This locus brings together 2 instances 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 are certain that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what does «yazunnūna» mean for Shahrur, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in al-Baqarah 46. Shahrur presents it as an example of «zanna» occurring in the sense of certainty, as opposed to its occurrence elsewhere in the sense of doubt; its function is to support his claim that some Arabic verbs may bear two opposite meanings depending on usage.
Shahrur regards al-Baqarah 46 as an instance in which «zanna» occurs in the sense of certainty. In his argument, the verse serves as an example supporting the idea that a single verb may occur with one meaning and with its opposite, as Shahrur contrasts «zann» between doubt and certainty.
Citation and Location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 275.
Limits of the Reading
- This instance establishes Shahrur’s presentation of the verse as an example of certainty; the citation alone does not establish an independent linguistic account of the reasons for this meaning in the verse’s context.
- The citation does not address a relation of synonymy between «zann» and other terms; it should therefore not be attributed with establishing or denying synonymy.
- The explanation is limited to the verse’s function within the argument presented in the citation.
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Brief Reading
The verse is used to show that zann may mean certainty rather than doubt.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
Related Concepts
- zann: 3
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It serves semantic differentiation according to Qur’anic context.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Distinction: 2
Instances of Use
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 275: He uses it to show that zann may also bear the meaning of certainty, rather than merely doubt.
- Concept: zann
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: «And it came with the opposite meaning, namely certainty, in His exalted saying: {Those who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return} (al-Baqarah 46).»
- A Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, pp. 52–53: He uses it to establish that zann may mean certainty rather than doubt, depending on the context.
- Concept: zann
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: «As for the meaning of certainty, it occurs in His exalted saying: {Those who are certain that they will meet their Lord …} (al-Baqarah 46).»
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.