الشيخ عبدالكريم سروش و موقفه من ختم النبوة

Abstract

Abdul Karīm Sarūsh put forth his understanding of the seal of Prophet-hood within the framework of theory of expansion of religious experience. Before we elucidate his views on the seal, it is important to discuss his view of prophet, prophet-hood and religious experience.

He founds his theory of expansion on concepts concerning the human aspect of prophet-hood and elucidates the historical aspect of Islam. As he differentiated between religion and religious knowledge in his theory, by viewing the latter in context of peoples’ situations and the extents of their knowledge, his view of Prophetic experience followed suit. He concluded that it followed the Prophet’s intuitive states. He went so far as to extend it to the other people through history beside the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the paper elucidates.

Sarūsh views Prophethood as a kind of experience and disclosure and thinks that the Prophet achieved it after laborious effort and spiritual practice. After 40 odd years he achieved and obtained the reality of Prophethood and became enlightened like the Buddha.

For Sarūsh, the Prophet has two personas: the real one which has the intrinsic natureand relates to his personal intuitive states while the other, is related to his outward experience and his guiding role for the people. The Prophet’s real persona embodies general prophethood because it specifies the Prophet as a knower of God and concerns with his direct relation to God. His human Ḥuqūqī persona relates to the people and it is specific Prophethood, or where he brings a specific code for the people. It is an earthly assignment and he is a guide and witness for the people. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) exemplified both the aspects of Prophethood and brought them to their epitomes.

Based upon the aforementioned distinction by Sarūsh, he concluded that the seal or finality of Prophethood is for the latter aspect of Propehthood, called Ḥuqūqiyyah (pertaining to rights) and not the Ḥaqīqīyyah (pertaining to reality). He also concluded that the Prophet of Islam embodies the last of the Prophets who brought a Sharīah or code and he is the last Argument form God, meaning that ‘heavenly appointment ended with the seal.’

Key words : Abdul Karim Sarūsh,  Muhammad (PBUH) ,Seal of Prophethood ,Religious Experince