This thematic 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
Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not to desist until the clear proof came to them
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, how does Shahrur use it to distinguish between disbelief and religious affiliation, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Surat al-Bayyinah, verse 1. Shahrur reads it as evidence that disbelief does not encompass all the People of the Book or the polytheists as religious categories; rather, it pertains to those who adopted an explicit stance opposing the Prophet. The verse serves him in constructing a definition of disbelief as a declared stance.
Shahrur infers from al-Bayyinah 1 that among the People of the Book and the polytheists were some who disbelieved and stood against Muhammad, while others did not; he therefore does not make disbelief a comprehensive description of every member of these two categories. Shahrur employs the verse within his argument to define disbelief as a stance that is voiced and declared and that is directed against something, rather than as mere general religious affiliation.
Citation and Location
The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought — p. 14.
Limits of the Reading
- This is an account of Shahrur’s reading in the accompanying citation, not a determination of the verse’s meaning outside that reading.
- The citation links disbelief to a declared stance, but it does not provide here a comprehensive account of all forms or rulings of disbelief.
- The citation does not establish a relation of synonymy or non-synonymy between other terms, nor is any relation inferred from verbal similarity alone.
Continue From Here
Brief Reading
It is used to distinguish disbelief as a declared stance of rejection or hostility, rather than as a general religious designation.
Axes
- Faith-related
- Political and social
Related Concepts
- Disbelief: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It contributes to defining the boundaries of the term between stance and identity.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Distinction: 1
Instances of Use
- The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought, p. 14: He employs it to establish that disbelief is a hostile stance/an explicit rejection toward the Prophet or an opinion, rather than mere general religious affiliation.
- Concept: disbelief
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: “{Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists…} (al-Bayyinah 1)”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.