships between teenagers of the opposite sex without marriage or living together are “ halal” if they follow their will without a contract and are accompanied by syecih, or permission; b) the maximum limit of the hijab is to cover the entire body except the face and palms. In contrast, the minimum limit covers the juyūb, including cleavage under the armpits, body parts, genitals, and buttocks. Apart from these, it does not include intimate parts and adapts to the community. c) Women’s intimate parts are shown only to the seven groups: brothers, fathers, children of a sibling, parents of one’s wives, and their children; d) Polygamy has both an upper limit and a lower limit. Shahrur allows polygamy under two conditions: widows with children whose husbands left them to protect them; polygamy has two limitations: a limit for quantity and a limit for quality; and e) the law of adultery has a lower and upper limit.

 Conclusion

According to Shahrur, women’s issues are divided into four limits: sometimes they are at the upper limit and sometimes at the lower limit. Shahrur’s linguistic approach finally led him to draw the conclusion that the product of Islamic law is highly dependent on the sociocultural context.

 Women Millennial Commentary Muhammad Shahrur Theory of limits The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work. Amendments from Version 3

The change in the latest version is the addition of references

 Introduction

In the public domain, the condition of women and men, when compared to the periods of colonialism and imperialism, is now much better. 1 Many women also get into politics, have a career, are highly educated, and so on. But this does not mean that it guarantees justice for women, especially at the religious discursive level. Today, in Indonesia, a country where the religion embraced by the majority of the population is Islam, unfair treatment of women by men in the form of discrimination and violence still occurs. It is true that the state must be present. However, it is too difficult for the state to deal with it alone. It needs religious support and some kind of religious commentary, or fiqh, in favor of women.

Devi Asmarani, a women’s activist, in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Women and Gender Equality, in Jakarta, on 8 October 2018, said that currently there are at least 400 Regional Regulations ( Perda) that discriminate against women. “This discrimination is, for example, in the form of a Regional Regulation that limits the way women dress and limiting the time for women’s activities outside the home.” According to her, the clash of views between religion and politics is one of the factors forming discriminatory attitudes towards women. Opportunities for women in Indonesia, to become regional heads or members of the Legislative, are very small, especially in areas that apply Islamic law, where discrimination still occurs. 2

In addition to discrimination, the number of cases of violence against women in Indonesia is still high. This is revealed from data released by the National Commission for the Eradication of Violence Against Women ( Komnas Perempuan) in 2015. In the data, it was recorded that there were at least 16,217 cases that went to Komnas Perempuan. A total of 11,207 cases occurred in households. A total of 6,725 out of 11,207 cases of violence against women were experienced by wives. Meanwhile, the other 2,734 cases were experienced by women whose status was girlfriend. There were 930 cases of violence against young women. The data on violence against women released by Komnas Perempuan is far less than the data presented by the Religious Courts-Religious Judiciary Agency ( PA-BADILAG). According to data from PA-BADILAG, violence against women reached 321,752 cases. Thus, when combined with data from Komnas Perempuan, violence against women reached 321,752 cases. 3

The leader of the Cirebon Arjawinangun Islamic Boarding School, KH Husein Muhammad, argued that the rise of cases of violence against women is partly due to the wrong interpretation of Islamic teaching texts, and that is a reason for people to commit violence in the name of religion. 4 According to Husein, one of the texts that is often misinterpreted so that it is considered discriminatory is Surah An Nisa verse 34. The Surah is often interpreted as follows:

Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially. And righteous women are devoutly obedient and, when alone, protective of what Allah has entrusted them with. And if you sense ill-conduct from your women, advise them ˹first˺, ˹if they persist,˺ do not share their beds, ˹but if they still persist,˺ then cahtise them. But if they change their ways, do not be unjust to them. Surely Allah is Most High, All-Great. 5

In the verse, according to Husein, there is the word “chastise” which is used as the basis for husbands to commit violence against their wives. In fact, Husein continued, the interpretation is not like that, it is not only women who are blamed, but men who are at fault must also be punished. 6 According to Husein, such an interpretation also emphasizes the position of women as inferiors who must always obey men. Otherwise, men feel entitled to violence. Husein emphasized that Islam is not a discriminatory religion, but a wrong understanding of Islamic texts often gives rise to discriminatory views. This situation occurs partly because the interpretation of Islamic texts is not made by women due to social construction that places women’s roles and functions only in the domestic area. 7

In today’s millennial era, Islam gets more attention in religious studies. I think this is not only due to the development and global impact of the world’s Muslim population (as mentioned by Richard C. Martin), 8 or because of the emergence of religious awareness in the public domain in the modern era (as described by Jose Casanova), 9 but in fact because the teachings of Islam adhered to by Muslims themselves are in fact very problematic; they are not yet in synergy with the needs of the times. Oftentimes, Muslims even produce views that are opposite to the normative views of Islam, which highly respect human rights. Therefore, in this context, many Muslim reformers, who then called for the importance of reforming religious (Islamic) thoughts, say, for example: Mohammaed Abed Aljabiri, 10 Khaled M. Abou el-Fadl, 11 Abdul Karim Soroush, 12 Abdullah Saeed, 13 and also Muhammad Shahrur. 14

In addition, to perfect this research, previous research is needed. Rosyada’s research focuses on the issue of polygamy and justice from Syahrur’s perspective. 15 Meanwhile, Hidayat carried out a comparative analysis by examining Wahbah Az-Zuhaili’s views and Syahrur’s views on polygamy. 16 In addition, Hadi explored the concept of milkul yamin from the perspective of ushul fiqh, focusing on Syahrur’s insights. 17 Building on this theme, Husna further investigated the boundaries of women’s genitals, drawing from Syahrur’s book. 18 Auliya and Gazali contributed to the discussion by providing a comprehensive review of the concept of female genitalia based on Syahrur’s boundary theory. 19 Similarly, in 2021, Fathony and Hamid delved into the reconstruction of Syahrur’s thoughts on women’s private parts in Indonesia. 20 Lastly, in 2022, Ramadana undertook a comparative study, analyzing the perspectives of Fatima Mernissi, Quraish Shihab, and Syahrur, offering insights into their perspectives. 21

Especially the last one, Muhammad Shahrur, is a Muslim thinker who was chosen as the focus of study in this paper. It is important to discuss Shahrur’s thoughts with those of other contemporary Muslim thinkers in order to reform Islamic understandings that, in this century, are less relevant and do not synergize with universal human rights trends. The situation of women in Muslim countries or where the majority of the population is Muslim (such as in Indonesia), who live their daily lives in a circle of discriminatory religious policies, became the focus of Muslim reformers, including Shahrur, who in turn sparked many important projects for a number of Islamic harakah (Muslim movements). All harakahs agree that reform is important, especially as times continue to change, as well as the need to produce actual religious thoughts, but in the applicable domain, there are sometimes differences of opinion between one another. It is reasonable because the methodologies or approaches used are not the same or vary. 22 But at least, there are two types of harakah Islamiyyah (Muslim movement) that emerge in this context: first, “leftists” who develop their thought based on liberal Western methodology; and second, “rightists” in the sense of guarding reform based on the thoughts of classical Muslim scholars. 23

Muhammad Shahrur, in this context, as a thinker who provides many ideas about the reform of Islamic thought, especially in the field of tafseer, tends to be leftist and liberal. His ideas of women in the study of commentary, for example, have sparked a lot of debates, especially when viewed from the perspective of classical fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence). Based on the background above, this study focused on describing Muhammad Shahrur’s limits theory, which defines a lower limit ( al-hadd al-adna/minimum) and an upper limit ( al-hadd al-a’la/maximum), and the interpretation of this limit theory on the relationship between teenagers, hijab, women’s aurat (vital intimate), and polygamy on women’s issues in the millennial era.

 Methods Study approach

This article was deliberately written to discuss Muhammad Shahrur’s interpretation of women. This research uses a literature review approach, namely analyzing sources descriptively and hermeneutically. The data sources in this research are books, journals, and research reports related to Shahrur’s thoughts.

 Search strategy

I found several books about Tafseer, but few discuss women in the millenial era. These were: al-Kitâb wa al-Qur’ân: Qirâ’ah Mu’âshirah; al-Kitâb wa al-Qur’ân: Qirâ’ah Mu’âshirah (1990); Dirasat al-Islamiyat al-Mu’ashirah fi al-Dawlah wa al-Mujtama’ (1996); al-Islâm wa al-Imân: Manzhûmah al-Qiyam (1996); and Nahwa Ushûl Jadîdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islâmy: Fiqh al-Mar’ah (2000). I then searched for books eligible for millenial interpretation about women’s issues. Two Shahrur books met all the criteria above. The main sources of this study are two books written by Muhammad Shahrur, namely: Al-Kitāb wa Al-Qur’ān, Qirā’ah Mu’āshirah, and Nahw Ushūl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy; Fiqh al-Mar’ah. I then chose chapters that discuss women in both books. The search strategy involved looking at the table of contents in both books for women’s issues. Furthermore, a list of the most suitable items according to the aims of this study was obtained.

 Data collection

The data were collected through the following steps; 1) bookmarking and recording narrative texts that serve as research data, 2) Making an inventory of words or texts related to women’s issues. Shahrur’s book entitled Al-Kitāb wa Al-Qur’ān, Qirā’ah Mu’āshirah consists of 4 chapters with 729 pages. Chapter 1 consists of 5 sections, chapter 2 consists of 4 sections, chapter 3 consists of 3 sections, and chapter 4 consists of 2 sections with an addition of a closing chapter consisting of 5 sections. The book contains women’s issues related to limits (page 453), polygamy (page 597), clothing (page 604), male and female family relationships (page 604). Meanwhile, Shahrur’s book entitled Nahw Ushūl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy; Fiqh al-Mar’ah consists of 6 sections with 381 pages; in these sections there are texts related to women’s issues, namely; polygamy (page 301), marriage (page 307), clothing (page 331-343), jewelry (362-365), and dress code for females (page 374) (see Tables 1 and 2).

Women’s issues on <italic toggle="yes">Al-Kitāb wa Al-Qur’ān</italic>, <italic toggle="yes">Qirā’ah Mu’āshirah.</italic>
No chapter chapter pages
1. Limits of legislation and worship الحدود فى التشريع والعبادات 453-467
2. Polygamy التعدد الزوجات 597
3. Men and woman clothes لباس الرجل والمرأة 604
4. Familiy relationship between man and woman العلاقة العائلية بين الرجل والمرأة 604
5. The relationship between men and women العلاقة بين الرجل والمرأة 628
Women’s issues on <italic toggle="yes">Nahw Ushūl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy; Fiqh al-Mar’ah.</italic>
No chapter chapter pages
1. Polygamy التعددية الزيجية 301
2. Marital الزوجية 307
3. Clothes لباس 331-343
4. Jewerly زينة المرأة 362-365
5. Rules of women clothes حكم لباس النساء 374
Analysis

Hermeneutics is a process of elaborating in terms of content and meaning what is hidden behind the text. 24 This study aimed to interpret women’s issues in two of Shahrur’s books using hermeneutics data analysis. Paler states that hermeneutics is a process of elaborating in terms of content and meaning what is hidden behind the text. 25 Michelle Byrne also states that the hermeneutics method is used to understand and interpret the text’s meaning. 26 Based on Gadamer’s elaborate understanding, interpretation, and application, the analyses are inherent in the interpretation. 27 After examining passages on polygamy, marriage, clothing, jewelry, and dress codes for females in Shahrur’s books, I interpreted and analyzed these texts and finally compared them to the verses of the Holy Qur’an and the application of Shahrur’s theory of limits.

 Results and discussion Muhammad Shahrur as a Islamic millennial thinker and interpreter

According to A. Lutfi Syaukanie, Muhammad Shahrur is known as a leftist and liberal thinker. 28 He was born at the Salihiyyah intersection in Damascus, Syria, on April 11, 1938. At the age of 19, Shahrur obtained a Tsanawiyah diploma from the Abdurrahman al-Kawakibi madrasa in 1957. 29 However, these schools are not religious schools. In other words, Shahrur did not receive sufficient religious education in his childhood and youth, at least in a formal sense. Syahrûr earned his master’s degree, and three years later, in 1972, he successfully completed his doctoral program. In the same year, he was officially appointed as a lecturer in the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Damascus and teaches courses in Land Mechanics and Geology (Mikanika at-Turbât wa al-Mansya’ât al-Ardhiyyah). 30

During his career as a lecturer, Shahrur wrote several books, which were not really his specialty. He made his best effort to combine his knowledge with Islamic teachings, especially the Qur’an. After finding ideas, he began to combine them with verses from the Qur’an. His thoughts related to Islamic law, where he argues that there is an upper limit and a lower limit in Islamic law, finally became known as the theory of limits. While teaching, Shahrur actively wrote books. He tried to interpret the verses of the Qur’an, and in addition, he also proposed the theory of limits in law, which basically states that law has an upper and lower limit. In his Al-Kitab, Shahrur derives the word Al-Quran from Al-Kitab, where the origin of the word is ka-ta-ba. It means an effort made by someone who collects various themes, composes sentences, and links one event to another to form a complete piece of writing. 31 Therefore, the revelation received by Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is called a kitab [book] because it contains various themes. In this book, Shahrur was heavily involved in linguistic interpretation. He divided the book into two sections: a) The first section is the kitab related to human behavior such as prayer, alms, fasting, and pilgrimage. Human capacity to carry out this first section of the book is limited, and therefore humans have the ability to choose or be detached from it; b) the second section is the kitab in the form of ma’rifah, which consists of natural law and human life such as death, the end of the world, and others.

In this context, it is necessary to understand that Shahrur did not join any Islamic institution, nor did he take any formal training or obtain a certificate in Islamic sciences. The works he has written, among others, are Al-Kitāb wa Al-Qur’ān–Qirā’ah Mu’āshirah (1990), Al-Daulah wa al-Mujtama’(1994), Al-Islām wa al-Īmān–Manzhūmah al- Qiyam-(1996), Nahw Ushl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy (2000), and Tajfīf Manābi’ al-Irhāb (2008). Of these works, the ones that have received the most attention are Al-Kitāb wa Al-Qur’ān –Qirā’ah Mu’āshirah (Contemporary Study of the Book and Al-Quran) and Nahw Ushl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy (Contemporary Islamic Fiqh Methodology). His monumental work, Al Kitab wa Al Qur’an, Qira’ah Mu’ashirah (Contemporary Study of the Book and Al-Quran), is his greatest work. 32

He often involved himself in issues of shari’a liberalization and deconstruction of the Qur’anic interpretation. Several Islamic laws and the rules of the science of interpretation and ushul fiqh were deconstructed with technical knowledge, relying on their Arabic origins. His environmental background, both in terms of education and socialization, also influenced his way of thinking.

 Muhammad Shahrur’s millennial commentary approach

The term millennial interpretation, of course, is not a term coined by Shahrur but a term that the author attaches to Shahrur’s thoughts on commentary. According to the author, this term is appropriate after reading Shahrur’s views on commentary, which are relevant to be applied to the millennial spirit of this era, an era where all forms of culture and lifestyle meet and influence each other. In this context, Shahrur himself agreed that legal products must be able to synergize with the socio-cultural context, including the times.

According to Shahrur, the Qur’anic texts that are the foundation of fiqh must adapt to the reality of society based on social and cultural contexts. In this regard, Shahrur did not believe in the Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah as the source of law because of its emphasis on the holy book of the Qur’an. Shahrur sought to integrate the muhkamat texts of the Qur’an into the reality of life and its constraints through the Theory of Limitations. Shahrur affirmed that the laws of the Qur’an are adaptive and can be applied in all situations and conditions, regardless of place and time. As long as it is within certain limits and does not exceed these limits, the law allows it to be done regardless of community conditions.

The theory of limits consists of a lower limit ( al-hadd al-adna/minimum) and an upper limit ( al-hadd al-a’la/maximum). There are six forms of application of this theory of limits in the study of legal verses, namely as quoted by M. Amin Abdullah from Shahrur’s thoughts (see Table 3): 33

Theory of Limits applications.
No Theory of Limits Application
1. Which only has a lower limit. This applies to women who may be married (QS. [4]: 22–23). One must not marry former wives of fathers, mothers, daughters, sisters, paternal and aunts, brother’s daughters, sister’s daughters, foster-mothers, foster-sisters, mothers-in-law, stepdaughters under guardianship, wives of sons, or two sisters at the same time. Women’s clothing (QS. [4]: 31). It applies to the juyub, including cleavage under the armpit, body parts, and genitals only. There are no other intimate parts ( aurat).
2. Which has both an upper and a lower limit. Applies to polygamy (QS. [4]: 3). Upper/maximum and lower/minimum limit on one case. For Polygamy, limit for quantity (four wives), and limit for quality (the second, third and fourth wives are widows with children).
3. The provisions of the lower and upper limits are at one point or there is no other alternative and cannot be less or more. Applies to the law of adultery with a hundred lashes (QS. [24]: 2). On adultery, the lower and upper limit at one point. Men and women guilty of adultery or fornication lash each one of them with a hundred lashes.
4. The provisions that have a lower and an upper limit at the same time, but both cannot be exceeded; if exceeded. it means you have violated God’s rules. Applies to male and female relationships. If a man and a woman commit acts of approaching adultery but have not committed adultery, then both of them have not fallen within the limits of Allah’s hudud.
5. Which has an upper and lower limit, where the upper limit is positive and cannot be exceeded, while the lower limit is negative and can be exceeded. Applies to material relationships among humans (both men and women). The upper limit is positive in the form of usury, while the lower limit is negative in the form of zakat (alms).

The six forms of the theory of limits proposed by Shahrur above have an impact on the istinbath of Islamic law. We take the example of the first theory of limits which only has a lower limit, namely regarding women’s clothing and intimate parts. When interpreting QS. [24]: 31, “Or children who are still unaware of women’s intimate parts”. 34 According to Shahrur, intimate parts are what make a person ashamed when seen, and intimate parts are not related to halal and haram, both from near and far.

He gave an example: “If someone is bald and doesn’t like people seeing his bald head, then he will wear wigs because he considers his bald head to be an intimate part.” Then he quoted the hadith of the Prophet: “Whoever covers the intimate parts of a believer, surely Allah will cover his intimate parts.” He commented that covering the intimate parts of the believer in the hadith does not mean putting clothes on them so that they are not visible. Then he concluded that aurat (intimate parts) stem from shame, namely a person’s dislike when something is seen, both from their body and behavior. Being shy, according to him, is relative, changing according to customs, times, and places. 35

Therefore, when there is a verse that tells to wear the hijab in the QS. [33]: 59, “ O Prophet! Ask your wives, daughters, and believing women to draw their cloaks over their bodies. In this way it is more likely that they will be recognized ˹as virtuous˺ and not be harassed.” 36 He interprets that this verse is in the form of teaching, not sharia, and was revealed in Medina which indicates that it must be understood temporally with the aim of security from two disturbances, namely natural or weather disturbances and social disturbances that adapt to local traditions so as not to invite ridicule. 37

So Shahrur’s conclusion for the hijab has a maximum and minimum limit. The maximum limit is to cover the entire body except the face and palms, while the minimum limit is that which only covers the juyūb which according to him includes the cleavage, body parts under the armpits, genitals, and buttocks. Apart from these, it does not include intimate parts and only adapts to community traditions. 38 Hamka and Yusuf Qardhawi hold the belief that a woman’s private parts encompass her entire body, with the exception of the face and palms. In contrast, Shahrur presents a distinction, dividing it into two categories: the lower limit comprises the concealed genitalia, causing embarrassment if exposed, while the upper limit includes the entirety of a woman’s body, excluding the face and palms. On the subject of hijab, Quraish Shihab thinks that it is not obligatory but rather a recommended practice.

Next, Shahrur also interpreted the verse, “ Let them not show their adornments, except what normally appears” to mean there are two kinds of jewelry for women: object jewelry and place jewelry. 39 Object jewelry is, for example, clothing and accessories, while place jewelry is the entire woman’s body which is commonly seen as the abdomen, back, head, and legs. So, all parts of the body may be exposed based on the verse above. The hidden ones are the juyub (pubic area, buttocks, armpits, and breasts). In other words, a woman who only wears underwear out of the house is not considered to have violated Allah’s provisions. Showing a stomach piercing is also permissible.

Moreover, he stated that a woman’s vital intimate parts (armpits, breasts, and genitals) may be revealed to the seven groups of men mentioned in the QS. [24]: 31, namely brothers, fathers, daughters of a sibling, sons of a sibling, parents of one’s wives and their children. His opinion states that a Muslim woman may be completely naked in front of these men. He said, “If parents see their daughter completely naked, then it is not said that it is haram, but only a disgrace.” 40

He even said that the relationship between teenagers of the opposite sex without marriage, or living together is “ halal”. Shahrur said that if it is in accordance with their will, without a contract, or without being accompanied by a sheikh or without permission, then it is lawful. He stated, “Read the Book of Allah, don’t be afraid of it; all of you can do that without intermediaries and without teachers, and promiscuity is lawful, provided there is agreement between the two parties,” he said. He also stated that promiscuity between a man and a woman is a substitute for marriage, and without a written contract, is “halal, and in accordance with shar’i.” 41

The second example of the theory of limits, which only has an upper limit, is regarding the verse of cutting off hands for thieves. Shahrur argued that the words qata’a could mean physical or non-physical cutting. By looking at the basis of the word qata’a, it turns out to have many meanings and not all meanings refer to physical cutting. In addition, in the Qur’an not all the words qata’a mean physical cutting. An example of qata’a which means physical cutting is found in QS Al-Maidah: 33, 42 while the meaning of not physical cutting is in QS. Ali-Imran: 127, 43 QS. Al-anfal: 7, 44 and QS. Al-Baqarah: 27. 45

It is at this stage that Shahrur then concludes that the words qata’a in the context of theft can be interpreted as physical or non-physical cutting. By looking at the maslahah (the aims and objectives in Islamic law) between physical and non-physical cutting, Shahrur considers that physical cutting in the verse is the maximum law (upper limit) that can be set, while non-physical cuts, for example, putting the perpetrator in prison. This means that in this verse the concept of hudud al-a’la (upper limit) applies and the human ijtihad is under the hudud al-a’la.

Further, the third example of the theory, which has both an upper and a lower limit, that is, the minimum and maximum limits have been set by the Qur’an, while ijtihad is in between the two minimum and maximum limits. For example: QS. An Nisa verse 11, concerning the Division of Inheritance. The maximum limit for men is twice that of women, while the minimum limit for women is 0.5 of men. Ijtihad moves between the two maximum and minimum limits by looking at the various aspects that exist.

Regarding polygamy, Shahrur is very strict. With the Theory of Limits, there are two important limitations of terms, namely the limitation on quantity ( al-Had al-Kamy), which is four wives, and the limitation on quality ( al-Had al-Kalfy), namely the second, third, and fourth wives are widows who have children. Shahrur allows polygamy under two conditions, namely first, the second, third, and fourth wives are widows with children whose husbands left them. Second, the husband must have an uneasy feeling that he will not be able to deal justly with his children. If the two conditions above are not met, polygamy will fail. This means that the prospective wife must be a widow, not a virgin and must have children, as well as the prospective husband must be fair in all aspects, especially the social aspects of life/society. Shahrur applies these two conditions based on the structure of language norms in the Qur’an Surah an-Nisa verse 4. Shahrur takes these two conditions based on the “structure of language rules” in the word of Allah “And if you are afraid you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, then marry two, three or four women whom you like.” Shahrur also sees how Allah honors a widow by using the gentle words “ ma tabalakum” (women you like) instead of “ mashi’tum min an-nisa” which is respect for marriage.

Regarding the law of adultery, which falls into in the fourth limit theory, the provisions of the lower and upper limits are at one point or there is no other alternative and there can be no more or less. This means that the provision of the maximum limit is also the minimum limit, so that ijtihad is not possible to take heavier and lighter laws. For example: QS. An-Nur: 2, regarding the punishment for adultery. In that verse the punishment for adultery is a maximum and a minimum limit at the same time, because in that verse there is an order not to do “ ra’fah”, which means there is no waiver. Furthermore, regarding the fifth limit theory, a provision that has a lower and upper limit at the same time, but both cannot be exceeded; if exceeded it means violating God’s rules, which applies to male and female relationships. If a man and a woman commit acts approaching adultery but have not committed adultery, then both of them have not fallen within the limits of Allah’s hudud.

Finally, the rule which has an upper and lower limit, where the upper limit is positive and cannot be exceeded, while the lower limit is negative and can be exceeded applies to material relationships among human beings, both men and women. The upper limit is positive in the form of usury, while the lower limit is negative in the form of zakat (alms). The upper limit that cannot be exceeded is usury, the lower limit that can be exceeded is zakat ( zakat as a negative limit because it is the minimum limit for assets that must be paid). In this case, zakat can be exceeded by charity, while usury cannot be exceeded because it is an upper limit that cannot be exceeded.

This study is limitated as it has only discussed women based on Shahrur’s theory of limits as tool of analysis, while the book Nahw Ushūl al-Jadīdah Li al-Fiqh al-Islāmy; Fiqh al-Mar’ah. This study limitation also raises opportunities for future researchers to conduct studies on other content such as inheritance (الإرث) and testament (وصية).

 Conclusion

The term millennial commentary of Mohamammad Shahrur, in my opinion, is quite appropriate after reading Shahrur’s views on interpretation, which are relevant to be applied to the millennial spirit of this era, an era where all forms of culture and lifestyle meet and influence each other. In this context, Shahrur himself agreed that Islamic legal products must be able to synergize with the socio-cultural context, including the times. Shahrur came to the conclusion that the outcome of Islamic law is greatly dependent on the socio-cultural setting because of his study’s language approach. In order to bring the texts of the Qur’an into alignment with the realities of society everywhere and at any time, Shahrur analyzes the need for reinterpreting the verses of the Qur’an that form the foundation of fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence). Shahrur mistrusted the Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah as a source of law due to his emphasis on the Qur’anic scriptures. He believes that the Qur’an is sufficient since it contains guidelines for addressing life’s realities in its verses. Shahrur created the Theory of Limits to implement his proposal ( Nazariyyat al-Hudud).

Shahrur attempts to integrate the muhkamat al-Qur’an texts into the reality of life and its constraints through this Theory of Limits. He asserts that the laws of the Qur’an are adaptable and can be employed in any situation, regardless of place or time. The community’s state falls within these bounds, and the law permits it to be done as long as it doesn’t go beyond the predetermined.

 Data availability Underlying data

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This project contains the following underlying data:

notes 1. pdf

notes 2. pdf

notes 3. pdf

Extended data

This project contains the following extended data:

Komisi etik.pdf (Letter of research ethical commission from The Institute for Research and Community Service (Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat/LP2M), Pontianak State Institute for Islamic Studies (in Indonesian))

Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Zero “No rights reserved” data waiver (CC0 1.0 Public domain dedication).

 References Abdul Karim Soroush: Menggugat Otoritas dan Tradisi Agama. Bandung: Mizan;2002. Abou El-Fadl KM : Atas Nama Tuhan; Dari Fiqh Otoriter ke Fiqh Otoritatif. Jakarta: Serambi Ilmu Semesta;2004. Amin Abdullah M : Neo Ushul Fiqih Menuju Ijtihad Kontekstual. Yogyakarta: Fakultas Syari’ah Press dan Forum Studi Hukum Islam;2004. Armayant H : Mengenal Shahrur dan Teori Batasnya. Kajian Timur Tengah. Desember 2010. Reference Source Austgard K : Doing it the Gadamerian way–using philosophical hermeneutics as a methodological approach in nursing science. Scand. J. Caring Sci. 2012;26(4):829–834. 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.00993.x Byrne M : Hermeneutics as a methodology for textual analysis. AORN J. 2001 May;73(5):968–970. 11378953 10.1016/s0001-2092(06)61749-3 Casanova J : Public Religion in the Modern World. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press;1994. Clark P : The Shahrorur’s Phenomenon; A Liberal Islamic Voice From Syiria. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relation. 1996;VII(3). Herlambang S : Data research of Saifuddin Herlambang. Harvard Dataverse. 2022;V4. 10.7910/DVN/BRATPU Husein : Indonesian Women’s Ulema Congress at the Kebon Jambu Al-Islamiy Babakan Islamic Boarding School, Ciwaringin Cirebon, Interview on Wednesday 26 April 2017. Jose Casanova. Public Religion in the Modern World. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press;1994. Khudori Soleh dkk: Muhammad Shahrur: Teori Batas. Pemikiran Islam Kontemporer. Yogyakarta: Jendela;2003. Lutfi Syaukani A : Tipologi dan Wacana Pemikiran Arab Kontemporer. Jurnal Paramadina. 1998; (2). Martin RC , editor. Islam dan Studi Agama: Sebuah Pengantar. Pendekatan Terhadap Islam dalam Studi Agama. Pustaka Pelajar; Yogyakarta:2001. Zakiyuddin Baidhawy (tran.). Ministry of Religious Affaris of the Republic of Indonesia: Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahan. Madinah: Qadim Al-Haramain Al-Syarifain;1980. Mubarok AZ : Pendekatan Strukturalisme Linguistik dalam Tafsir al-Qur’an Kontemporer “ala” M. Shahrur. Yogyakarta: Elsaq Press;2007. Muḥammad ʻĀbid al-Jabiri: Takwīn al-‘aql al-’Arabī. Bayrūt: Markaz Dirāsāt al-Waḥdah al-‘Arabīyah;2014; vol.1. Muḥammad ʻĀbid al-Jabiri: Bunyah al-Aql al-‘Arabi: Dirasah Tahliliyah Naqdiyah li Nudzum al-Ma’rifah fi al-Tsaqafah al-‘Arabiyah. Bayrūt: al-Markaz al-Tsaqafi al-Arabi;1991. Paler ER : Hermeneutics: Theory of Interpretation in the Thoughts of Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger, and Gadamer. Translated by. Stephanus Aswar Herminarko. Yogyakarta IRCiSoD; First Edition 2022 July; p.92. Saeed A : Interpreting the Qur’an: Towards a Contemporary Approach. Oxon: Routledge;2005. Saeed A : The Qur’an: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge;2008. Saputra Y : Kongres Ulama Perempuan: Meluruskan paham diskriminatif terhadap perempuan. Rappler. Com. 27 Apr 2017; Reference Source Shahrur M : Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qira’ah Muasirah. Damaskus: Al-Ahaliy li at-Tabaah wa an-Nasyr wa at-Tawzi’;1990. Shahrur M : Nahwa Usul Jadidah lil Fiqh Islami: Fiqh al-Mar’ah. Damaskus: Al-Ahali li-t-Tibaah;2000. Syahrur M : Principles and Basis of Contemporary Al-Qur’an Hermeneutics. Sahiron Syamsuddin (translation) Yogyakarta: elSaq. Cet. Ke-I. 2004; p.65. Uta : Masih Ada Diskriminasi Gender. Media Indonesia. 2018. Selasa, Okt. Reference Source

Herlambang, S., Suratman, B., & Kadir Naffati, A. (2023). The Role of Javanese Women in Domestic and Public Spheres: Challenges, Trade Motives, and Parenting Practices. Al-Athfal: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak, 9(2), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.14421/al-athfal.2023.92-07.

Uta, ‘Masih ada Diskriminasi Gender [Gender Discrimination Still Exists].’, Media Indonesia (Tuesday, Oct 2018), http://mediaindonesia.com/read/detail/189401-masih-ada-diskriminasi-gender.

Yuli Saputra, ‘Women’s Ulema Congress: Straightening the Discrimination Against Women’, Rappler.Com (27 Apr 2017), https://www.rappler.com/indonesia/berita/168095-meluruskan-paham-diskriminatif-perempuan.

Husein. Indonesian Women’s Ulema Congress at the Kebon Jambu Al-Islamiy Babakan Islamic Boarding School, Ciwaringin Cirebon, Interview on Wednesday 26 April 2017.

Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahan (Madinah: Qadim Al-Haramain Al-Syarifain, 1980).

Husein. Indonesian Women’s Ulema Congress at the Kebon Jambu Al-Islamiy Babakan Islamic Boarding School, Ciwaringin Cirebon, Interview on Wednesday 26 April 2017.

Women’s Ulema Congress: Straightening the Discrimination Against Women’.

Richard C. Martin (ed.) Zakiyuddin Baidhawy (tran.), ‘Islam and Religious Studies: An Introduction’, in Approaches to Islam in Religious Studies (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2001), p. 1.

Jose Casanova, Public Religion in the Modern World (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1994).

Muḥammad ʻ Ā bid al-Jabiri, Takwīn al-ʻaql al-ʻArabī, vol. 1 (Bayrūt: Markaz Dirāsāt al-Waḥdah al-‘Arabīyah, 2014); Muḥammad ʻ Ā bid al-Jabiri, Bunyah al-Aql al-‘Arabi: Dirasah Tahliliyah Naqdiyah li Nudzum al-Ma’rifah fi al-Tsaqafah al-‘Arabiyah (Bayrūt: al-Markaz al-Tsaqafi al-Arabi, 1991).

Khaled M. Abou El-Fadl, Atas Nama Tuhan; Dari Fiqh Otoriter ke Fiqh Otoritatif (Jakarta: Serambi Ilmu Semesta, 2004).

Abdul Karim Soroush, Menggugat Otoritas dan Tradisi Agama [Challenging Religious Authority and Traditions] (Bandung: Mizan, 2002).

Abdullah Saeed, Interpreting the Qur’an: Towards a Contemporary Approach (Oxon: Routledge, 2005); Abdullah Saeed, The Qur’an: An Introduction (London and New York: Routledge, 2008).

Muhammad Shahrur, Nahwa Usul Jadidah lil Fiqh Islamy: Fiqh al-Mar’ah (Damascus: Al-Ahali li-t-Tibaah, 2000); Muhammad Shahrur, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qira’ah Muasirah (Damascus: Al-Ahaliy li at-Tabaah wa an-Nasyr wa at-Tawzi’, 1990).

Rosyada, Y. A. (2019). Polygamy and Justice from the Perspective of Muhammad Syahrur: A Study of Reconstruction of Thought. Profetika: Jurnal Studi Islam, 18(2), 164-175.

Hidayat, R. E. (2020). Polygamy According to Wahbah Az-Zuhaili and Muhammad Syahrur. Jurnal Tana Mana, 1(2), 102-110.

Hadi, M. N. (2019). Muhammad Syahrur and the Concept of Milkul Yamin: Critique of Interpretation from the Perspective of Ushul Fiqh. YUDISIA: Jurnal Pemikiran Hukum Dan Hukum Islam, 10(1), 25-51.

Husna, N. (2021). Muhammad Syahrur’s Contemporary Interpretation of the Quran; Minimum and Maximum Limits of Women’s Private Parts. Cakrawala Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam dan studi sosial, 5(2), 180-192.

Auliya, S., & Gazali, H. A. (2020). Reviewing the Deconstruction of the Concept of Women’s Private Parts in Muhammad Syahrur’s Boundary Theory. Mashdar: Jurnal Studi Al-Qur’an dan Hadis, 2(1), 37-60.

Fathony, A., & Hamid, A. R. N. A. (2021). RECONSTRUCTION OF INTERPRETATION OF VERSES ON WOMEN’S PRIVATE PARTS IN THE INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MUHAMMAD SYAHRUR. Jurnal Islam Nusantara, 4(2), 126-143.

Ramadana, R. (2022). Hijab Hadith: Contemporary Views: A Study of the Perspectives of Fatima Mernissi, Quraish Shihab, and Muhammad Syahrur. Jurnal Penelitian Ilmu Ushuluddin, 2(1), 86-112.

Richard C. Martin (ed.) Zakiyuddin Baidhawy (tran.), ‘Islam dan Studi Agama: Sebuah Pengantar’.

A Lutfi Syaukani, ‘Tipologi dan Wacana Pemikiran Arab Kontemporer’ [Typology and Discourse of Contemporary Arabic Thought], Jurnal Paramadina, no. 2 (1998).

E. Paler, Richard. Hermeneutics: Theory of Interpretation in the Thoughts of Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger, and Gadamer. Translated by. Stephanus Aswar Herminarko. IRCiSoD, Yogyakarta: First Edition, July, 2022.p.92.

E. Paler, Richard. Hermeneutics: Theory of Interpretation in the Thoughts of Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Heidegger, and Gadamer. Translated by. Stephanus Aswar Herminarko. IRCiSoD, Yogyakarta: First Edition, July, 2022.p.92.

Byrne M. Hermeneutics as a methodology for textual analysis. AORN J. 2001 May;73(5):968-70. doi: 10.1016/s0001-2092 (06)61749-3. PMID: 11378953.

Austgard, K. (2012). Doing it the Gadamerian way–using philosophical hermeneutics as a methodological approach in nursing science. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 26(4), 829-834.

Ibid.

For a more complete explanation of Muhammad Shahrûr’s biography, please refer directly to Shahrur’s official website, namely: http://www.shahrour.org.

Peter Clark, ‘The Shahrorur’s Phenomenon; A Liberal Islamic Voice From Syiria’, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relation, vol. VII, no. 3 (1996), p. 339.

Syahrur, M. (2004). Principles and Basis of Contemporary Al-Qur’an Hermeneutics. Sahiron Syamsuddin (translation) Yogyakarta: elSaq. Cet. Ke-I, p. 65.

Khudori Soleh dkk, ‘Mohammad Shahrur: Teori Batas’ [the Theory of Limits], in Pemikiran Islam Kontemporer (Yogyakarta: Jendela, 2003), p. 296.

M. Amin Abdullah, Neo Ushul Fiqih Menuju Ijtihad Kontekstual (Yogyakarta: Fakultas Syari’ah Press dan Forum Studi Hukum Islam [Faculty of Shari’a Press and Islamic Law Study Forum], 2004), pp. 156–8.

Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahan.

Muhammad Shahrur, Nahwa Usul Jadidah lil Fiqh Islami: Fiqh al-Mar’ah, p. 370.

Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahan.

Muhammad Shahrur, Nahwa Usul Jadidah lil Fiqh Islami: Fiqh al-Mar’ah, pp. 372–3.

Ibid., pp. 376–8; Muhammad Shahrur, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qira’ah Muasirah, p. 607.

Muhammad Shahrur, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qira’ah Muasirah, p. 606.

Ibid., p. 607.

Harda Armayanti, ‘Mengenal Shahrur dan Teori Batasnya’, Kajian Timur Tengah [Mengenal Shahrur dan Teori Batasnya’, Kajian Timur Tengah] (Desember 2010), https://kajiantimurtengah.wordpress.com/2010/12/04/mengenal-Shahrur-dan-teori-batasnya/, yang ia kutip dari http://www.Hidayatullah.com publikasi Selasa, 29 Januari 2008.

Verily, the recompense for those who fight against Allah and His Messenger and cause mischief in the earth is only that they are killed or crucified, or their hands and feet are cut off in exchange for reciprocity, or are banished from the land (where they live). That is (as) an insult to them in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a great torment. Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia [Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia], Al-Qur’an and its Translation, Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahan.

(Allah helps you in the battle of Badr and gives reinforcements) to destroy a group of disbelievers, or humble the rest, causing them to withdraw in disapointment. Ibid.

And (remember), when Allah promised you that one of the two groups (which you faced) was for you, while you wanted that which did not have the strength of a weapon was for you, and Allah wanted to justify the truth with His verses and destroy Unbelievers. Ibid.

Who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and cause corruption on earth. It is those who are the losers. Ibid.

Herlambang, Saifuddin, 2022, “Data research of Saifuddin Herlambang”, https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/BRATPU, Harvard Dataverse, V4

 10.5256/f1000research.163004.r293056 Reviewer response for version 3 Sofwan Muhammad 1 Referee Univeristas Jambi, Jambi, Indonesia

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

 24 7 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Sofwan M 2024 This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. recommendation approve-with-reservations

Some improvements can be made

a. The methodology part needs to be more defined and organized. Give a clear explanation of each stage in the research process.

b. Steer clear of unduly broad claims. Don't just say, "This was an exploratory bibliographic study," for example; instead, detail the precise techniques employed for gathering and analyzing the data.

c. Outline the two books' selection criteria as well as the particular chapters that make up each one. Justify the selection of these specific chapters.

d. Provide a more convincing defense of the application of descriptive-hermeneutic analysis. Describe the reasons this approach is appropriate for your research and how it advances your goals.

a. Include a succinct literature review in the methodology section to place your study in the perspective of earlier studies. Emphasize how your method differs from previous research on related subjects.

f. Describe the steps involved in gathering the data, such as how the texts were logged, bookmarked, and examined.

g. Go into further detail about the hermeneutic analysis procedure. Explain your interpretation of the texts and the particular methods you employed to guarantee a thorough examination.

g. Discuss Shahrur's theory of limits in further detail. Give more thorough justifications and instances to support his points of view.

i. To provide a more thorough examination, compare and contrast Shahrur's interpretations with those of other Islamic thinkers. This will assist in highlighting Shahrur's approach's significance and originality.

j. Place Shahrur's interpretations in the context of modern discussions on women's issues and larger Islamic thought. Talk about how his opinions coincide with or deviate from popular Islamic interpretations.

k. Assess Shahrur's interpretations critically. Talk about the possible advantages and disadvantages of his methodology as well as the ramifications for modern Islamic thought. l. Respond to any possible objections to Shahrur's viewpoints and offer a fair discussion that takes into account both the arguments in favor of and against them.

m. Provide a succinct and clear summary of your study's key findings. Emphasize the most important conclusions drawn from examining Shahrur's perspectives on women's challenges.

n. Talk about the findings' wider ramifications for Islamic philosophy and the current debates over women's rights. Describe how Shahrur's interpretations might affect research and practice in the future.

o. Recognize the constraints on your research. Talk about how these restrictions might have impacted your results and make recommendations for further study.

p. Outline particular inquiries or study areas that could expand on your conclusions and go deeper into the ramifications of Shahrur's notion of limitations.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Not applicable

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Partly

Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Partly

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

No

Reviewer Expertise:

Education and statistics

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above.

 10.5256/f1000research.153259.r209742 Reviewer response for version 2 Akbar Ali 1 Referee The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

 22 11 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Akbar A 2023 This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. recommendation approve-with-reservations

The methodology does not seem to be carried out in an academic format. You should not say which library was used and which keywords were searched for the purpose of writing the article. I suggest the author to change the method. In terms of data collection, you do not need to say each book consisted of how many chapters. These should all be fixed. Another issue with the article is that it requires a comprehensive literature review. There are some studies and articles written about Shahrur (in English). The author should refer to these works (especially about women’s rights) and then articulate how his/her article contribute to the literature of the field.

The section on analysis starts with hermeneutics. The author should acknowledge how, and to what degree, Muslim scholars during the modern period have engaged with hermeneutics (for this the author should refer to: Ali Akbar, “Philosophical Hermeneutics and Contemporary Muslim Scholars’ Approaches to Interpreting Scripture”, Philosophy & Social Criticism 47 (5), 2021: 587-614). Overall, hermeneutics should be explained in greater details.

In p.7, the author claims, “Islamic law is greatly influenced by the socio-cultural setting”. This is a methodology applied by many contemporary Muslim scholars with a reformist mindset. The author should explain this methodology. Shahrur’s approach must be explained within the contextualist framework, so that his contribution can be understood better. I suggest the author to refer to Ali Akbar’s works, in particular: “Towards a humanistic approach to the Quran: new direction in contemporary Islamic thought”, Culture and Religion 20(1): 82-103; “Fazlur Rahman’s Influence on Contemporary Islamic Thought”, The Muslim World 110(2):129-153; Contemporary Perspectives on Revelation and Quranic Hermeneutics: An Analysis of Four Discourses, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2020. Of course, detailed analysis of the ideas of other liberal scholars are not required, but the author is expected to refer to these works in order to show readers that similar approaches have been presented by other reformist Muslim scholars (This is what the author did in p.8 where he/she referred to other scholars such as Qaradawi and Hamka when explaining Shahrur’s idea on hijab).

Overall, while the section on Shahrur reads fine, the author is expected to refer to some sources (such as above) to make his/her argument and Shahrur’s contribution clearer.

Finally, there are some sentences throughout the article which do not read well and I recommend the authors to restructure them. Overall, the article requires a professional proofread.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Partly

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Not applicable

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Partly

Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Partly

Reviewer Expertise:

Islamic studies

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above.

References : Philosophical hermeneutics and contemporary Muslim scholars’ approaches to interpreting scripture. Philosophy & Social Criticism .2021;47(5) : 10.1177/0191453720931912 587-614 10.1177/0191453720931912 : Towards a humanistic approach to the Quran: new direction in contemporary Islamic thought. Culture and Religion .2019;20(1) : 10.1080/14755610.2018.1532919 82-103 10.1080/14755610.2018.1532919 : Fazlur Rahman’s Influence on Contemporary Islamic Thought. The Muslim World .2020;110(2) : 10.1111/muwo.12334 129-153 10.1111/muwo.12334 : Contemporary Perspectives on Revelation and Quranic Hermeneutics: An Analysis of Four Discourses. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press .2020; 10.5256/f1000research.153259.r194892 Reviewer response for version 2 Zainol Nur Zainatul Nadra 1 Referee Department of Islamic Studies, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

 3 10 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Zainol NZN 2023 This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. recommendation approve

The Author have done the correction based on the comments.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Partly

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Partly

Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Partly

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Yes

Reviewer Expertise:

Islamic Studies; Quranic Interpretation; Modern Muslim Thinker

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

 10.5256/f1000research.137984.r177220 Reviewer response for version 1 Zainol Nur Zainatul Nadra 1 Referee Department of Islamic Studies, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

 11 7 2023 Copyright: © 2023 Zainol NZN 2023 This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. recommendation approve-with-reservations

This article is well-constructed and carefully written to understand Muhammad Shahrur's interpretation on women issues. However, it requires some amendments for the paper to be accepted. The abstract should include a statement about interpretation on ayah muhkamat must along with fiqh mazahib.

Data interpretation on the 1st women issues; relationships between teenagers of the opposite sex without marriage or living together is "halal" if it follows their will, without a contract, being accompanied by syecih or permission - this is controversial and must do comparison with other opinions. 

The references only have 2 in recent 5 years, requiring more to fit into the state-of-the-art literature. This paper is considered to be indexed after amendments are made.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Partly

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Partly

Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Partly

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Yes

Reviewer Expertise:

Islamic Studies; Quranic Interpretation

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above.

References : Structure and Qur’anic Interpretation: A Study of Symmetry and Coherence in Islam's Holy Text. Hitit Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi .2018; 10.17218/hititsosbil.457258 10.17218/hititsosbil.457258 Herlambang Saifuddin State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Pontianak, Indonesia

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

 18 7 2023

Dear reviewer, thank you for your suggestion. This additional text written on the text on appropriate section.

This article presents a study of interpretation in tafsir. Interpreters have been grouped into two categories: modern/progressive interpreters and conventional interpreters. Syahrur and Amena Wadud are prominent examples of progressive modern interpreters. It is important to clarify that this study remains independent of any specific madhhab, focusing solely on tafsir analysis 

All interpreters and scholars except Syahrur have agreed that musakanah (samen leven) are “haram”. Muhammad Kholid holds the view that Syahrur's methodology and epistemology are full of inconsistency and problems. This interpretation departs from the mainstream consensus of the majority of Muslim scholars. (abstract)

In response to Abdul Aziz's dissertation on Syahrur's stance regarding the permissibility of sex outside of marriage, Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Yunahar Ilyas, asserted that such a view contradicts the teachings of the Qur'an. Syahrur's perspective suggests that the roles performed by slaves in ancient times served as a substitute for certain functions, including sexual relations, household assistance, and work relations. He draws support for the function of sexual relations from Surah Al-Mukminun verses 5 and 6, the function of household assistance from Surah An-Nuur verse 58, and the function of work relations from Surah An-Nahl verse 71.

Hamka and Yusuf Qardhawi hold the belief that a woman's private parts encompass her entire body, with the exception of the face and palms. In contrast, Syahrur presents a distinction, dividing it into two categories: the lower limit comprises the concealed genitalia, causing embarrassment if exposed, while the upper limit includes the entirety of a woman's body, excluding the face and palms. On the subject of hijab, Quraish Shihab thinks that it is not obligatory but rather a recommended practice.

Additional for State of the art: 

Rosyada's research focused on the subject of polygamy and justice according to Syahrur (2019). Meanwhile, Hidayat conducted a comparative analysis, examining Wahbah Az-Zuhaili's perspective alongside Syahrur's views on polygamy (2020). In addition, Hadi explored the concept of milkul yamin from the perspective of ushul fiqh, focusing on Syahrur's insights (2019). Building on this theme, Husna further investigated the boundaries of women's genitals, drawing from Syahrur's book (2021). Auliya and Gazali contributed to the discussion by providing a comprehensive review of the concept of female genitalia based on Syahrur's boundary theory (2020). Similarly, in 2021, Fathony and Hamid delve into the reconstruction of Syahrur's thoughts on women's private parts in the Indonesian Archipelago. Lastly, in 2022, Ramadana undertook a comparative study, analyzing the perspectives of Fatima Mernissi, Quraish Shihab, and Syahrur, offering insights into their perpectives.