This 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
{ AND PROCLAIM THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE PEOPLE: THEY WILL COME TO YOU ON FOOT AND ON EVERY LEAN CAMEL; THEY WILL COME FROM EVERY DEEP MOUNTAIN PASS. }
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does this verse occur, what does Shahrur mean by “rijālan” in it, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Sūrat al-Ḥajj (27). Shahrur reads “rijālan” here as meaning those who come to the pilgrimage walking on foot, rather than males; for those addressed are “the people,” which includes both males and females. The verse serves as contextual evidence in his distinction between the use of “rijāl” for males and its use for pedestrians.
Shahrur holds that “rijālan” in Hajj 27 means those who come to the pilgrimage walking on their feet. He explains this meaning by noting that those coming to the pilgrimage fall under the term “the people,” and are both male and female; thus, “rijālan” here cannot be understood as referring to males alone. The verse is used in Shahrur’s argument as evidence that the meaning of the term “rijāl” is determined by context: it may occur as a plural referring to males, or it may mean pedestrians.
Evidence and Location
Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence — p. 242.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence establishes only Shahrur’s reading of “rijālan” in this verse and its function in distinguishing contextual usage.
- The evidence does not establish a broader rule concerning every occurrence of the term in the Qur’an.
- This verse’s connection to other loci should not be constructed on the basis of verbal similarity alone.
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Brief Reading
Shahrur cites it as evidence that the term rijāl is not confined to males, but may denote those walking on foot, whether male or female.
Axes
- Political and social
- Linguistic and semantic
Related Concepts
- rijāl: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to the re-expansion of the term’s meaning in the social context.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 1
Places of Use
- Towards New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, pp. 242–243: He cites it as evidence that the term rijāl is not confined to males, but may denote those walking on foot, whether male or female.
- Concept: rijāl
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual evidence: “Or in the sense of ‘walking on two feet,’ as in His—Exalted is He—saying: { … THEY WILL COME TO YOU ON FOOT … }; for those coming to the pilgrimage are males and females.”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.