The Prophets 26

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This thematic entry brings together 1 instance of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

The verse text as cited

AND THEY SAID, “THE MOST GRACIOUS HAS TAKEN A SON” …

Reader’s response

Question

How does Muhammad Shahrur employ God’s saying, “And they said, ‘the Most Gracious has taken a son,’” in his interpretation of the name “al-Rahman”?

Shahrur uses the verse as evidence that, for him, “al-Rahman” is not merely an intensive form of mercy, but a name denoting lordship and “procreation.” From this meaning, he links the term “al-Rahman” to the womb (rahim) and kinship ties. This is an interpretive linkage particular to him, not an explicit statement of the verse’s text alone.

Shahrur maintains that “al-Rahman” is the designation of lordship, distinguishing it from “Allah,” which he calls the designation of divinity. He cites The Prophets 26 as part of his statement that “al-Rahman is the procreator,” then links this meaning to the womb, kinship ties, and procreation between spouses.

Citation and location

Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 35.

Limits of the reading

  • The citation is truncated at its end, but it includes the direct phrase linking the verse to “al-Rahman is the procreator,” and then to “the womb” and kinship ties.
  • The connection between “al-Rahman” and the womb should not be presented as a conclusion compelled by lexical resemblance; the citation documents it as Shahrur’s reading.
  • This citation alone is not sufficient to assess the soundness of the derivation or to compare Shahrur’s reading with other exegetical or linguistic readings.

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Brief reading

Shahrur employs it to move from the name al-Rahman to the meaning of the womb and kinship ties, linking the divine name to a close human meaning.

Themes

  • Faith-related
  • Human and ethical
  • al-Rahman: 2
  • the womb: 1
  • kinship ties: 1

Its place in the network of concepts

It is connected to a semantic interpretation that makes the name a key to a social and ethical meaning.

The verse’s role in the argument

  • Support: 1

Instances of use

  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 35: He employs it to move from the name al-Rahman to the meaning of the womb, kinship ties, and procreation.
    • Concept: al-Rahman
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual citation: “{AND THEY SAID, ‘THE MOST GRACIOUS HAS TAKEN A SON; GLORY BE TO HIM …’} (The Prophets 26)”

This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas