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

3.1. Semantico-contextual Changes in Definition and Scope of the Sunnah  Ansari has pointed out  several difficulties one encounters when studying the terminology used during the early period of Islamic thought. One such problem is the “comparative lack of fixity in technical connotations of terms in use”19 which resulted in a gradual change in connotation over a period of time. An important aspect in these semantical changes in terminology is their increasing ‘technical’, or what the author would describe as legalistic,20 connotations. Moreover, and importantly, these terms had a multiplicity of meanings even when employed by the same author in the same work.21 Another important principle for the purpose of this study that Ansari has identified with reference to the changes in meaning of certain words and concepts is the notion of a significant time gap between the usages of the conceptual and technical/legalistic aspects of terminology. Put differently, words prior to acquiring “s

BASED ON THE REFERENCES IN MY PUBLICATIONS AND READINGS. MOST FROM   HERE At the level of Fundamentals Source Mainstream sunnism( based on sixth hijri version ) Salafism Jihadist salafism Progressive Islam Quran interpretation Semi- textualist Heavily textualist  Heavily textualist Heavily contextualist Sunna Hadith dependent Hadith dependent; ittiba' based Hadith dependent; ittiba' based  sunna independent of Hadith  ;rationalist; dynamics and ethico-values driven Ijtihad Operates within the 4 source heavily textualist hermeneutics; taqlid based  Operates within the 4 source hiraerchy; heavily textualist hermeneutics ; ittiba' based Operates within the 4 source hierarchy heavily textualist hermeneutics; ittiba' based  Operates outside 4 source hierarchy of mainstream sunni ulul ul fiqh Maqasid al sharia Heavily textualist Heavily tex

In the first part of this section I  identify the relevant Qur’an and hadith texts employed and the  most commonly applied hermeneutical tools and methods  by progressive Muslims with regards to their view on the normative principals and the decorum  adopted when dealing with the religious Other.   Here and in the next section I primarily discuss the work of Esack and Shahrur which , are  the most relevant   works which directly link the issue of Qur’anic hermeneutics with that of the religious status of the religious Other. Esack based on his “contextual hermeneutic of religious diversity for libration” outlines a number of ‘general attitudes’ evident in the Qur’an which are to be considered when attempting to understand the Qur’an’s relationship with the religious Other.  Firstly, by taking recourse to the importance of ‘overall historical context’ Esack considers that the Qur’an embraces religious inclusivism by” presents a universal, inclusivist perspective of a divine bein