Critical-Progressive Muslims: On Islamic hermeneutics, Gender and Interreligious Dialogue

  On Authority and Interpretation in Contemporary Islamic Thought Adis Duderija In the landscape of contemporary Islamic thought, the concept of authority and its interpretation occupies a pivotal role in shaping both scholarly discourse and theological practice. The dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity presents significant challenges and opportunities for the understanding of authority. In this essay, I aim to provide a normative and analytical account of interpretive authority that transcends two reductive moves prevalent in both traditional and modernist discourses. The challenge is to construct an understanding of authority that is both rooted in the rich epistemological heritage of Islam and responsive to contemporary social realities as synthesised in progressive Islam/Muslim thought. Reevaluating Authority: A Critique of Traditionalism and Modernism Traditionalists often locate authority within fixed institutional frameworks or specific schools of thought ...

  The Ethical Imagination in Islamic Thought: Mona Siddiqui’s   Call for Shared Humanity Adis Duderija   “"An ethical imagination must lie at the centre of Islamic thought. Imagination is about seeing and understanding the world and this is inherently a moral activity. It is through observation that we become aware of human freedom to think and act, of our relational existence, of a moral impulse to make things better for all. Yet in our increasingly pluralist societies, faith in God should be a vessel for a shared imagination. This requires thinking beyond our personal struggle and beyond our personal salvation." Mona Siddiqui   Human struggle: Christian and Muslim perspectives. Cambridge University Press. p.155   In today’s world of rapid change and intricate socio-cultural dynamics, the concept of ethical imagination takes on an urgent significance, particularly within Islamic thought. Drawing on the insights of Mona Siddiqui , we can argue that et...

  The Concept of Wisdom in the Qur'an Adis Duderija ( the concept of this article based on SAQIB HUSSAIN’s Ph.D.thesis accessible here )   The concept of wisdom, or ḥikmah , stands as a pillar within the teachings of the Qur'an, offering a lens through which divine guidance can be understood not merely as prescriptive law, but as profound insight into the nature of reality and morality. Far from being a simple synonym for knowledge, ḥikmah in the Qur'an is a multifaceted term that has engaged scholars for centuries, prompting diverse interpretations that reflect its complexity and centrality to the faith. Exploring this concept reveals how the Qur'an synthesises earlier wisdom traditions and articulates a vision of spiritual and ethical understanding that resonates across time. From the earliest attempts at Qur'anic commentary, scholars wrestled with defining ḥikmah . Some early interpreters equated it with the normative practice of prophet   Muhammad , ...