This axis establishes the presence of critique of authoritarianism within the atlas, but links it to Shahrur’s own concepts: prohibition, sovereignty, those vested with authority, the civil state, the inherited jurisprudential tradition, and monism. The issue here is not a general political stance, but a critique of a structure that monopolizes religion, understanding, or law.
Shahrur holds that prohibition belongs to God alone, and that the state regulates the public sphere through law, not through prohibition. From here emerges his critique of authoritarianism when political, religious, or juristic authority turns into a final reference that stands above the text and society.
Axis question
How does Shahrur dismantle the structure of authoritarianism when he distinguishes between divine prohibition, civil legislation, and the authority of inherited jurisprudence?
What you read here
- The state, for him, is a civil organization, not an apparatus for monopolizing religion.
- Prohibition belongs to God, whereas legislation remains a human and social domain.
- Those vested with authority are read in the context of consultation and organization, not political infallibility.
- Critique of the inherited jurisprudential tradition prevents the transformation of historical ijtihad into final authority.
- Monism appears when a single understanding of religion is made the standard for all.
Central links
- The civil state, religion, and authority
- Legislation, limits, and prohibition
- Critique of heritage, jurisprudence, and interpretation
- Turning heritage into authority closes off reading and supports despotism
- The state and religion
- Monism and pluralism
- Usul al-fiqh and critique of inherited jurisprudence
- Monism leads to despotism and ruin
- Tyranny is the hallmark of monistic thought
- Despotism as three allied forces
Books and passages
- The State and Society
- Religion and Authority
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence
- An-Nisa 59