This axis brings together 3 instances of the use of this verse in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The Verse as Cited
Establish the weighing with equity, and do not diminish the balance.
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does Shahrur cite Ar-Rahman 9, what meaning does he give it, and what function does it serve in his argument?
Shahrur cites the verse in Islam and Faith (p. 77), under a section bringing together measure, balance, and compliance with specifications. Its function at this point is to be one of the verses he adduces in presenting the establishment of this principle and then its development in the Muhammadan message; this evidence alone does not establish that he makes it an independent example of precision in contemporary production.
Shahrur cites Ar-Rahman 9 under the heading “Measure, Balance, and Compliance with Specifications,” alongside other verses concerning measure, weighing, and short measure. The verse’s function in Shahrur’s argument here is to contribute to his presentation of the principle of measure and balance as something he describes as a prior establishment, followed by improvement and development in the Muhammadan message.
Evidence and Location
Islam and Faith — p. 77.
Limits of the Reading
- The evidence does not provide an independent definition of the balance as “equity in measurement” or “precision in work and production.”
- The evidence does not explicitly distinguish semantically between the terms for weighing, balance, and measure; thus, no claim of synonymy or its denial should be attributed to him.
- The verse’s connection to contemporary production is not established by this attached passage alone.
Continue from Here
Brief Reading
The verse is taken as an example of the meaning of the balance as equity in measurement and precision in work and production.
Axes
- Human and ethical
- Legislative
Related Concepts
- The balance: 3
- Equity in measurement: 2
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It links the Qur’anic principle to a practical standard in conduct and production.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Example: 2
- Support: 1
Instances of Use
- Islam and the Human Being: applies it to the standard of quality and precision in contemporary production.
- Concept: equity in measurement
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual evidence: “Excellence in production, for example, is adherence to production specifications, to which the saying of God Most High applies: { Establish the weighing with equity, and do not diminish the balance } (Ar-Rahman 9).”
- Islam and the Human Being: uses it to extend the meaning of excellence to commitment to precise standards in production and work.
- Concept: the balance
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual evidence: “Excellence in production, for example, is adherence to production specifications, to which the saying of God Most High applies: { Establish the weighing with equity … } (Ar-Rahman 9).”
- Islam and Faith, p. 77: uses it to support the principle of compliance with specifications and equity in measurement and weighing.
- Concept: the balance
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual evidence: “- {Establish the weighing with equity, and do not diminish the balance} (Ar-Rahman 9).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.