ABSTRACT
A contextualist interpretation of the Qur'an expects the interpreter to keep a close eye on the hierarchical nature of the values that they encounter in any Qur'anic text. A starting point for thinking about such a hierarchy of values could be the Qur'anic concept of “right action”(al-’amal al-sālih), as this is a concept that is repeatedly mentioned in the Qur'an and on which much of Qur'anic ethical and moral values are based. Although a wide range of Qur'anic values come under this broad concept, these values are not necessarily of the same level of importance. One of the most challenging issues in the con-textualisation is determining the degree of importance that should be attached to a particular Qur'anic value or values that have been identified in the text under consideration. Failure to recognise the existence of a hierarchy in the values may lead to interpretations that conflict with the important universal values of the Qur'an. In this chapter, I am using the term “value” in a broader sense, not in the way the term is used commonly. While “value” is often understood to mean standards by which our culture defines what is good or bad, desirable or undesirable, beautiful or ugly, my use of the term here also covers beliefs as well. In a sense, value is about what a Muslim is expected to adopt, follow and put into practice or reject in terms of beliefs, ideas, and practices. To illustrate this, a tentative hierarchy of values is provided here, in descending order of importance. These are not definitive, but may be helpful in a contextualist reading of the Qur'anic text:
Obligatory values
Fundamental values
Protectional values
Implementational values
Instructional values
