What Shahrur Says
Shahrur says: “He divides Muhammad’s station into the station of messengerhood and the station of prophethood: messengerhood for legislation and organization, and prophethood for the unseen and knowledge.” He thus assigns legislation and organization to the station of messengerhood, and associates the station of prophethood with the unseen and knowledge.
Atlas Explanation
The distinction here is functional: the text assigns two different functions to the stations of messengerhood and prophethood. This presentation does not permit the two stations to be merged merely because they are joined in the station of Muhammad in the same statement.
Conclusion
The conclusion drawn from this witness is limited to the fact that Shahrur presents messengerhood and prophethood as having distinct functions, without adding detailed content to either of them.
Open Question and Limits of the Evidence
This witness alone does not explain the detailed boundaries of legislation and organization, nor what is meant in detail by the unseen and knowledge. These details require other witnesses from the book.
Reading Links
- Muhammad Shahrur: Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence
- The Sunna between Messengerhood and Prophethood
- Prophethood
- The distinction between the station of messengerhood and the station of prophethood
Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence · The distinction between the station of messengerhood and the station of prophethood