Direct Answer
Here, Islam is a designation distinct from faith, not an alternative name for it. Shahrur cites Aal ʿImran 64 as evidence that it is the “common denominator” with the People of the Book, then reads al-Qasas 51–54 as combining a prior Islam with subsequent faith in what is recited.
What Is Attributed to Shahrur
In his commentary on Aal ʿImran 64, Shahrur says that the address places both the speaker and the People of the Book within a shared Islam: “That is, we and you are Muslims; Islam is the common denominator between me and you.” He then cites al-Qasas 51–54, especially their statement, “Indeed, before it we were Muslims,” and comments: “In one instance Islam, and in another faith.” Thus, in this passage he establishes a distinction between the two terms and does not treat them as synonymous.
Atlas Explanation
The minimum reading permitted by the text is as follows: Islam indicates a broader commonality evident in the address to the People of the Book; faith appears, in the example selected by Shahrur, when they receive the discourse and affirm it. This explanation does not mean that every Qur’anic use of the two terms has been settled here; it only delimits what the available evidence says.
For definitions and paths of expansion: Islam، the lexicon، Islam in the book Islam and Humanity، Islam in the book Islam and Faith، Islam in The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought، Islam in A Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation.
Synthetic Conclusion
If the two textual witnesses are read together, the hub should not define Islam solely by Muhammadan affiliation; for Shahrur explicitly states that the People of the Book share in Islam, then distinguishes this from faith in the same example. This is an organizational inference from the evidence, not an unrestricted comprehensive definition.
Open Question and Limits of the Evidence
The existing relations connect Islam with righteous action, freedom, citizenship, and the authority to prohibit, but this set provides no documented text explaining those links. Its links are therefore retained as paths for reading, without attributing them to this evidence or building a comprehensive definition upon them.
Likewise, the evidence alone does not settle all details of the distinction between Islam and faith across Shahrur’s project as a whole.
Verses and Reading Paths
Aal ʿImran 64 · Aal ʿImran 85 · al-Anbiyaʾ 108 · al-Anʿam 161–163 · al-Anʿam 162–163 · al-Anʿam 163 · al-Baqara 112 · al-Baqara 128 · al-Qasas 51–54 · al-Qalam 35–36 · al-Maʾida 93 · Fussilat 33 · Yunus 71–72.
Related Relations
Related Paths and Sources
Qur’anic terms are not synonymous · Ihsan encompasses oneself and others · Islam is a universal ethical religion · Islam precedes the Muhammadan mission · Islam is allegiance to human values · Islam transcends narrow affiliation · Starting from the foundational text · Tartil is the principal method of reading · Tartil brings together related subjects · Freedom is the basis of human dignity · Good deeds erase bad deeds through repentance · The state does not possess the authority to prohibit · Religion directs toward human values · Sin, bad deed, and transgression · Sins against God are forgivable · Bad deeds are expiated through reform · Associating partners is the fixing of what is changeable · Associating partners is unforgivable when persisted in · Testimony in the Qur’an has two meanings · The doctrine of fighting has two distinct types · Righteous action embodies faith · The Qur’an interprets the Qur’an · The Book establishes the fixed foundations · Disbelief is a public hostile declaration · God alone possesses the authority to permit and prohibit · Citizenship is the highest allegiance in the civil state · Citizenship rests on law and equality · Citizenship is allegiance to the homeland and the law · Universal allegiance is individual and religious · National allegiance preserves identity.