This locus 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 God has made for you dwellings from your homes, and He has made for you homes from the hides of livestock, which you find light on the day of your departure and on the day of your stay
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Muhammad Shahrur employ Qur’an 16:80 in his discussion of the era of Hūd, and what does the verse directly establish?
Shahrur employs the verse as evidence for the existence of two patterns of dwellings: homes taken as places of dwelling, and light homes made from livestock hides, carried during departure and used during settlement. He then connects this description to the era of Hūd, stating that the primitive structures of that time were both fixed and mobile. But attributing this particular pattern to the time of Hūd is not a judgment stated by the verse itself; rather, it is part of a historical reconstruction that Shahrur presents in the context of his discussion of the shift in predominance from hunting to herding and the emergence of agriculture.
The verse mentions homes for dwelling and homes made from livestock hides that are found light on the day of departure and on the day of settlement. Shahrur infers from the verse that primitive structures were of two kinds: a light, mobile kind, and a heavy kind that could not be moved. Shahrur connects these two types of dwelling to the era of Hūd, within a broader account of the emergence of agriculture, herding, and enclosures.
Citation and Location
Qur’anic Narratives, Vol. 2 — p. 48.
Limits of the Reading
- The available citation establishes that Shahrur attributed the two types of homes to his context concerning Hūd, but it does not provide independent evidence within the excerpt that dates the verse to the era of Hūd.
- The phrase “from your homes, dwellings” alone should not be turned into proof that fixed homes were made of trees or stone; these are details added by Shahrur in his presentation.
- This citation does not establish that livestock did not exist in the era of Noah; Shahrur himself states that the absence of the term from the story of Noah does not mean that they did not exist.
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Brief Reading
The verse appears in the context of explaining two types of homes in the era of Hūd: fixed homes and homes made from livestock hides.
Axes
- Narrative and historical
- Methodological
Related Concepts
- Homes: 2
- Livestock: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to the preceding discussion of the benefits of livestock and materials for dwelling.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 1
- Context: 1
Instances of Use
- Qur’anic Narratives, Vol. 2, p. 48: He employs it to establish the existence of two types of homes in the era of Hūd: fixed ones and mobile ones made from livestock hides.
- Concept: homes
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual citation: “And the two types are mentioned in His saying, exalted is He: {And God has made for you dwellings from your homes …} (Al-Nahl 80).”
- Qur’anic Narratives, Vol. 2, p. 49: He refers to it as another passage in which he had previously detailed the benefit derived from livestock hides, wool, and hair.
- Concept: livestock
- Function of the verse here: context
- Textual citation: “As we have seen in Qur’an 16:80.”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.