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
O wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what distinction does Shahrur draw from the term “women,” and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in al-Ahzab 32, in an address to the “wives of the Prophet.” Shahrur considers this instance an use of “women” in the sense of wives, and presents it as an example of the need to determine meaning through context.
Shahrur cites al-Ahzab 32 as an instance in which the word “women” means wives in the phrase “wives of the Prophet.” He employs this example as part of his call to understand the term “women” in verses according to context and subject matter, rather than always treating it simply as the plural of “woman.”
Citation and Location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 501.
Limits of the Reading
- For Shahrur, the citation establishes the meaning “wives” in this instance; it does not assert that “women” means wives in every Qur’anic usage.
- This citation alone is not sufficient to establish, or to deny, a general relation of synonymy between “women” and “wives.”
- The citation does not offer an independent, detailed discussion of the verse’s full context beyond the example of “wives of the Prophet.”
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Brief Reading
Shahrur cites it as evidence that the term “women” may mean wives rather than females in general.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Political and social
Related Concepts
- Women: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is used to distinguish the social meaning of the term within context.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Distinction: 1
Instances of Use
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 501: He cites it as evidence that “women” may mean wives rather than females in general.
- Concept: women
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: “He also used the word ‘women’ to mean wives in His saying, exalted is He: {O wives of the Prophet …} (al-Ahzab 32).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.