This locus gathers 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 We did not send before you except men to whom We revealed, from among the people of the towns. Have they not traveled through the land and seen how the end of those before them was? And the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are mindful. Will you not then understand?
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does this verse appear, how does Shahrur distinguish the meaning of “men,” and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse is Joseph 109. Shahrur makes it evidence within his account of the age of towns: he reads “men” as signifying males, then uses this to link the messengers to this age, which he describes as dominated by masculinity.
Shahrur explicitly states that “men” in Joseph 109 means males, not “those who walk on foot,” and explains his choice by holding that context governs the determination of the intended meaning. Shahrur describes the age of towns as a patriarchal/male-dominated age characterized by masculine dominance in the major spheres of life, and he uses Joseph 109 to conclude that the messengers were males within this framework.
Evidence and Location
The State and Society — p. 143.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence establishes this distinction in Shahrur’s reading of Joseph 109; it does not establish a general rule for every occurrence of the term “men” in the Qur’an.
- The verse’s connection to the age of towns is part of Shahrur’s interpretive construction as presented in this passage, not an independent proposition supported by the verse alone.
- The evidence does not present a discussion of other exegetical readings of the verse or detailed evidence for the stated division of historical ages.
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Brief Reading
Shahrur employs it to establish that the term “men” here means males, linking this to the age of towns marked by masculine dominance.
Axes
- Political and social
- Linguistic and semantic
Related Concepts
- Male messengers: 2
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It links linguistic meaning with ancient social structure.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 1
Instances of Use
- The State and Society, p. 143: He employs it to say that “men” here means males, linking this to the age of towns marked by masculine dominance.
- Concept: Male messengers
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual evidence: “{And We did not send before you except men to whom We revealed, from among the people of the towns…} (Joseph 109)”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.