Al-A'raf 53

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This axis brings together 4 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

Text of the Verse as Cited

{The day its ta’wil comes …}

Reader’s Answer

Question

Where does the verse occur, what does ta’wil mean for Shahrur, and what function does it serve in his argument?

The verse occurs in Surat al-A’raf (53). Shahrur presents it as evidence that ta’wil is the consummation of a matter in its objective realization, and that the complete, universal ta’wil of the Qur’an occurs only on the Day of Resurrection.

In the context of visions and events, Shahrur defines ta’wil as the transition of what existed in consciousness into a tangible objective reality, or the consummation of a matter in what it comes to be. Shahrur uses Al-A’raf 53 to support his claim that the complete, universal ta’wil of the Qur’an takes place on the Day of Resurrection, when all its verses become manifest, including the verses concerning the Hour, resurrection, reckoning, and recompense.

Evidence and Location

The Book and the Qur’an — p. 172.

Limits of the Reading

  • The evidence establishes this meaning of ta’wil within Shahrur’s framework and argument; it does not establish a comprehensive presentation of other exegeses of the verse.
  • The evidence here does not independently specify the meaning of every word in the verse or its surah context.
  • The evidence does not establish that ta’wil is equivalent to reading or interpretation; rather, it links it to consummation in an objective realization.

Continue From Here

Brief Reading

The verse makes complete ta’wil contingent on the time of its final realization, rather than on immediate reading alone.

Axes

  • Methodological
  • Faith-related
  • Ta’wil: 3
  • Ta’wil on the Day of Resurrection: 2
  • Final realization: 2

Its Place in the Conceptual Network

It is connected to the idea that some meanings are disclosed only upon their realization.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Support: 3
  • Foundation: 1

Instances of Use

  • The Book and the Qur’an, p. 172: He makes it evidence that the universal ta’wil of the Qur’an is not complete until the Day of Resurrection.
    • Concept: Ta’wil on the Day of Resurrection
    • Function of the verse here: Foundation
    • Textual evidence: «{The day its ta’wil comes, those who had forgotten it before will say, “The messengers of our Lord indeed came with the truth.”}»
  • The Book and the Qur’an, p. 179: He returns to the verse to affirm that unseen concepts become sensorially realized when ta’wil is completed.
    • Concept: Final realization
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual evidence: «When these terms enter the realm of the perceptible, His saying, exalted be He, is realized: {.. the day its ta’wil comes …}»
  • Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 42: He cites it to say that the ta’wil of some Qur’anic verses is not apprehended until their reality is realized or their time comes.
    • Concept: Ta’wil
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual evidence: «{Are they waiting for anything but its ta’wil? The day its ta’wil comes …} (Al-A’raf 53).»
  • Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 42: He uses it to establish that some verses have no detailed exposition and that their ta’wil is known only in its proper time.
    • Concept: Ta’wil
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual evidence: «Because the seven oft-repeated [verses] have no detailed exposition … as indicated by His saying, exalted be He: {Are they waiting for anything but its ta’wil …} (Al-A’raf 53).»

This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas