Al-Isra’ 26

3 min read

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 text of the verse as cited

And give the relative his due, and the needy, and the traveler, and do not squander wastefully.

Reader’s response

Question

Where does Al-Isra’ 26 occur in the passage on which Shahrur relies, what distinction does the evidence establish, and what function does it serve in his argument?

The verse occurs within verses 23–39 of Surat al-Isra’. Shahrur presents it as part of a series of commands and prohibitions that the text concludes in verse 39 by attributing them to wisdom revealed. In his argument, it serves to challenge the restriction of wisdom to a Sunna located outside the Book; however, this evidence does not establish a detailed terminological distinction between “the messengerly Sunna” and “the prophetic Sunna.”

Shahrur places Al-Isra’ 26 within the sequence of verses 23–39 of the sura, and connects this sequence to its conclusion, which describes what precedes it as wisdom revealed to the Messenger. In Shahrur’s argument, Al-Isra’ 26 functions as an example within this sequence challenging al-Shafi‘i’s assertion that the Messenger’s Sunna, where there is no Book, is wisdom.

Evidence and location

The Messengerly Sunna and the Prophetic Sunna — p. 48.

Limits of the reading

  • The evidence does not explicitly state that the verse concerns regulating spending within what is “permitted”; therefore, this description is not established here.
  • The evidence does not provide a detailed definition of the distinction between “the messengerly Sunna” and “the prophetic Sunna,” nor does it establish the attribution of each to an independent type of ruling.
  • The evidence does not establish that the verse alone grounds the argument, since it presents it within a series of consecutive verses.

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Brief reading

The verse is included among the injunctions that regulate spending and prohibit extravagance within what is permitted.

Axes

  • Legislative
  • Humanitarian and ethical
  • Spending: 2
  • Extravagance: 2

Its place in the network of concepts

It contributes to the network of ethical concepts that regulate wealth and conduct.

The verse’s role in the argument

  • Foundational: 1
  • Supportive: 1

Instances of use

  • The Messengerly Sunna and the Prophetic Sunna, p. 48: He includes it within the series of injunctions that he regards as divine wisdom revealed to the Messenger, rather than autonomous legislation.
    • Concept: Spending
    • The verse’s function here: Foundational
    • Textual evidence: “And after He says, {And give the relative his due, and the needy, and the traveler, and do not squander wastefully} Al-Isra’ 26”
  • Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 50: He uses it to define extravagance as a quantitative excess within the sphere of what is permitted, rather than a departure into what is prohibited.
    • Concept: Extravagance
    • The verse’s function here: Supportive
    • Textual evidence: “Extravagance occurs only in quantity within what is lawful, according to His saying, exalted is He: {And give the relative his due … and do not squander wastefully} (Al-Isra’ 26).”

This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas