Ta-Ha 14

3 min read

This axis gathers 2 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

Text of the Verse as Cited

Indeed, I am God; there is no god but I. So worship Me, and establish prayer for My remembrance.

Reader’s Answer

Question

How does Muhammad Shahrur employ Ta-Ha 14 to distinguish between worship and the establishment of prayer?

Shahrur employs the verse as evidence that worship and the establishment of prayer are not one and the same, because the two commands occur in coordination: “So worship Me,” then “and establish prayer for My remembrance.” From this coordination, he concludes that prayer, in his reading, is a rite distinct from worship; thus, worship cannot properly be reduced to the performance of rituals inside the mosque.

Shahrur cites Ta-Ha 14 to distinguish between worship and the establishment of prayer, because “and establish prayer” is coordinated with “so worship Me.” He maintains that the mosque is a place for remembrance, glorification, the establishment of prayer, and the giving of alms, and that these are rites which he does not equate with worship. From the distinction between the two commands, Shahrur understands that worship is not confined to mosques but is connected to the various spheres of life and work.

Evidence and Location

Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 87.

Limits of the Reading

  • The evidence is from Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, not from the Book and the Qur’an; the excerpt attributed to page 49 of the Book and the Qur’an is publication data and does not contain an interpretation of the verse.
  • The argument presented establishes Shahrur’s distinction between worship and prayer in his exposition, but it alone is insufficient to establish every detail of his definition of worship or prayer.
  • The evidence contains no statement supporting the earlier reading that makes prayer a vocal recitation of remembrance or makes worship equivalent to recitation.

Continue From Here

Brief Reading

He employs it to link prayer to the vocal recitation of remembrance, while highlighting the difference between worship and the establishment of prayer.

Axes

  • Faith-related
  • Linguistic and semantic
  • Recitation: 2
  • Worship: 2

Its Place in the Conceptual Network

It contributes to defining the relationship between worship and ritual on the one hand, and recitation as an act on the other.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Support: 1
  • Distinction: 1

Instances of Use

  • the Book and the Qur’an, p. 49: He employs it to link prayer to the vocal recitation of remembrance, such that worship lies in recitation itself and not necessarily in understanding the meaning.
    • Concept: Recitation
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual evidence: “{.. AND ESTABLISH PRAYER FOR MY REMEMBRANCE} (Ta-Ha 14)”
  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 87: He cites it to distinguish between worship and the establishment of prayer, and to argue that prayer is an independent rite coordinated with worship.
    • Concept: Worship
    • Function of the verse here: Distinction
    • Textual evidence: “As indicated by His—Exalted is He—saying: {INDEED, I AM GOD … SO WORSHIP ME, AND ESTABLISH PRAYER FOR MY REMEMBRANCE} (Ta-Ha 14)”
    • Corresponding traditional reading: Conflation of prayer and worship

This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.

Graph View

Muhammad Shahrur Atlas