This thematic entry gathers 2 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The Verse Text as Cited
Pharaoh said, “Have you believed in him before I gave you permission? Indeed, this is a plot you devised in the city in order to drive its people out of it. But you will come to know.”
Reader’s Answer
The Question
Where does the verse occur, how does Shahrur distinguish the meaning of “before” in it, and what is its function in his argument?
The verse occurs in al-A’raf 123. Shahrur cites it as an example of “before” to demonstrate a prior ordering between two matters explicitly mentioned: belief and the issuing of permission. Its function in his argument is to support this linguistic example of temporal ordering, not to analyze Pharaoh’s position or the concept of authority.
Shahrur cites al-A’raf 123 as one of the examples of “before” and “after.” He classifies this example under prior ordering between two matters explicitly mentioned, namely belief and permission.
Citation and Location
Qur’anic Narratives, Vol. 1 — p. 129.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation establishes the verse’s function only in demonstrating prior ordering.
- The citation does not establish that Shahrur treats Pharaoh’s objection as an objection concerning authority or a violation of authority.
- The citation does not establish a broader claim concerning synonymy, or its negation, among other terms.
Continue From Here
Brief Reading
The verse is used to demonstrate the temporal precedence between belief and permission, and to show Pharaoh’s objection as an objection to defying authority.
Themes
- Narrative and historical
- Political and social
Related Concepts
- Temporal ordering: 2
- Permission: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to the time of an action and to the relationship of authority to the act of belief.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Example: 2
Instances of Use
- Qur’anic Narratives, Vol. 1, p. 129: He cites it to show that belief occurred before permission; that is, “before” establishes a temporal precedence between two stated actions.
- Concept: Temporal ordering
- Function of the verse here: Example
- Textual citation: “{Pharaoh said, ‘Have you believed in him before I gave you permission…’} (al-A’raf: 123)”
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 129: He employs it to show that Pharaoh objected to the magicians’ defiance of his authority, not to the basis of faith itself.
- Concept: Permission
- Function of the verse here: Example
- Textual citation: “{Pharaoh said, ‘Have you believed in him before I gave you permission?’}”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for constructing the atlas.