This entry brings together 1 instance of this verse’s use in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
Text of the verse as cited
They ask you about the spoils. Say: “The spoils belong to God and the Messenger…”
Reader’s answer
Question
Where does Shahrur cite Al-Anfal 1, what meaning does he assign to it, and what function does it serve in his argument?
Shahrur cites the verse in The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought (p. 25), making it a basis for the principle of holding the ruler accountable and for the rule that no one is beyond accountability. In this context, the verse serves to support his presentation of the principles of civil legislation, rather than to provide a detailed explanation of the verse’s wording or of accountability procedures.
Shahrur presents Al-Anfal 1 as establishing the principle of holding the ruler accountable and affirming the rule that no one is above accountability.
Citation and location
The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought — p. 25.
Limits of the reading
- The citation does not offer a linguistic analysis of al-anfal or of the term “al-anfal.”
- The citation does not explain the mechanisms for holding the ruler accountable or the institutions responsible for doing so.
- The formulation that authority is not exercised without regulation is broader than the attested statement; what is explicitly established is the principle of holding the ruler accountable and that no one is above accountability.
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Brief reading
Shahrur uses it to affirm that authority is not exercised without accountability or regulation.
Axes
- Political and social
- Methodological
Related concepts
- Accountability of the ruler: 2
- Authority: 1
- Accountability: 1
Its place in the network of concepts
It falls within a political conception of accountability and the limits of the ruler.
Role of the verse in the argument
- Support: 1
Instances of use
- The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought, p. 25: He uses it to affirm the principle that no one is above accountability and that authority is not exercised without regulation and accountability.
- Concept: Accountability of the ruler
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “{They ask you about the spoils. Say: ‘The spoils belong to God and the Messenger…’} (Al-Anfal 1)”
Related books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.