Al-Anfal 67

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

Text of the Verse as Cited

{It was not for a prophet to have prisoners until he had thoroughly subdued [the enemy] in the land …}

Reader’s Answer

Question

How does Muhammad Shahrur read Qur’an 8:67 in the context of the prisoners of Badr, and does he regard it as permanent legislation?

Shahrur uses the verse to connect the issue of the prisoners of Badr to the circumstances of the call and to the military-civil decision during a critical phase, rather than to the station of messengerhood as a general legislative authority. Accordingly, in this instance, he treats it as connected to the management of a specific historical event and to the leadership’s decision, rather than as a permanent legislative rule abstracted from its context.

Shahrur presents the Prophet’s consultation regarding the prisoners of Badr as an event that occurred during a critical phase of the call and that ended in compliance with the opinion rejecting the execution of the prisoners. He interprets the verse’s address—“It was not for a prophet to have prisoners …”—in terms of the military leadership and the executive authority of society, rather than in terms of the station of messengerhood and legislative authority.

Citation and Location

The State and Society — p. 302.

Limits of the Reading

  • This presentation describes Shahrur’s use of the verse in the attached text and does not settle the Qur’anic or juristic interpretation of the verse beyond that use.
  • The phrase “a contingent historical position” is more precise when restricted to the event of the prisoners of Badr and to Shahrur’s distinction between military leadership and the station of messengerhood; extending it to all issues concerning prisoners is not supported by the citation.
  • The other citation concerning the change of norms does not explain Qur’an 8:67 and cannot serve as direct evidence for this conclusion.

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Brief Reading

The verse is understood as a contingent historical position in the management of prisoners, rather than as a permanent messengerly ruling.

Axes

  • Political and social
  • Narrative and historical
  • Executive authority: 2
  • Prisoners: 2

Its Place in the Network of Concepts

It clarifies the limits of executive decision-making in the historical event and distinguishes it from legislation.

Role of the Verse in the Argument

  • Distinction: 2

Instances of Use

  • The State and Society, p. 302: He uses it to distinguish between the station of prophethood and that of military leadership, thus making the ruling on the prisoners of Badr a matter of political administration rather than legislative revelation.
    • Concept: Executive authority
    • Function of the verse here: Distinction
    • Textual citation: “… he complied with this opinion, although it was erroneous … {It was not for a prophet to have prisoners until he had thoroughly subdued [the enemy] in the land …} (Al-Anfal 67), that is, as the military leader of his society (the executive authority).”
  • The Messengerly Sunna and the Prophetic Sunna, p. 115: He maintains that the verse describes a contingent historical position and therefore does not turn the treatment of prisoners into permanent messengerly legislation.
    • Concept: Prisoners
    • Function of the verse here: Distinction
    • Textual citation: “{It was not for a prophet to have prisoners…} Al-Anfal 67 … to demonstrate the contingency of this situation and that it belongs to narratives, and that obedience in it is separate obedience.”

This page is presented within the general methodology for constructing the atlas.

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas