What Shahrur Says
Shahrur distinguishes between “prayer in the sense of connection” and “prayer in the sense of ṣalāh, that is, a ritual.” The former is a relationship with God, which he describes as spiritual, through remembrance and glorification. The latter is a ritual—that is, a symbolic relationship between the servant and his Lord—with conditions governing its performance, and it involves obligation because it is a practical act.
The witness also describes rituals as devotional practices in which “room is left for institutional ijtihad and organization.”
Atlas Explanation
In this context, this distinction does not treat “prayer” and “ritual” as synonyms. Connection refers to the spiritual dimension of the relationship, whereas ritual refers to an organized symbolic act with conditions for its performance. Thus, prayer is not reduced to ritual alone.
Synthetic Conclusion
The witness organizes the meaning on two distinct levels: a spiritual relationship with God, and a practical symbolic ritual. This is an inference from the text’s descriptions, not the addition of a third meaning beyond them.
Open Question and Limits of the Witness
This witness alone does not specify the criteria or applications of institutional ijtihad in rituals. Nor is it sufficient on its own to determine how every use of the term prayer is distributed throughout the book.
For the broader context: Muhammad Shahrur, Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration, The Book, the Qur’an, and the Mother of the Book, and Religion is a free relationship with God that distinguishes between the historical message and ethical commitment.
Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration · Religion is a free relationship with God that distinguishes between the historical message and ethical commitment