Evaluation of Nasr Hamed Abu Zayd's interpretive approach in understanding the verses of the Islamic rulings

Hamed Abu Zayd, a contemporary scholar, believes that the message of the Quran can only survive through interpretation. In his view, the verses of the Islamic rulings should be interpreted in a modern way; From the development process of the Islamic rulings in the age of revelation, a message can be deducted through which modern rulings can be obtained. Since every understanding of the Qurchr('39')an must be disciplined, it is necessary to examine the discipline of Abu Zaydchr('39')s interpretation. The present study attempts to follow the Abu Zayd’s rules of interpretation; his Hermeneutic principles and his criterion of interpretation. According to the results of the research, some factors cause misinterpretation: in the fundamentals if one neglects the authorchr('39')s intention, or if he believes in the historicity of understanding, etc.; In the method, the legibility of the message resulting from the evolution of the rulings can lead to misinterpretation. Finally, in the criteria, the conformity of new rulings with the message that stem from the development process of Islamic rulings must be observed. However, the two criteria of linking meaning with content and paying attention to different contexts of speech can restrain the extreme reading of the text.