This axis brings together 2 loci where this verse is used in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The Text of the Verse as Cited
The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split.
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what does nearness mean for Shahrur, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Surat al-Qamar, verse 1. Shahrur uses it as an example showing that “drawing near” may be used to bring close a known matter that is thought to be distant. Its function in this passage is to support this usage within his presentation, not to explain the meaning of “and the moon has split.”
Shahrur cites Q 54:1 as an example of bringing close a known thing thought to be distant.
Citation and Location
Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence — p. 109.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not offer a comprehensive general definition of the concept of nearness; rather, it mentions this specific usage.
- The citation does not explain the phrase “and the moon has split,” nor does it establish that splitting means division into two halves.
- The occurrence of another verse in the citation does not establish an additional semantic relationship between the two verses beyond their being grouped under the stated example.
Continue From Here
Brief Reading
The verse occurs as an example of the meaning of nearness in Qur’anic usage, and with it Shahrur explains the root shaqq as division into two halves.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Methodological
Related Concepts
- Nearness: 2
- Splitting: 2
- Division: 1
- Qur’anic context: 1
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It serves a semantic construction linking linguistic meaning and Qur’anic context.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Example: 1
- Support: 1
Loci of Use
- Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 109: He uses it to indicate the bringing near of a matter thought to be distant but which, according to the Qur’anic context, has come to be regarded as near.
- Concept: nearness
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual citation: “– { The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split } (al-Qamar 1).”
- Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 250: He uses it to explain the linguistic root of shaqq as division into two halves.
- Concept: splitting
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual citation: “Shaqq is a half, and inshiqāq is splitting into two halves, as in His—Most High—saying: { The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split }”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for constructing the atlas.