Al-Ankabut 21

3 min read

This axis brings together 1 instance of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

Text of the Verse as Cited

He punishes whom He wills and has mercy on whom He wills …

Reader’s Answer

Question

Where does Shahrur employ verse 21 of Al-Ankabut, what does the conjunction of punishment and mercy in it mean for him, and what function does it serve in his argument concerning “the All-Merciful”?

Shahrur employs the verse in Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism (p. 35) as an example of the union of opposites in the name “the All-Merciful”; for him, the conjunction of punishment and mercy is evidence of this union, rather than merely an expression of mercy as intensification.

Shahrur presents verse 21 of Al-Ankabut as an example of the union of two opposites—punishment and mercy—in the concept of “the All-Merciful.” Within his argument, the verse serves to support his definition of “the All-Merciful” as encompassing opposites, in a context that also includes the example of might and humiliation.

Citation and Location

Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 35.

Limits of the Reading

  • The citation establishes the use of the verse in the argument for the “union of opposites” in the name of the All-Merciful, but it does not provide an independent elaboration of the meaning of will in the verse.
  • The citation does not establish, on the basis of this verse alone, a general rule concerning all instances of mercy and punishment in the Qur’an.
  • No relation of synonymy, or absence of synonymy, between the two terms should be inferred merely from their conjunction.

Continue From Here

Brief Reading

The verse supports the union of mercy and punishment within the divine will, without contradiction.

Axes

  • Faith-related
  • Human and ethical
  • Mercy and punishment: 2
  • Divine will: 1
  • The All-Merciful: 1

Its Place in the Conceptual Network

It supports a unified conception of will and mercy.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Support: 1

Instances of Use

  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 35: He uses it to affirm that bringing together mercy and punishment within the divine will does not contradict his conception of the All-Merciful.
    • Concept: mercy and punishment
    • Function of the verse here: support
    • Textual citation: “{He punishes whom He wills and has mercy on whom He wills …} (Al-Ankabut 21)”

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas