Al-Nisa' 164

4 min read

This axis brings together 4 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

Text of the verse as cited

And messengers We have recounted to you before, and messengers We have not recounted to you; and God spoke to Moses directly.

Reader’s Answer

Question

How does Muhammad Shahrur employ God’s saying, “and God spoke to Moses directly,” in his conception of the modes of revelation?

Shahrur employs the verse to regard Moses as a particular case of revelation, which he calls “auditory revelation.” He relies on the mention of God’s speaking to Moses occurring in a separate verse after the preceding verse’s discussion of revelation to a number of prophets; he understands from this separation that God’s speech to Moses differs, in his view, from the revelation presented to the prophets mentioned before it. This is Shahrur’s terminological reading of the structure of revelation, rather than a conclusion established by the evidence alone for all the characteristics of this type.

Shahrur holds that the verse singles out Moses with a mode of revelation he calls “auditory revelation,” and he understands this singling out from the separation of the statement “and God spoke to Moses directly” into an independent verse after the enumeration of the prophets to whom revelation was mentioned in the preceding verse. According to Shahrur, this revelation is described as having come to Moses “as a sound,” and he also associates it with being “abrogated,” like the Ten Commandments; these are explicit additions in his presentation, but they go beyond the mere wording of Al-Nisa’ 164.

Evidence and Location

The Book and the Qur’an — p. 324.

Limits of the Reading

  • The evidence directly connected to the verse is one item, from The Book and the Qur’an, p. 324; the other accompanying pieces of evidence do not address Al-Nisa’ 164 or the question of God’s speaking to Moses, and thus cannot serve as support for this page.
  • “Auditory revelation,” or its restriction to Moses, should not be presented as a definitive meaning of the verse; both are part of Shahrur’s reading and theoretical elaboration.
  • The excerpt alone does not establish all the details of Shahrur’s conception of revelation or the evidence he may advance elsewhere.

Continue from Here

Brief Reading

Shahrur uses the verse to distinguish God’s direct speech to Moses from other modes of revelation, building upon it a conception of the structure of revelation.

Axes

  • Methodological
  • Linguistic and semantic
  • Faith-related
  • Divine speech: 3
  • Auditory revelation: 2
  • Direct speech: 2

Its Place in the Conceptual Network

It is connected to the concept of divine speech as a special degree within the network of revelation.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Distinction: 2
  • Foundation: 1
  • Support: 1

Instances of Use

  • The Book and the Qur’an, p. 324: with this verse, he distinguishes between the general revelation to messengers and a special type for Moses, namely direct auditory speech.
    • Concept: auditory revelation
    • Function of the verse here: distinction
    • Textual evidence: “He, glorified be He, separated the revelation to Moses into a verse standing independently, in His saying: {And messengers We have recounted to you… and God spoke to Moses directly} (Al-Nisa’ 164).”
  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 258: he distinguishes between God’s direct speech to Moses and God’s indirect speech revealed to Muhammad, in order to elaborate the structure of revelation.
    • Concept: direct speech
    • Function of the verse here: distinction
    • Textual evidence: “Among them are some verses that are God’s direct speech, represented by His—mighty and majestic is He—direct speech to Moses when He spoke to him in the sacred valley: {And God spoke to Moses directly} (Al-Nisa’ 164).”
  • Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 258: he cites it as evidence that some verses of the Revelation represent God’s direct speech to Moses, in order to distinguish between God’s direct and indirect speech.
    • Concept: divine speech
    • Function of the verse here: foundation
    • Textual evidence: “{And God spoke to Moses directly} (Al-Nisa’ 164).”
  • Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 33: he cites it as evidence that some revelation is direct speech from God, distinguishing it from the Revelation conveyed to Muhammad.
    • Concept: divine speech
    • Function of the verse here: support
    • Textual evidence: “{ … and God spoke to Moses directly } (Al-Nisa’ 164).”

This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas