This thematic 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
{ That is because God sent down the Book with the truth, and indeed those who differ concerning the Book are in far-reaching dissension. }
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does Shahrur cite the verse, how does he distinguish the meaning of “the Book,” and what function does the verse serve in his argument?
Shahrur cites Al-Baqarah 176 in A Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation (p. 32) as evidence for one of two meanings of “the Book”: the totality of revealed material sent down in verses and surahs, extending between the two covers of the muṣḥaf. For him, the verse establishes this first meaning, as opposed to a second meaning that concerns only the verses of messengerhood and legislation.
Shahrur presents the term “the Book” as having two meanings in his contemporary reading methodology, rather than as possessing one fixed meaning in every context. He cites Al-Baqarah 176 to establish that “the Book” may mean the totality of subjects revealed as verses and surahs, encompassing everything from the beginning to the end of the muṣḥaf; he calls this totality “the Wise Revelation.” Shahrur distinguishes this comprehensive meaning from another meaning of “the Book,” under which it is the collection of verses of messengerhood alone—that is, legislation. He also attributes this meaning to the Book of Moses and Jesus.
Citation and Location
A Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation — p. 32.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation establishes that Shahrur invokes the verse in support of a comprehensive meaning of “the Book,” but at this point he does not offer a detailed linguistic analysis of the verse’s own terms.
- Shahrur’s position should not be reduced to an absolute denial of the Book’s connection to legislation; the citation explicitly affirms a second meaning of the Book as the verses of messengerhood and legislation alone.
- This citation alone does not establish how every Qur’anic verse is distributed among the divisions of prophethood, messengerhood, and the Book’s detailed components.
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Brief Reading
The verse is used to define the Book as the totality of what was revealed in verses and surahs, not legislation alone.
Axes
- Methodological
- Linguistic and Semantic
Related Concepts
- the Book: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It establishes the meaning of the Book within a holistic reading of the text.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Foundational: 1
Contexts of Use
- A Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 32: He cites it to define the Book as the totality of what was revealed in verses and surahs, not legislation alone.
- Concept: the Book
- Function of the verse here: Foundational
- Textual citation: “{ That is because God sent down the Book with the truth … } (Al-Baqarah 176)”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.