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 those were ‘Ad: they denied the signs of their Lord and disobeyed His messengers
Reader’s answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, how does Shahrur distinguish between Hud and the messengers/warners, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Hud 59. Shahrur cites it among a group of verses from which he infers the existence of messengers who preceded Hud to ‘Ad, with the possibility that some of them were his contemporaries; in this context, he calls them “warners” as evidence of warning. Its function in the argument is to support the wording “their messengers” within this line of reasoning, rather than to establish that Hud was the sole messenger to ‘Ad.
Shahrur presents Hud 59 among verses that he regards as evidence for messengers who preceded Hud to the people of ‘Ad, with the possibility that they were also with him. In this context, Shahrur distinguishes between Hud as the “brother of ‘Ad” in another verse and the messengers whom he calls “warners” and treats as evidence of warning.
Citation and location
Qur’anic Narratives, vol. 2 — p. 53.
Limits of the reading
- The citation does not establish the names, number, or detailed chronological order of these messengers.
- The possibility that they were contemporaries of Hud is presented by Shahrur as a possibility, not as a definitive judgment.
- The citation does not state a relation of synonymy, or a general denial of synonymy, between “messengers” and “warners”; rather, in this context Shahrur applies the designation “warners” to the messengers from whom he argues.
- The occurrence of the plural in the verse alone should not be made into an independent proof outside Shahrur’s method of bringing together several verses.
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Brief reading
It affirms the plurality of messengers or warners associated with ‘Ad, rather than restricting them to Hud alone.
Axes
- Narrative and historical
- Methodological
Related concepts
- Disobedience to the messengers: 2
- ‘Ad: 1
- Warners: 1
Its place in the network of concepts
It broadens the historical framework of messengerhood within the story of ‘Ad.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Support: 1
Instances of use
- Qur’anic Narratives, vol. 2, p. 53: He uses it to affirm the plurality of messengers/warners associated with ‘Ad, rather than restricting them to Hud alone.
- Concept: Disobedience to the messengers
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “2 - {And those were ‘Ad: they denied the signs of their Lord and disobeyed His messengers…} (Hud 59).”
Related books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.