Contemporary Reading on the Qur’an; Study on Muhammad Syahrur’s Perspective

In the early 1990s, Arabic world was made shocked by the publishing of the controversial book entitled “al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an; Qira’ah Mu’ashirah”, a work of contemporary intellectual Moslem who comes from Syria, namely Muhammad Syahrur. The book which was the first time published by Ahali Publishing House Damascus (al-Ahali li al-Tiba’ al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an wa al-Nashr wa al-Tauzy) in 1990, has been repeatedly reprinted for several times. In Syria, that book was sold as many as 20.000 copies although it was banned (breaking the rule of copy right), tens of thousands of further copies was circulated in the form of pirated, faxed or photocopied versions spreading out in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula.  Because of this book, the author was denounced as ‘an enemy of Islam’ and ‘a western and Zionist agent.’

            Syahrur’s work, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an attempts to offer “fresh” ideas related to the terms within the study of the Qur’an, and the Qur’anic concepts which associated with theology, law, and moral. Albeit some terms and concepts raised as the major study in his work are not so odd for the learner and the expert of the Qur’an, the definitions and the comprehensions introduced by Syahrur constitute the different color of thinking compared to conventional tradition preserved by the majority of Ulama, especially in interpreting the Qur’an.

            It was then not surprising, if the book consisting of 822 pages which he had finished from 1970 to 1990 generated pros and cons around Moslem scholars by the growing responses back toward al-kitab wa al-Qur’an.  Jamal al-Banna (a Moslem intellectual in Egypt, the figure of labor movement, and the younger brother of Hasan al-banna) acknowledged that the book which contains the new method in interpreting the text of the holy Qur’an has sparked hot polemics. Some critical responses to the book as follows: Tahafut Qira’ah Mu’ashirah (confusion of the contemporary reading), a book written by Dr. Munir Muhammad Thahir al-Syawwaf, a scholar of law from Lebanon, Al-Furqan wa al- Qur’an written by syaikh Khalid Abdul Rahman al-Akk, Qira’ah ‘ala Kitab al-kitab wa al-Qur’an by Hala al-Ouri, a Palestinian intellectual who lives in Egypt. There are still other works, Mujarrad Tanjim (3 volumes) by Salim al-Jabi and al-Qira’ah al-Mu’ashirah li al-Qur’an fi al-Mizan by Ahmad ‘Omran.

            In this paper, the writer tries to elucidate the methodology of the interpretation of the Qur’an formulated by Syahrur in his magnum opus, and attempts to give critical analysis.

B. Short Biography of Muhammad Syahrur

            Muhammad Syahrur Ibn Daib was born in Syria, 11 April 1938. He started his education in Ibtidaiyyah, I’dadiyah and Sanawiyyah in Damascus. He got his certificate (Ijazah) of junior high school from Madrasah abdurrahman al-Kawakib, 1957. Getting the scholarship from the government, he traveled to Soviet Union on March 1958 to study civil engineering in Moscow and he finished his diploma in 1964. In 1965, Syahrur returned to Syria to devote himself as a lecturer in the University of Damascus.

            In 1967, Syahrur did a research in Imperial College, London. However, since the war occurred between Syria and Israel that affected the diplomatic relation between Syria-Britain, Syahrur decided to get out from Britain. Next, The University of Damascus sent him to the national university of Irlandia to pursue his master’s degree and Ph.D. in civil engineering concentrating on soil mechanics and foundation engineering. He finally got his master in 1969 and Ph.D.  in 1972.

            Afterwards, Syahrur went back to Damascus to teach in the faculty of engineering starting from 1972 to now in the field of soil mechanics and foundation engineering. In the similar year, Syahrur and his colleagues opened the bureau of engineering consultancy. In 1982-1983, he was delegated to Saudi Arabia as the researcher of his field   in consulate firm, and in 1995, he became one of the honored participants of the public debate focusing on Islamic issues in Morocco and Lebanon.

            In terms of his skills, He mastered two languages i.e. English and Russia besides Arabic. Furthermore, Syahrur is very keen of learning philosophy and linguistics (fiqh lugah). His works related to his major which were published in Damascus, they are Handasah al-Asasat, 3 volumes and Handasah al-Turab, 1 volume, whereas his works related to Islam such as al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qira’ah Mu’ashirah in 1990, Dirasat Islamiyyah Mu’ashirah fi al-Daulah wa al-Mujtama’ in 1994 and al-Islam wa al-Iman: Manzumat   al-Qiyam in 1996. Besides, Syahrur often writes articles in Journals and newspapers such as “The Devine Text and Pluralism in Muslim Societies” in Muslim Politics Report (14 August 1997), “Islam and the 1995 Beijing World Conference on women” in Kuwait Newspaper, which then be published in Liberal Islam (1998). Not only in writing, he is also active in presenting his thought and concepts on al-Qur’an with regard to social and political problems, for instance women rights, and Pluralism in many international conferences, like MESA Conference, 1998 in Chicago.

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