This thematic node 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
“What has caused you to enter Saqar?” * They will say, “We were not among those who prayed, * nor did we feed the needy, * and we used to engage with those who engaged [in vain discourse].”
Reader’s answer
Question
How does Shahrur distinguish in al-Muddaththir 42–46 between “those who prayed” and prayer as a ritual, and what function do the verses serve in his argument?
Shahrur reads “we were not among those who prayed” as a denial of connection with God, rather than as a statement about abandoning ritual prayer alone. He makes its association with not feeding the needy, and its comparison with Surat al-Ma’un, part of his argument linking criminality to denying religion and abandoning human values and assistance.
Shahrur interprets “those who prayed” in the context of al-Muddaththir to mean those who have a connection with God, not those who perform prayer as a ritual. He treats the comparison with Surat al-Ma’un as support for reading the context of al-Muddaththir as concerning the denial of religion and the abandonment of righteous action, human values, and assistance—thereby moving a person from the sphere of Islam into the sphere of criminality.
Citation and location
Islam and Humanity — location not specified.
Limits of the reading
- The citation does not specify a precise location within the book and appears excerpted from a longer context.
- The citation does not establish that the verses restrict criminality to a single cause; rather, it presents a set of interrelated elements in Shahrur’s reading.
- No lexical synonymy between the terms of al-Muddaththir and al-Ma’un should be inferred from the comparison; the citation establishes only the argumentative comparison made by Shahrur.
- The displayed verse ends at 46, whereas the citation places it within a broader comparison with Surat al-Ma’un.
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Brief reading
He interprets it to mean that the reason they are described as criminals is their severing of connection with God and their abandonment of human values in practice.
Themes
- Faith-related
- Human and ethical
Related concepts
- Connection with God: 2
- Human values: 1
- Criminals: 1
Its place in the conceptual network
It links faith and human conduct in the meaning of criminality.
Role of the verse in the argument
- Support: 1
Instances of use
- Islam and Humanity: He interprets it to mean that the reason they are described as criminals is their severing of connection with God and their abandonment of human values in practice, rather than merely abandoning the ritual of prayer.
- Concept: Connection with God
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “{ … WE WERE NOT AMONG THOSE WHO PRAYED … NOR DID WE FEED THE NEEDY … }”
Related books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.