Shahrur’s statement
The witness states: “Traditional obedience to those in authority and allegiance, as formulated in the transmitted reports, were used to justify authoritarianism.”
Scope of the claim
The critique is specifically directed at the traditional formulation in the transmitted reports and at its use in justifying authoritarianism. This statement should not be turned into a judgment on every practice of allegiance or obedience, nor into a denial of the basis of political organization; the available evidence does not elaborate on this.
Open question
The witness does not identify the reports in question or explain the mechanism of their use; this requires a broader passage from the text.
For reading in context
- Muhammad Shahrur: Religion and Authority
- Critique of Authoritarianism and Monism
- Jurisprudence is historical, and civil law is separate from it
Jurisprudence is historical, and civil law is separate from it