Intended Meaning
Shahrur divides revelation into prophethood and messengerhood For him, prophethood is connected to knowledge, reports, and the Qur’an, whereas messengerhood is connected to rulings, obligations, and the Mother of the Book
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: definitional
- Movement of the argument: It separates prophethood from messengerhood so that each has a different domain within revelation.
- Central terms: prophethood, messengerhood, Mother of the Book.
- Degree of centrality: primary.
This atom lays the conceptual foundation for dividing revelation, and prevents confusion between the domain of transmitted knowledge and the legislative domain, in keeping with the author’s construction of the relation between text and function.
Links for further reading
- Muhammad Shahrur: The Book and the Qur’an
- The Book, the Qur’an, and the Mother of the Book
- Prophethood
- Mother of the Book
- The Qur’an is guidance for all people
Grounding
- Supporting text: “Shahrur distinguishes between two basic types in revelation: prophethood and messengerhood, and links prophethood to knowledge, reports, and the Qur’an, and messengerhood to rulings, obligations, and the Mother of the Book.”
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented
- Meaning of the level: The atom rests on an explicit witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of the reading: The formulation above is an analytical summary, and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is transmitted word for word.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional; it fixes a meaning or conceptual distinction that Shahrur relies on in building the idea.
Related to
Editorial Note
This atom serves as an entry point for understanding the other atoms related to legislation and narrative.