Messengers Concern the Divinity, Not Lordship
Editorial verification status: This claim atom has been extracted from an explanatory audio-visual source, and it has now been linked to the closest books within the Shahrur project at the book level. For precise academic citation, consult both the original book and the original episode.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur maintains that the discourse of the prophets is directed toward divinity, whereas lordship is settled and not a matter of messengerial dispute.
Explanation
He distinguishes between “there is no god but God” and the subject of lordship.
For him, the prophets do not come to prove that God is Lord, because lordship is already established.
Rather, their messages call people to monotheism in divinity, obedience, and worship.
For this reason, he does not see the messengerial struggle as being about “who is the Lord,” but rather about “who is the deity to be worshiped.”
Its place in the episode’s argument
This claim is central in the final part of the episode, and it rearranges the concepts of religion and message.
It also paves the way for a new understanding of the human being’s relationship to God in legislation.
Limits of the claim
It does not negate the Qur’anic use of “Lord” in supplication, but rather confines the messengerial dispute to divinity.
Brief witness
“The dispute is over divinity, not over lordship.”
Related links
- Shahrur - the testimony
- Shahrur - the prophet
- Book: Islam and Faith