This thematic entry brings together 1 instance of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The Verse Text as Cited
{I know of no god for you but myself}
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Muhammad Shahrur employ the Almighty’s statement, {I know of no god for you but myself}, in his critique of political authority?
Shahrur employs the verse as an example of claiming divinity in the political sphere: in his reading, a leader who demands unconditional obedience or presents himself as a “sole leader” encroaches upon God’s divinity. This is Shahrur’s use of the text in criticizing despotism, rather than an assertion that the verse alone sets out a detailed political theory.
Shahrur links the verse to the claim of divinity through the demand for unconditional obedience. He explains this claim with the expression “the sole leader” and cites the slogan “Assad forever” as an example.
Evidence and Location
Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 103.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence establishes Shahrur’s use of the verse to criticize unconditional obedience and one-man leadership, but it does not provide details of an alternative political system or specific institutional measures.
- Not every critique of political authority should be attributed to the verse merely because of verbal similarity; the established link here is Shahrur’s own statement that demanding unconditional obedience is an encroachment upon divinity.
- The two examples cited in the text (“the sole leader” and “Assad forever”) are part of Shahrur’s interpretive formulation, not the wording of the verse.
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Brief Reading
The verse is presented as an example of rejecting the demand for absolute obedience as an encroachment upon divinity.
Themes
- Political and social
- Faith
Related Concepts
- Divinity and obedience: 2
- Absolute leadership: 1
- Unconditional obedience: 1
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to the critique of despotism when it becomes a claim to absolute religious authority.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Foundational: 1
Instances of Use
- Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 103: He presents it as an example of claiming absolute leadership and demanding unconditional obedience as an encroachment upon divinity.
- Concept: Divinity and obedience
- Function of the verse here: Foundational
- Textual evidence: “4 – {I know of no god for you but myself} (al-Qasas 38). Whoever encroaches upon divinity by demanding unconditional obedience has encroached upon God in His divinity.”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.