Judgment in the Existing

Editorial verification status: this atom has been extracted from an explanatory audio-visual source, and has now been linked to the closest books within the Shahrur project at the book level. For precise academic quotation, consult the original book and the original episode together.

Formulation of the claim

Shahrur distinguishes between judgment and decree, and says that judgment occurs only in something existing.

Explanation

He maintains that decree is the laws of existence, whereas judgment is an act that takes place within existing things in accordance with those laws. Thus, nothing is judged over when it is nonexistent; rather, judgment is made over something that already exists. He gives the example of death and killing: death is a cosmic decree, whereas killing is an act of judgment within that decree.
In this way, he makes judgment a conscious movement within existence, not a mysterious ruling outside things.

Its place in the episode’s argument

This atom connects the episode from beginning to end, because the discussion began with sending down and revelation, then moved to judgment and decree.

Limits of the claim

He does not make judgment a negation of decree; rather, he places it within decree and interprets it as a movement in the existing.

Brief witness

“You can judge over something that exists… you only judge in the existing”

  • Shahrur - faith
  • Shahrur - the Qur’an
  • Shahrur - freedom

Relations to books