This axis brings together 2 instances 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 [He created] horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride, and as adornment
Reader’s answer
Question
Where does Shahrur cite Qur’an 16:8, what does “adornment” mean for him here, and what function does it serve in his argument?
Shahrur’s citation of the verse appears in The Book and the Qur’an, p. 498, within his explanation of the phrase “the love of desires.” He connects “adornment” with things that people desire and do not find repugnant, citing Qur’an 16 as one example among several verses. The passage does not explicitly state that the intended meaning is to extend adornment to functional things or added possessions.
Shahrur cites Qur’an 16:8 in the context of his interpretation of the phrase “the love of desires” and his explanation of adornment. In this passage, Shahrur defines adornment as things that people desire and do not recoil from, and he presents Qur’an 16:8 as one of the verses adduced for this clarification.
The citation and its location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 498.
Limits of the reading
- The passage does not offer an independent definition of adornment specific to horses, mules, and donkeys; rather, it cites the verse among multiple examples.
- The passage does not explicitly state that adornment includes “functional things” by virtue of their function, nor that the verse establishes this extension.
- The passage does not establish a relation of synonymy or contrast between adornment and desires; what is established is that it explains adornment in the context of its discussion of “the love of desires.”
- The passage does not explain in detail the function of riding in the verse or derive an independent ruling from it.
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Brief reading
The verse is cited to show that adornment may extend to include functional and added things, not the body alone.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Legislative
Related concepts
- Adornment: 3
Its place in the network of concepts
It serves to broaden the meaning of adornment in the Qur’anic reading.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Support: 1
- Example: 1
Contexts of use
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 498: He cites it to affirm that adornment may also consist in functional things, thus extending the meaning to what people find desirable to acquire.
- Concept: adornment
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual citation: “And [He created] horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride, and as adornment.” (Al-Naḥl 8)
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 290: He cites it within a division of adornment into types, to show that adornment may consist of added things rather than the body alone.
- Concept: adornment
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual citation: “And [He created] horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride, and as adornment.” (Al-Naḥl 8)
Related books
This page is presented within the overall atlas-building methodology.