Evidence location: Muhammad Shahrur, The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration; Page 361؛ OCR line 6575. Arabic source witness: «التكاليف ممثّلةً في الوصية والجهاد والقتال»
What Does Shahrur Say?
The evidence attributes to Shahrur a distinction between the two terms: jihad is broader than fighting, and fighting is a more specific category within it. The evidence includes within jihad the striving against oneself, peaceful activity, and the defense of freedom; it then restricts fighting to the use of force when necessary, particularly in defense and in repelling aggression.
Atlas Explanation
The function of this distinction is to prevent reading “jihad” as a name for armed confrontation alone. In this presentation, every act of fighting falls within the broader domain of jihad, but jihad is not confined to fighting. The two terms have separate entries: jihad and fighting, and the evidence is also connected to the term freedom.
Limited Conclusion
This distinction may be understood as a rejection, in this presentation, of reducing jihad to armed confrontation or the use of force; it does not, however, deny fighting, since it retains it as a particular form in cases of necessity. For a broader reading, see jihad, fighting, and the critique of violence.
Open Question and Limits of the Evidence
The evidence presented does not explain in detail the criterion of “necessity,” nor does it specify procedures for determining that a given occurrence constitutes defense or the repelling of aggression. Moreover, the location of the evidence in Muhammad Shahrur: The Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration is not detailed in the evidence data, and the full source context is unavailable. Within the book’s structure, the atom is connected to religion is a free relationship with God that distinguishes between the historical messengerhood and ethical commitment, without this evidence alone establishing the content of that relationship.