This glossary entry brings together the technical meaning of this term in Shahrur’s various books and connects its multiple uses.
This entry belongs to Shahrur’s Glossary. For reading by theme, see Shahrur’s Major Themes and Shared Concepts.
Meaning in Shahrur’s Thought
Obedience to the Messenger is the free response to what the Messenger conveyed of the message, grounded in acceptance rather than coercion. It is understood as a link between guidance and mercy, whereby obedience does not become religious compulsion but rather a commitment consistent with human freedom and responsibility.
Distinctions
- Here, obedience is not equivalent to coercive submission, because coercion is excluded from this understanding.
- It differs from mere obedience to the Messenger as a person; what is meant is responding to the message he conveys.
- It cannot be understood apart from freedom: it is obedience within a framework of choice, not one of violence.
- It is not reducible to the formal observance of commands; rather, it is connected to mercy and guidance.
Passages from His Books
- Islam and Faith: Obedience to the Messenger is presented here as voluntary obedience that does not rest on coercion and is connected to divine mercy. It is part of Shahrur’s understanding of the relationship between the message and freedom, rather than merely compulsory compliance with religious commands.
Related and Contrasting Concepts
- The Messenger
- Religion, for Shahrur, is a free covenant that rejects coercion and violence.
- Obedience to the Messenger is mercy for humanity.
- Obedience to the Messenger within the framework of freedom.