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
So exalted is God, the True King; there is no god but He
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does Shahrur employ Qur’an 23:116, what does his distinction between God and the human conception of Him mean, and what function does the verse serve in his argument?
Shahrur employs the verse in the context of texts through which he argues that God, for him, exists outside human consciousness and cannot be encompassed by human perception; consequently, the human conception of God does not correspond to His existence as it is. The verse’s function here is to support this argument, not to establish an independent duality between truth and falsehood.
Shahrur cites Qur’an 23:116 among a group of verses concerning God as the Truth, then infers from them that God has an existence outside human consciousness that human existence cannot perceive. Shahrur distinguishes between God’s existence as it is outside human consciousness and human conceptions of Him, holding that these conceptions cannot correspond to that existence.
Evidence and Location
The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought — p. 36.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence does not define the meaning of “truth” as an independent technical term.
- The evidence does not state that the verse alone establishes a conceptual opposition between truth and falsehood; rather, it cites it alongside other verses and then develops the subsequent inference.
- The evidence does not address a relation of synonymy or distinction between the words of the verse.
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Brief Reading
It occurs within a binary construction of truth and falsehood to explain the difference between the divine essence and the human conception of it.
Axes
- Faith-related
Related Concepts
- truth: 2
- falsehood: 1
- divine essence: 1
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It supports the axis of monotheism through the opposition of truth and falsehood.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 1
Instances of Use
- The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought, p. 36: He cites it within a binary construction of truth/falsehood to explain the difference between the divine essence and the human conception of it.
- Concept: truth
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual evidence: “- {So exalted is God, the True King; there is no god but He…} (Al-Mu’minun 116)”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.