Al-Isra' 96

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This axis gathers 2 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

Text of the Verse as Cited

Say, “God is sufficient as a witness between me and you. Indeed, He is ever All-Aware and All-Seeing of His servants.”

Reader’s Answer

Question

Where does the verse occur, what distinction does Shahrur draw between the «shahīd» and the «shāhid», and what function does it serve in his argument?

The verse occurs in Al-Isra’ 96. The cited evidence uses it to clarify the meaning of «shahīd» as one who is present at an event, hears it, and sees it; it connects God’s description as shahīd in the verse with His being All-Aware and All-Seeing of His servants. The accompanying evidence does not establish a claim that it is used in the book Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism or a general formulation concerning the meaning of “witnessing.”

Shahrur defines the «shahīd» as one present at an event, who hears and sees it, and distinguishes it from the «shāhid». He employs Al-Isra’ 96 as an example of God’s description as shahīd over His servants, linking this in the verse to His being All-Aware and All-Seeing of them.

Evidence and Location

Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation — p. 67.

Limits of the Reading

  • The accompanying evidence establishes the distinction between «shahīd» and «shāhid», but does not state a general ruling concerning the term “witnessing.”
  • The accompanying evidence does not establish that the verse was used in Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 295; the location of the accompanying evidence is Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 67.
  • The accompanying evidence does not establish any relationship to other loci merely on the basis of lexical similarity.

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Brief Reading

The verse is used to affirm that witnessing means presence and comprehensive knowledge of the event.

Axes

  • Linguistic and semantic
  • Faith-related

Its Place in the Network of Concepts

It supports the network of concepts that understands witnessing as a meaning of presence, rather than a mere word.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Support: 2

Occurrences of Use

  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 295: He uses it to affirm that the shahīd is the specified person present who witnesses the event, and analogizes God’s witnessing to this.
    • Concept: Witnessing
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual evidence: “God is shahīd over His servants, as He—Exalted is He—says: {Say, ‘God is sufficient as a witness between me and you …’} (Al-Isra’ 96).”
  • Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 67: He uses it to affirm that witnessing means presence and comprehensive knowledge of the event, and presents God as shahīd over the servants.
    • Concept: Witnessing
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual evidence: “God is shahīd over His servants, as He Most High says: {Say, ‘God is sufficient as a witness between me and you …’} (Al-Isra’ 96).”

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

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas