Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Acknowledgements; Transliteration conventions; Abbreviations; Chapter One
Introduction; 1.1. General background; 1.2. The legal theorists' pragmatic approaches to communication; 1.3. Aims and scope of the study; 1.4. A note on terminology; 1.5. The structure of the study; Chapter Two
Wadc and Use; 2.1. Introduction; 2.2. Wadc; 2.2.1. Universal and particular Wadc; 2.2.2. General and specific Wadc; 2.3. Use; 2.3.1. Intention; 2.3.2. Content; Chapter Three
Interpretation; 3.1. Introduction.
3.2. Fiqh, understanding and interpretation3.3. Signifying by expressions and the signification of expressions; 3.4. Context from the viewpoint of the addressee; 3.4.1. Comprehensive sight of text; 3.4.2. Context as a signifying element; 3.4.3. Types of content; 3.5. The mainstream interpretation model; 3.5.1. The usūl (principles and bases); 3.5.1.1. The Principle of the Speaker's Disposition to Make his Intention Manifest; 3.5.1.2. The Principle of the Speaker's Truthfulness; 3.5.1.3. The Principle of Icmāl; 3.5.1.4. The Principal of Immediacy; 3.5.1.5. The Principle of Istishāb.
4.8. Ibn Taymiyyah's critial review of haqīqah and majāz dichotomy4.8.1. The view of the adherents of haqīqah and majāz dichotomy; 4.8.1.1. Arguments in favour of the distinction between haqīqah and majāz; 4.8.2. Arguments against the distinction between haqīqah and majāz; 4.8.3. Ibn Taymiyyah's accound of majāz; 4.9. Ibn Taymiyyah's model of interpretation; 4.9.1. Tawīl (diverting to non-appatent meaning); 4.9.1.1. The limitations of tawīl; Chapter Five
Ways of Signification; 5.1. Introduction; 5.2. The semiotic classification of signification; 5.2.1. Wadc-based verbal signification.
5.2.1.1. Types of Wadc-based verbal signification5.2.1.2. Criticisms of the classification; 5.3. The text-based classification of siginfication; 5.3.1. The Hanafī method of dividing text-signification; 5.3.1.1. The express meaning of text; 5.3.1.2. The alluded meaning of text; 5.3.1.3. The inferred meaning of text; 5.3.1.4. The required meaning of text; 5.3.2. The Shāficī method of dividing text-signification; 5.3.2.1. Al-Juwaynī's classification; 5.3.2.2. Al-Ghazāli's classification; 5.3.2.3. Al-Āmidī's classification; 5.3.2.4. Ibn al-Hājib's classification; 5.3.3. Implicature.
Chapter Four
Ibn Taymiyyah's Contextual Theory of Interpretation4.1. Introduction; 4.2. Call for a contextual approach; 4.3. Philosophical background; 4.3.1. Ibn Taymiyyah's ontological position; 4.3.2. Ibn Taymiyyah's theory of cognitive relativism; 4.3.3 Ibn Taymiyyah's contextual theory of definition; 4.4. Ibn Taymiyyah's contextual view of language and meaningfulness; 4.5. Ibn Taymiyyah's contextual view of the wadc-use distinction; 4.6. Ibn Taymiyyah's contextual view of the meaning-intention distinction; 4.7. Ibn Taymiyyah's contextual view of signification.