This page explains a conceptual relationship between two terms within Shahrur’s thought, and how this relationship functions in the construction of meaning.
Meaning of the Relationship
This relationship means that the Messenger undertook the enactment of rulings and regulations of a civil nature; that is, he is not understood here as merely conveying the spiritual message, but as possessing a legislative role in organizing the affairs of society in his era. The evidence affirms that this civil legislation is linked to what issued from him in the capacity of messengerhood, not to everything attributed to him in a general sense, while distinguishing between his status as a human being, a prophet, and a messenger.
The Two Sides of the Relationship
- First side: the Messenger
- Relationship: practiced
- Second side: civil legislation
Evidence
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence via The Messenger Practiced Civil Legislation
- Evidence: - It distinguishes between Muhammad’s status as a human being, his status as a messenger, and his status as a prophet, and makes the obedience owed to him in its distinct sense tied to his civil legislation in his era, not to everything reported from him.
Its Effect on the Knowledge Map
This relationship gains its importance from the fact that it locates the Messenger within the conceptual map as a source of specific civil legislation, not as an all-encompassing reference for every statement and act with the same degree of authority. This, in turn, affects the construction of the entire knowledge network, because it distinguishes between the domains of religious discourse and the domains of social organization, and makes the understanding of obedience and following dependent on the type of statement and its context, not merely on its attribution to the Messenger.