This entry brings together 2 instances of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The text of the verse as cited
O Prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful for you?
Reader’s answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what distinguishes it in Shahrur’s reading, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse is At-Tahrim 1. Shahrur cites it as an example of how refraining from something permissible may arise from an oath, and how the obligation of release from an oath is presented as a way out of the predicament resulting from this commitment.
Shahrur cites At-Tahrim 1 in the context of a person who commits by oath not to do something lawful, then wishes to do it; this creates for them a predicament arising from the oath. Shahrur understands the obligation of release from oaths as a divine way out of the burden of an oath that restricts a person in a matter that is not prohibited.
Citation and location
Islam and Faith — p. 49.
Limits of the reading
- The citation presents At-Tahrim 1 alongside At-Tahrim 2 and Al-Ma’idah 89, but does not offer a detailed interpretation of all the verse’s terms.
- This reading is limited to the meaning explicitly stated by the citation in the specified passage.
- The citation does not establish a claim about synonymy or its negation.
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Brief reading
The verse clarifies that release from oaths addresses a human commitment that may cause hardship, while linking it to the question of the limits of infallibility.
Axes
- Legislative
- Human and ethical
Related concepts
- Oath: 2
- Infallibility: 2
Its place in the network of concepts
It enters the network of legislative understanding concerned with removing hardship and defining the scope of reproach.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Context: 1
- Example: 1
Instances of use
- Islam and Faith, p. 49: He cites it to clarify that the obligation concerning release from oaths addresses a human commitment that may cause its bearer hardship.
- Concept: Oath
- Function of the verse here: Context
- Textual citation: “{O Prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful for you …} (At-Tahrim 1).”
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 93: He cites it to establish that the Prophet may be reproached if he exceeds the limits of what is made lawful and prohibited; accordingly, infallibility belongs to the message, not absolutely to the person.
- Concept: Infallibility
- Function of the verse here: Example
- Textual citation: “And His saying to the Arab Prophet (PBUH): {O Prophet, why do you prohibit what God has made lawful} (At-Tahrim 1).”
Related books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.