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
And God has made for you spouses from among yourselves, and has made for you, from your spouses, children and grandchildren
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does Qur’an 16:72 occur, what distinction does Shahrur employ, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Shahrur’s reasoning as one of the instances of the term banīn. He contrasts the assumption that the term is restricted to males with the term walad, which he explicitly states includes both male and female, and then presents the consequence of this assumption as one that he does not endorse. The verse thus serves to test this restriction in the context of his critique.
Shahrur invokes Qur’an 16:72 together with the verses from al-Shuʿarāʾ and al-Isrāʾ when discussing the assumption that banīn means male children. At this point, Shahrur explicitly states that walad includes both male and female. He uses the consequence of assuming that banīn is restricted to males to illustrate a problem which, in his presentation, leads to the conclusion that the supplication of righteous daughters for their parents on the Day of Gathering would be of no benefit—a conclusion he rejects.
Citation and Location
The Qur’anic Narratives, vol. 2 — p. 51.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not establish an independent and definitive definition of banīn in Qur’an 16:72.
- The citation neither establishes nor denies the synonymy of banīn and walad; rather, it explicitly affirms the breadth of the term walad in this context.
- The citation does not establish that the verse alone founds a general rule for all uses of banīn.
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Brief Reading
He employs it to critique restricting the meaning of banīn to males and to highlight, in his view, the breadth of its signification.
Axes
- Narrative and historical
- Linguistic and semantic
Related Concepts
- Banīn: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It serves to reassess the traditional understanding of the term within the network of Qur’anic meanings.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Critique of tradition: 1
Instances of Use
- The Qur’anic Narratives, vol. 2, p. 51: He uses it to refute restricting banīn to males, treating it as analogous to other verses that, in his view, are not confined to this meaning.
- Concept: Banīn
- Function of the verse here: Critique of tradition
- Textual citation: “Just as with (banīn) in His saying, Exalted is He: { And God has made for you spouses from among yourselves, and has made for you, from your spouses, children and grandchildren… } (al-Nahl 72)”
- Corresponding traditional reading: male children
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.