This locus brings together 2 instances of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
Text of the Verse as Cited
Say, “I am not unprecedented among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you …”
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Muhammad Shahrur read God’s saying: “Nor do I know what will be done with me or with you; I only follow what is revealed to me”?
Shahrur uses the verse to establish that the Prophet does not possess independent knowledge of the unseen, and that in his communication and position he follows revelation. He maintains that what the Prophet reports concerning the unseen does not go beyond what appears in the Book of God as revelation. However, describing the verse as denying the Prophet any independent legislative role requires evidence more direct than the accompanying text.
Shahrur holds that the verse denies the Prophet knowledge of the unseen, especially knowledge of what will happen to him and to people, except within the limits of what was revealed to him. He employs the phrase “I only follow what is revealed to me” to indicate that the Prophet followed revelation, and that the matters of the unseen he conveyed are confined to what is mentioned in the Book of God.
Evidence and Location
Islam and Humanity — p. 40.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence establishes Shahrur’s reading of the verse regarding knowledge of the unseen and following revelation, but it is not sufficient on its own to establish a detailed claim about prophetic legislation.
- Shahrur’s statement that the matters of the unseen conveyed by the Prophet are “only those mentioned in the Book of God” is an assertion attributed to him in the evidence, not a presentation of exegetical disagreement concerning the verse.
- No detailed ruling concerning the Sunna or legislation can be inferred from the phrase “I am not unprecedented among the messengers” alone without additional context.
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Brief Reading
For Shahrur, the verse affirms that the Prophet’s knowledge is limited to what is revealed to him, and that his position is one of following rather than legislating on his own initiative.
Axes
- Faith-related
- Methodological
Related Concepts
- Limited knowledge: 2
- Following: 2
Place in the Conceptual Network
It serves a methodological construction that distinguishes between revelation and the Prophet’s personal knowledge.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Support: 2
Instances of Use
- Islam and Humanity, p. 40: He relies on it to affirm that the Prophet ﷺ does not know his fate or that of people except what is revealed to him.
- Concept: Limited knowledge
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual evidence: “{ Say, ‘I am not unprecedented among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you …’ } (Al-Ahqaf 9)”
- The Messengerly Sunna and the Prophetic Sunna, p. 48: He uses it together with other verses to establish that the Messenger follows revelation and does not initiate legislation.
- Concept: Following
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual evidence: “And that he only follows what is revealed to him from the Revelation (see Al-An‘am 50, Al-A‘raf 203, Yunus 15, Al-Ahqaf 9).”
Related Books
- Islam and Humanity
- The Messengerly Sunna and the Prophetic Sunna
This page is presented within the general methodology for constructing the atlas.