Contextualism in Ayatollāh Borūjerdī’s Jurisprudential Methodology

Abstract

This article sheds light on the fiqhī methodology of Ayatollāh S. Hosain Tabātabāī Borūjerdī (1875-1961). According to the author, one of the most prominent features of his methodology is a broad contextualism. Bringing evidence from Ayatollāh Borūjerdī’s major writings, the article explains different aspects and dimensions of his contextualist approach. It explains how he has moved away from a pure textualist approach while keeping his fidelity to the text at the same time. The article also shows how this idea has been reflected in the works of Ayatollāh Borūjerdī’s followers. It suggests the ways in which this methodological approach can be developed and applied across all Islamic textual sources, including the narrations of the Prophet and the Qur’ān.