The Concept of an Islamic Reformation

Abstract

The first chapter defines reformation and examines what it means in a specifically Shi‘i context. It compares reformation in Islam and Christianity and argues that an Islamic reformation has to be an indigenous exercise, one that does not have to capitulate to the demands of a secular or exogenous religious tradition. The chapter considers why reformation in Shi‘ism started much later than it did in Sunnism. The chapter also examines juristic pluralism and the concept of hermeneutics and its effects on the reading of sacred texts. It argues that a hermeneutical approach is important to a discussion of Islamic reformation because of its insistence that the meaning of a text depends on various textual, contextual, and intertextual factors. The chapter demonstrates that a text requires multiple and continuous interpretations if it is to remain valid and able to respond to contemporary challenges.