This axis brings together 1 instance 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
He said, “My Lord, how can I have a boy when old age has overtaken me and my wife is barren?” He said, “Thus does God do what He wills.”
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Shahrur employ Āl ʿImrān 40 in defining «ghulām», and what does the verse establish in his argument?
Āl ʿImrān 40 appears in the cited passage among a list of verses that Shahrur invokes when discussing «ghulām». Its function here is to support the application of his definition of the term to the annunciation of John in the context of Zachariah, rather than to establish an independent ruling from the verse alone.
Shahrur defines «ghulām» as a description of a male who has reached the age of sexual maturity, and he cites Āl ʿImrān 40 among the verses he connects to this definition.
Citation and Location
State and Society — p. 263.
Limits of the Reading
- The cited passage establishes that Shahrur includes the verse in his reasoning for the definition of «ghulām» and its connection to sexual maturity.
- The passage does not state that «ghulām» is the opposite of «service» or «slavery»; therefore, this negation cannot be attributed to Shahrur on the basis of this passage alone.
- The passage does not establish, from this verse alone, a general ruling for every use of the term.
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Brief Reading
Shahrur includes it among other textual witnesses to argue that ghulām is a linguistic description unrelated to service or slavery.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Narrative and historical
Related Concepts
- Ghulām: 2
- Language: 1
- Slavery: 1
- Service: 1
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It supports his reading that separates the word from its inherited social meaning.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Support: 1
Instances of Use
- State and Society, p. 263: He includes it among other textual witnesses to argue that ghulām is a linguistic description unrelated to service or slavery.
- Concept: Ghulām
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “{He said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a boy …’} (Āl ʿImrān 40)”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.