Thesis Summary
Shahrur places the Muhammadan message within the framework of mercy and universality, and makes this understanding a foundation by which religion is measured, not a rigid interpretation. He also links this to an expansive reading of worship, terrorism, and coercion.
Related Verses
Foundational Atoms
- Terrorism in the Qur’anic sense is deterrence, not killing
- Worship encompasses the domains of life
- Coercion contradicts the word of God
- Freedom of choice is a principle of religion
Place of Support Within the Book
These meanings appear at the beginning and end of the book, within the transition from the meaning of jihad and worship to the contemporary reading of the Qur’an.
Limits of the Reading
This summary reads the message from the angle of mercy and freedom of choice, and does not go beyond what the atoms indicate regarding the rejection of violence and coercion.