Modernist and Postmodern Thought and Its Impact on the Interpretation of Religious Texts

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Faculty of Shariʿa, University of Jordan

Abstract

Modernist thought distinguishes itself from other intellectual movements by its commitment to reinterpreting the Islamic tradition through Western theoretical and critical frameworks. At the heart of this approach lies an effort to desacralize religious texts and recast them as cultural artifacts rather than sources of binding theological or legal authority.
This study examines the interpretive strategies employed by modernist and postmodern thinkers in their engagement with Islamic scripture. It aims to clarify the assumptions underlying this approach, identify its methodological features, and assess its impact on the understanding of religious texts. Drawing on an inductive method, the research synthesizes a wide range of modernist writings and critically evaluates their treatment of the Islamic textual tradition.
The article is structured in two main sections. The first outlines the emergence and development of modernity, with particular attention to its intellectual and historical foundations. The second analyzes how modernist thinkers approach the Qurʾān and Sunna, focusing on their call for a “new reading” of scripture, their neglect of established principles for reconciling textual evidence, and their appeal to legal interests (maṣāliḥ) that have been invalidated in Islamic law. The study also addresses the erosion of distinctions between fixed and variable aspects of the Sharīʿa in modernist discourse.
Among the study’s central findings is that the modernist project often seeks to marginalize religion by reinterpreting revelation as myth and redefining the boundaries of Islamic thought through unqualified forms of ijtihād. These efforts frequently disregard the classical conditions for juristic reasoning, extending interpretive authority to those who lack the requisite scholarly training.
The analysis further notes a tendency among modernist thinkers to question the infallibility of the Prophet, which in turn leads to the relativization of both Qurʾānic and Prophetic authority. Religious texts are thereby recast as historically contingent writings, devoid of intrinsic sanctity and subject to revision.
This study concludes that such approaches ultimately aim to revise the foundational principles of Islamic law, undermine doctrinal certainty, and promote a vision of religion based on subjective reason, individual autonomy, and liberal ideals. These readings often disregard the scholarly consensus that definitive rulings are not subject to reinterpretation, particularly when their meanings do not rely on rational derivation.
In light of these findings, the study recommends the development of university-level curricula devoted to modernist thought and its critique, in order to provide students with the intellectual tools necessary to engage with its claims in a rigorous and informed manner.

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