Glorification = Declaring God Transcendent of the Properties of Things
Editorial verification status: this atom is extracted from a explanatory audiovisual source and has now been linked to the closest books within Shahrur’s project at the book level. For exact academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur sees glorification in the Qur’an as declaring God transcendent of being like moving, changing, multiple things. Glorification is therefore not merely a verbal formula, but a statement of the ontological difference between the Creator and the created.
Explanation
He understands glorification as a semantic movement within the Qur’anic text: whenever God is mentioned alongside some created thing, glorification appears to remove any suspicion of likeness. Things “glorify” because, in their existence, they are changing and moving; that is, they practically testify to their difference from God. In this way, Shahrur moves away from a purely ritual interpretation of glorification. He turns it into a philosophical concept of the negation of resemblance.
Its place in the argument of the episode
This atom links ontological theory with practical monotheism in reading the Qur’an.
Scope of the claim
It does not deny the devotional meaning of glorification, but rather focuses on its ontological meaning.
Brief witness
“Glorification is the form of material existence.”
Nearby links
- Shahrur - The Qur’an
- Shahrur - The Shahada
- Shahrur - The Decisive