This is a lexicon entry that gathers the technical meaning of this term in Shahrur across his various books, and connects its multiple uses.
This entry belongs to the Shahrur glossary. For reading by theme, one may refer to Shahrur’s major themes and shared concepts.
The meaning in Shahrur
A Qur’anic expression understood here as the firm bond based on voluntary commitment to the covenant and the pillars of Islam. In this usage, it indicates that true religion, in Shahrur’s view, is based on choice and freedom, not coercion, while also being linked to resistance against tyranny.
Distinctions
- It is not equated with a merely devotional or exhortative phrase, because what is meant is a practical religious bond with a commitment-oriented content
- It is not understood here as a purely ritual affiliation, but rather as a connection to the covenant and to the pillars and values on which it stands.
- It does not refer to absolute freedom in the general sense, but to a freedom tied to correct religious commitment and triumph over tyranny.
Occurrences in his books
- Islam and Faith: the firmest handhold is mentioned here as a point of close connection with the covenant and with the pillars of Islam. Its function in the source is to reinforce the idea that religious commitment in Shahrur is a firm but voluntary bond
- Religion and Power: it is used here as a Qur’anic formulation that Shahrur links to freedom and victory over tyranny. It is not merely a devotional phrase, but a sign that liberation and choice are part of the correct religious structure in his reading.
What it neighbors and differs from
- Islam
- The Islamic covenant in Shahrur is based on value-oriented pillars, not on ritual affiliation
- Freedom is connected to the firmest handhold
- Islamic religion accords with human nature and freedom as the basis of the human being