Attributed to Shahrur
The cited passage defines worship as voluntary submission to divine sovereignty and states that it is based on freedom rather than compulsion.
“Worship means voluntary submission to divine sovereignty, and it is founded on freedom, not compulsion.”
Atlas Explanation
Voluntariness is not an incidental feature of this definition: it is explicitly contrasted with compulsion. Within the limits of this text, worship is therefore understood as a relationship whose meaning cannot be realized through coercive constraint.
For the related term: Freedom.
Qualified Conclusion
This definition supports a broader reading of religion as a free relationship with God, but it is not sufficient on its own to establish all the details of that relationship or its practical implications. See: Religion as a free relationship with God that distinguishes between the historical message and value commitment.
Open Question and Limits of the Evidence
The cited passage itself does not state that freedom is a condition for moral responsibility or for reward and punishment; this connection requires independent textual evidence from the book. Nor does the text specify here which forms of worship are covered by the definition.
For the book context: Muhammad Shahrur: The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration. For the related thematic reading: Islam, Faith, and Righteous Deeds.
The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration · Religion as a free relationship with God that distinguishes between the historical message and value commitment