This axis brings together 1 instance 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
For whoever among you wishes to be upright
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does this verse occur, what does the distinction in it mean for Shahrur, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Surat al-Takwir, verse 28. Shahrur treats the phrase “for whoever among you wishes” as indicating partiality: uprightness is not a state incumbent upon all people; rather, some of them choose it, while those who do not choose it deviate. Its function here is to support his claim that faith and disbelief, uprightness and deviation, are included in God’s knowledge as two actual possibilities within the totality of His knowledge.
Shahrur reads the verse on the basis that uprightness occurs within the scope of partiality, because the address concerns those among the addressees who wish to be upright. Shahrur concludes that whoever does not wish uprightness deviates, thus contrasting uprightness and deviation at this point. The function of the verse in the argument presented is to support the claim that both faith and disbelief are included in God’s knowledge, rather than taking Him by surprise.
Citation and Location
the Book and the Qur’an — p. 330.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not explain the full context of Surat al-Takwir, nor does it establish the meaning of the verse beyond this specific use on page 330.
- The citation does not set forth a detailed general theory of freedom or determinism; its function here is connected to God’s knowledge and the possibilities of faith and disbelief, uprightness and deviation.
- The citation does not establish that uprightness and faith are synonymous, nor that deviation and disbelief are synonymous; rather, it places them alongside one another within the same argument.
- The citation does not establish that the phrase “uprightness is a possible choice” is an explicit term used by Shahrur, although it does establish its connection to the will of some of the addressees.
Continue From Here
Brief Reading
It is cited as evidence that uprightness is a possible choice, not a necessity imposed on everyone.
Axes
- Methodological
- Faith-related
Related Concepts
- Uprightness: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It establishes an understanding of uprightness as a domain of choice.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Distinction: 1
Instances of Use
- the Book and the Qur’an, p. 330: He uses it to establish that uprightness is one of the possibilities of choice, not a necessity imposed on everyone.
- Concept: uprightness
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: “Do you not see His, exalted be He, saying: {For whoever among you wishes to be upright} (al-Takwir 28), where He mentioned uprightness within the scope of partiality?”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.