This 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
Those who thought that they would meet God said, “How many a small group has overcome a large group by God’s permission”
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Shahrur employ Al-Baqarah 249 to distinguish the meaning of «ẓann»?
Shahrur employs the verse as an example of the occurrence of «ẓann» in the sense of certainty, as opposed to its occurrence in other examples in the sense of doubt.
Shahrur maintains that the verb «ẓanna» is among the verbs that may bear two opposite meanings, making doubt one of its meanings and certainty its opposite meaning. He cites Al-Baqarah 249 among his evidences for the use of «yaẓunnūna» in the sense of certainty.
Evidence and Location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 275.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence does not state that the meaning of certainty in the verse is connected to steadfastness in the situation; thus, this qualification is not established by the accompanying material.
- The evidence does not provide a detailed contextual rationale for selecting the meaning of certainty in Al-Baqarah 249.
- The evidence does not establish a general rule for determining the meaning of «ẓann» in every context beyond the examples it cites.
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Brief Reading
It is cited as evidence that conjecture here means certainty connected to steadfastness in the situation.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Narrative and historical
Related Concepts
- Conjecture: 2
- Certainty: 1
- Steadfastness: 1
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to recalibrating semantic meaning in a way that serves the understanding of the Qur’anic scene.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Support: 1
Instances of Use
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 275: It is cited as evidence that conjecture here means certainty connected to steadfastness in the situation.
- Concept: conjecture
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual evidence: «And His saying {… THOSE WHO THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD MEET GOD SAID, “HOW MANY A SMALL GROUP HAS OVERCOME A LARGE GROUP BY GOD’S PERMISSION”} (Al-Baqarah 249).»
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.