Source locator: Episode 15: Unbelief and Polytheism: Declaration and Practical Position, at 08:24–08:29. Audible quotation: “If it has a political dimension, then these terms were devised to suit the Abbasid state—this state.”
Traditional jurisprudence took shape historically under the Abbasid state
Source note: This page summarizes explanatory audiovisual material. Book references provide nearby context and are not verbatim evidence; for precise citation, consult the original episode and book.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur holds that many jurisprudential classifications concerning the unbeliever, the belligerent, and the two abodes were historically shaped to serve the circumstances of the Abbasid state.
Explanation
He says that terms such as “the abode of Islam” and “the abode of unbelief” emerged in the context of specific political and international conflicts. For him, they are therefore historical descriptions rather than fixed religious truths. He indicates that jurists formulated these tools to regulate relations with the state, society, and the opposition. In this way, he distinguishes religion itself from the historical jurisprudential construct.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This is a central idea in stripping sacred status from jurisprudential classifications tied to politics and war.
Scope of the claim
It does not deny the value of jurisprudence as a whole; rather, it rejects treating it as absolute beyond its historical context.
Brief quotation
“These terms were devised to suit the Abbasid state.”
Related links
- Shahrur - jurisprudence
- Shahrur - civil state
- Muhammad-Shahrur-religion-and-power