Qoran Shenakht

Among the important issues in the foundations of Qur’anic understanding is the question of the value and legal validity of our understanding of the verses of the text, sometimes expressed as the legal permissibility of understanding. That is, supposing that the Qur’an is understandable and that efforts to understand it are permissible, is the product of such understanding endorsed by the Lawgiver, or is it without value, with only the infallible’s interpretation being valid and other readings of the Qur’an invalid? Using a descriptive-analytical method and aiming to answer the above question, this article examines the views of opponents of the authoritativeness of non-infallibles’ interpretation and explains the arguments for the legal validity or authoritativeness of non-infallibles’ understanding of the Qur’an. The result of the research indicates the validity of the methodical understanding of non-infallibles concerning the apparent meanings of Qur’anic verses; what is intended is the authoritativeness of belief or conduct based on that understanding. This understanding is rule-governed and measurable by the criteria available in the rational principles of discourse; consequently, it is worthy of attention by the Lawgiver and can serve as a basis for argument and citation.