This locus gathers 3 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The verse text as cited
SAY: I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm except what God wills. If I knew the unseen …
Brief reading
The verse is used to negate the Prophet’s absolute knowledge of the unseen, and to block the construction of reports or conceptions that contradict this negation.
Loci
- Faith-related
- Methodological
Related concepts
- the unseen: 3
- negation of the unseen: 2
- the Prophet’s knowledge: 1
- inheritance: 1
- objection to heritage: 1
Its place in the conceptual network
It is linked to the rule of negating the unseen and to criticism of what is attributed to the Prophet outside the text.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Support: 2
- Critique of heritage: 1
Instances of use
- Islam and the Human Being, p. 40: He cites it to argue that if the Prophet ﷺ had knowledge of the unseen, he would have multiplied good things; therefore, he did not know it.
- Concept: negation of the unseen
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual evidence: «{ قُلْ لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا … } (al-A’raf 188)»
- Cleansing the Sources of Terrorism, p. 191: He cites it to argue that the hadith attributed to the killing of the Khawarij cannot be built on knowledge of the unseen attributed to the Prophet.
- Concept: the unseen
- Function of the verse here: Critique of heritage
- Textual evidence: «{وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ…} (al-A’raf 188).»
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 92: He cites it to argue that the Prophet himself denies for himself absolute knowledge of the unseen, so it is invalid to attribute it to others by way of inheritance.
- Concept: the unseen
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual evidence: «When he says to his people: { وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ } (al-A’raf 188).»
Related books
- Islam and the Human Being
- Cleansing the Sources of Terrorism
- Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence
This page is presented within the general methodology of building the atlas.