Meaning
Muhammad Shahrur defines the Sunna as what is attributed to the Messenger in word, deed, and tacit approval, under historical conditions. He therefore does not regard it as a second revelation independent of the Qur’an, but as a domain of human understanding bound to its context. He distinguishes it from wisdom, which he considers to be what was revealed in the form of ethical and legislative commandments and teachings.
Structure of the Atom in the Atlas
- Type of argument: Distinctive.
- Movement of the argument: It distinguishes between the Sunna as a human historical legacy and the binding Qur’anic revelation.
- Central terms: Sunna, revelation, history, wisdom.
- Degree of centrality: Foundational.
This atom establishes a dividing line in Shahrur’s construction between what is fixed and Qur’anic and what is attributed to the Messenger within his historical circumstances. It also explains why he rereads the Sunna from within the Qur’an rather than from outside it.
Links That Aid Reading
Evidence
- Supporting text: “Concepts and terminology: the Sunna: for him, it is not a second revelation, but what is attributed to the Messenger in word, deed, and tacit approval under historical conditions. Wisdom: it is not synonymous with the Sunna, but rather what was revealed in the form of ethical and legislative commandments and teachings.”
Location of Evidence in the Book
- Book: The Messengerly Sunna and the Prophetic Sunna.
- Location: In the first section of the book, within the distinction between wisdom and the Sunna.
- Type of evidence: Closely related textual witness.
- Verification aid: on wisdom
- Reading note: This passage is suitable evidence because it interprets what appears in the verse of al-Isra’ as commandments and teachings revealed to the prophets, rather than as an independent second revelation.
Degree of Documentation
- Level: Directly documented.
- Meaning of the level: The atom is based on an explicit textual witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of reading: The wording above is an analytical summary and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is reproduced textually.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional; it establishes a meaning or conceptual distinction on which Shahrur relies in constructing the idea.
Related to
Note to the Reader
The analytical formulation clarifies the effect of this distinction on the method, whereas the textual witness remains focused on denying that the Sunna is a second revelation.