This axis 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.
Text of the verse as cited
Then, when the night covered him
Reader’s answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what does the distinction mean for Shahrur, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The phrase occurs in Al-An’am 76. Shahrur reads “janna” from the root “j-n-n” as meaning covering and concealment, and interprets the night here as a cover of darkness. He uses it as a linguistic entry point in his presentation of the meanings of “paradise” before detailing its occurrence in worldly and afterlife contexts.
Shahrur draws on God’s saying, “Then, when the night covered him,” in Al-An’am 76 to explain the root “j-n-n” as denoting covering and concealment, and regards the night in this passage as a cover of darkness. The verse’s function in Shahrur’s argument is to establish a linguistic entry point for the meaning of “paradise” within his discussion of the mention of paradise and hellfire, then to distinguish between occurrences of “paradise” in a worldly context and its occurrences in an afterlife context according to context.
Citation and location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 207.
Limits of the reading
- The citation interprets the verb “janna” in the verse and does not establish that the word “paradise” itself occurs in it.
- This citation alone does not establish an independent ruling on the question of synonymy, or its negation, between terms.
- The distinction between worldly and afterlife contexts is attributed to Shahrur’s presentation in the citation, not to the meaning of the verse in isolation.
- The citation does not address this verse’s relation to other verses merely on the basis of lexical similarity.
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Brief reading
Shahrur relies on it to explain the meaning of paradise as concealment or covering before moving to the paradise of the afterlife.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Methodological
Related concepts
- Paradise/concealment: 1
- Paradise: 1
- Concealment: 1
- Covering: 1
- Paradise of the afterlife: 1
Its place in the conceptual network
It contributes to the construction of meaning through the linguistic origin before the afterlife meaning.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Support: 1
Instances of use
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 207: He relies on this linguistic usage to explain the meaning of paradise as a covering or concealment before moving to the paradise of the afterlife.
- Concept: paradise/concealment
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual citation: “The word ‘paradise’ in the Arabic tongue derives from ‘j-n-n’ and means covering and concealment, as in God’s saying, {Then, when the night covered him…} (Al-An’am 76).”
Related books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.