We need to identify the fixed, explicit rules of the Shari’ah; those rules that are not subject to interpretation. The “absolutes”. Rules not limited to a madhhab. And, obviously, rules that relate to the public sphere. I am not talking about canonizing Fiqh, eliminating variant opinions and so forth. Quite the opposite. I am talking about identifying those relatively few elements of the Law that are fixed, Divine injunctions, about which there is no ambiguity or disagreement; thereby acknowledging that everything else is open to interpretation.
What is the purpose of this? To begin the process of building a template for an Islamist political platform that includes and complies with the absolutes of the Law, while maintaining a reasonable level of flexibility in other matters.
It seems to me this is vital. Different groups or parties may develop their own platforms which incorporate the interpretations of the madhhabs they follow, thus making one distinct from the other, and appealing to a specific constituency. But we should have a basic foundation articulated; elements in a political platform without which a party cannot realistically be regarded as Islamist.