This axis brings together 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
Messengers before you were indeed denied, yet they patiently endured the denial and harm they suffered until Our help came to them. There is no changer of God’s words. And there has already come to you some tidings of the messengers.
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what does Shahrur mean by distinguishing between nabaʾ and khabar, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in the Book and the Qur’an, p. 82, as part of Shahrur’s argument that Qur’anic stories are classified as anbāʾ rather than akhbār. He defines khabar as susceptible to truth, falsehood, error, and correctness, whereas he regards nabaʾ as susceptible to reality and illusion. As for the statement that God’s words cannot be changed, the cited passage does not show that it forms part of this distinction or that it has an independent function in the argument.
Shahrur cites The Cattle 34 among a group of verses to establish that Qur’anic stories belong to the category of anbāʾ, not akhbār. Shahrur distinguishes between khabar and nabaʾ by holding that khabar may be true, false, erroneous, or correct, while nabaʾ may involve reality or illusion.
Citation and Location
the Book and the Qur’an — p. 82.
Limits of the Reading
- The cited passage does not establish that anbāʾ are the opposite of direct presence, nor does it advance this contrast at all.
- The cited passage does not state that the phrase “There is no changer of God’s words” performs an independent function in arguing for the distinction between nabaʾ and khabar.
- The cited passage does not establish either a general synonymy or a general distinction between nabaʾ and khabar beyond the definition Shahrur offers here.
Continue From Here
Brief Reading
The verse is used to affirm that Qur’anic stories belong to the category of anbāʾ, rather than to the category of direct presence.
Axes
- Narrative and historical
- Linguistic and semantic
Related Concepts
- Nabaʾ: 3
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It supports the conceptual network that distinguishes between unseen reports and discourse about events.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 2
Instances of Use
- the Book and the Qur’an, p. 82: He cites it to affirm that Qur’anic stories belong to the category of anbāʾ, and that God’s words do not change in this matter as well.
- Concept: nabaʾ
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “{… AND THERE IS NO CHANGER OF GOD’S WORDS … AND THERE HAS ALREADY COME TO YOU SOME TIDINGS OF THE MESSENGERS} (The Cattle 34)”
- the Book and the Qur’an, p. 82: He places it alongside other verses to affirm that discourse about the messengers is unseen nabaʾ, not a report based on direct presence.
- Concept: nabaʾ
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “… {AND THERE HAS ALREADY COME TO YOU SOME TIDINGS OF THE MESSENGERS} (The Cattle 34).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.