Al-Ankabut 20

4 min read

This axis gathers 4 loci where this verse is used in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

The Text of the Verse as Cited

Say, “Travel through the earth and observe how He originated creation.”

Reader’s Answer

Question

How does Muhammad Shahrur read the Almighty’s saying: “Say, ‘Travel through the earth and observe how He originated creation’”?

Shahrur reads the verse as an exhortation to reason and reflect by traveling through the earth and examining its origins. He holds that the command to observe presupposes the possibility of knowing some aspect of the “origin of creation.” He therefore employs it to defend the pursuit of knowledge through observation, research, and scientific equipment, criticizing the sufficiency of merely consulting the books of the forebears and rejecting scholars’ findings.

Shahrur presents the verse among those that urge reasoning and reflection, linking “traveling through the earth” with “examining the earth and its origin.” He argues that the command to observe and know the origin of creation indicates, in his reading, that this is not impossible for people. Shahrur uses the verse to criticize replacing research into the origin of creation with reliance solely on the books of the forebears, and to support making use of scientific tools and findings.

Citation and Location

Islam and Humanity — p. 40.

Limits of the Reading

  • This page records Shahrur’s use of the verse as it appears in the cited passage; it does not elaborate on the traditional exegesis of the verse or its full context.
  • His call to observation and research should not be turned into an attribution of a specific scientific theory to the verse without additional evidence.
  • His critique of relying solely on the books of the forebears and his description of the European experience are part of his contemporary argument, rather than a linguistic meaning necessarily entailed by the wording of the verse alone.

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Brief Reading

For Shahrur, the verse is a foundation for the Qur’an’s call to rational and scientific reflection on the earth and the origin of creation.

Axes

  • Methodological
  • Faith-related
  • Scientific reflection: 4
  • Reason: 2

Its Place in the Conceptual Network

It is connected to the method of examining the universe and to redirecting the question toward how.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Support: 3
  • Foundation: 1

Loci of Use

  • Islam and Humanity, p. 40: He presents it as an example of the Qur’an’s call for direct scientific examination of the universe rather than relying solely on the books of the forebears.
    • Concept: Scientific reflection
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual citation: “{ Say, ‘Travel through the earth and observe how He originated creation …’ } (Al-Ankabut 20)”
  • Islam and Humanity, p. 42: He uses it to indicate that the Qur’an calls for traveling through the earth and scientifically examining the origin of creation, rather than relying solely on the books of the forebears.
    • Concept: Scientific reflection
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual citation: “Indeed, dozens of verses in the Book of God urge reasoning and reflection, among them … { Say, ‘Travel through the earth and observe how He originated creation …’ } (Al-Ankabut 20)”
  • The State and Society, p. 153: He makes it a basis for the necessity of scientifically examining the earth and the origin of creation instead of relying solely on the heritage of the forebears.
    • Concept: Scientific reflection
    • Function of the verse here: Foundation
    • Textual citation: “{Say, ‘Travel through the earth and observe how He originated creation …’} (Al-Ankabut 20)”
  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 232: He cites it to affirm that the methodological Qur’anic question concerns how and rational inquiry into the origin of creation, rather than merely affirming divine power.
    • Concept: Reason
    • Function of the verse here: Support
    • Textual citation: “The human mind does not inquire into God’s power to do this or that; rather, it inquires into how God’s will was carried out in doing this or that … {Say, ‘Travel through the earth and observe how He originated creation’} (Al-Ankabut 20)”

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

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas