This axis brings together 3 instances 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 We have certainly given you seven of the oft-repeated and the Great Qur’an.
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does the verse occur, what does the distinction within it mean for Shahrur, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse occurs in Al-Hijr 87. Shahrur treats the coordination of “the Great Qur’an” with “seven of the oft-repeated” as linguistic evidence of distinction, or of a particular-to-general relationship; he uses this as a prelude to formulating two possibilities, rather than to establish a final definition of the Seven Oft-Repeated at this point.
Shahrur relies on Al-Hijr 87 as a locus in which the Qur’an is coordinated with the Seven Oft-Repeated. He understands coordination in the verse, in accordance with the rule he explicitly states, as indicating distinction or the coordination of the particular with the general; he therefore does not treat the Qur’an and the Seven Oft-Repeated here as a single undifferentiated thing. The function of the verse in this excerpt is to open an argument leading to two possibilities, not to present the final conclusion of either one.
Citation and Location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 45.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not establish that Shahrur defines the Seven Oft-Repeated as the seven heavens and the seven earths.
- The citation does not establish a critique of the interpretation of the Seven Oft-Repeated as the long surahs, nor does it establish a connection between this passage and the book Religion and Power.
- The excerpt does not specify the two possibilities to which Shahrur says the argument leads.
- The stated rule of coordination is attributed to Shahrur in this passage and is not presented here as an independent linguistic judgment.
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Brief Reading
The verse is used to critique the traditional interpretation of the Seven Oft-Repeated and to establish their distinction from the Qur’an.
Axes
- Methodological
- Linguistic and semantic
- Narrative and historical
Related Concepts
- Seven Oft-Repeated: 3
- the Qur’an: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It plays a role in redistributing concepts within the text rather than confining them to inherited meaning.
Role of the Verse in the Argument
- Critique of tradition: 1
- Support: 1
- Foundation: 1
Instances of Use
- Religion and Power, p. 73: He cites it to refute the traditional interpretation that identifies the Seven Oft-Repeated with the long surahs, proposing that they are the seven heavens and the seven earths within a conception of cosmic vicegerency.
- Concept: the Seven Oft-Repeated
- Function of the verse here: critique of tradition
- Textual citation: “Thus, the Seven Oft-Repeated are the seven heavens and the seven earths, not the long surahs as some exegetes have said; for the long surahs, being part of the Qur’an, cannot be such that the Qur’an is coordinated with them in His, exalted be He, saying: {And We have certainly given you seven of the oft-repeated and the Great Qur’an.}”
- Corresponding traditional reading: The cited exegetes identify the Seven Oft-Repeated with the long surahs.
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 45: He cites it to demonstrate coordination between distinct entities and, consequently, the distinction of the Qur’an from the Seven Oft-Repeated.
- Concept: the Qur’an
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual citation: “And His, exalted be He, saying: {And We have certainly given you seven of the oft-repeated and the Great Qur’an.} (Al-Hijr 87).”
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 85: He builds on it to distinguish between the Seven Oft-Repeated and the Qur’an, maintaining that they are joined by coordination indicating distinction.
- Concept: the Seven Oft-Repeated
- Function of the verse here: foundation
- Textual citation: “{And We have certainly given you seven of the oft-repeated and the Great Qur’an.} (Al-Hijr 87).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.