This axis brings together 1 locus where this verse is used in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
Text of the Verse as Cited
{Ever-Doer of what He wills}
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, how does Shahrur distinguish between God’s action and human authority, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse cited occurs in Hud 107. Shahrur takes the description of God as “Ever-Doer of what He wills” to indicate that God alone possesses absoluteness in action and authority; he therefore rejects any human being’s or authority’s claim to such absoluteness, linking this to the principle of the rule of law.
Shahrur cites Hud 107 to establish that God alone has unrestricted power and authority and does what He wills. He employs the verse to criticize those who regard themselves as possessing unrestricted power and authority, presenting this as contrary to the principle of the rule of law.
Citation and Location
Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 103.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation establishes only this argumentative use of the verse in the specified location.
- The citation does not provide an independent linguistic analysis of the phrase in the verse or a broader theoretical elaboration of the concept of absoluteness.
- The citation does not establish a relation of synonymy or a terminological distinction among other terms.
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Brief Reading
Shahrur makes it a basis for denying absoluteness to human beings and affirming it for God alone.
Axes
- Methodological
- Faith-related
Related Concepts
- Absolute will: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It establishes a decisive distinction between divine authority and human possibility.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Foundational: 1
Contexts of Use
- Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 103: He uses it to establish that absoluteness in action and authority is among God’s attributes alone and cannot rightly be claimed by human beings.
- Concept: Absolute will
- Function of the verse here: Foundational
- Textual citation: “3 – {Ever-Doer of what He wills} (Hud 107). God alone has unrestricted power and authority and does what He wills.”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.