In the understanding of Grand Mufti Alim Muhamed Abduh, Mufti of Al-Azhar University, till his death in 1905:

“ 1. The primary purpose of the Qur’an is to affirm the Tawhid, the unicity of God, and all other subsequent doctrines that affirm God’s action of revelation, the sending of prophets, and the reality of resurrection and human recompense.

2. The Qur’an is a complete and comprehensive revelation; believers cannot be selective in what portions they choose to adhere to.

3. The Qur’an is the primary source for legislation for a righteous society. (While Abduh endorsed the use of reason and science in understanding the text he insisted that social life is to be organized according to the teachings of the Qur’an.)

4. Muslims should not imitate their forebears in interpreting the Qur’an, but must be authentic and true to their own understanding.

5. Reason and reflection should be utilized in interpreting the Qur’an. (Abduh saw the Qur’an as urging people to search and think about the revelation as well as to know the laws and principles that govern the universe in order to understand.)

“The Qur’an is worthy of being called the book of freedom of thought, of respect for reason and for the shaping of the individual through research, knowledge and the use of reason and reflection.”

[Tafseer Al-Fatiha, Muhammed Abduh, Rashid Rida (ed.). Cairo: Al-Manar, 1330H, pp 35-53. He cites 10:101, 29:19, 22:46 and 18:17 as proof of the Qur’an’s insistence on rationality, p 73.]