This entry 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
Say: If the Most Merciful had a child, then I would be the first of the worshippers.
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Shahrur read the term “al-ʿābidīn” in al-Zukhruf 81, and what function does the verse serve in his distinction of the meaning of worship?
Shahrur reads “al-ʿābidīn” in the verse as meaning arrogance, haughtiness, and superiority. In the hypothetical condition stated in the verse, he explains it to mean that the Prophet would be the first to disbelieve in God and reject Him if the attribution of a child to Him were established. For him, the verse serves as evidence that the root denoting worship can carry a meaning opposite to humility and obedience.
Shahrur interprets “al-ʿābidīn” in al-Zukhruf 81 as meaning arrogance, haughtiness, and superiority. He explains the condition in the verse by saying that the establishment of a child for the Most Merciful—which he denies—would mean that the Prophet would be the first to disbelieve in Him and reject Him. In Shahrur’s argument, the verse functions as evidence for a meaning opposite to worship as characterized by humility and obedience, rather than establishing this meaning alone in all contexts.
Source and Location
the Book and the Qur’an — p. 276.
Limits of the Reading
- This presentation establishes Shahrur’s reading of the term in this verse and its function in his argument; it does not establish a general linguistic judgment beyond his interpretation.
- The citation does not assert synonymy between disbelief, rejection, and arrogance; rather, it presents them in explaining the meaning intended here.
- The page does not address the validity of this interpretation or compare it with other exegeses.
- The meaning is conditional within the verse’s hypothetical construction, together with Shahrur’s affirmation that attributing a child to the Most Merciful is denied.
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Brief Reading
Shahrur uses it to distinguish the meaning of “al-ʿābidīn” here from customary worship, making it closer to disbelief or rejection.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Faith-related
Related Concepts
- Worship: 2
- Disbelief: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to recalibrating a term according to context rather than according to common usage alone.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Distinction: 2
Instances of Use
- the Book and the Qur’an, p. 276: He makes the verse evidence for the meaning opposite to worship here: namely, rejection and disbelief, were that which contradicts monotheism to be established.
- Concept: worship
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: “It came with the meaning of arrogance, haughtiness, and superiority in His saying, exalted is He: {Say: If the Most Merciful had a child, then I would be the first of the worshippers} (al-Zukhruf 81).”
- Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation, p. 58: He interprets “al-ʿābidīn” here as meaning disbelievers/disobedient ones, not in its customary devotional sense.
- Concept: disbelief
- Function of the verse here: distinction
- Textual citation: “The meaning of disobedience appears in His saying, exalted is He: {Say: If the Most Merciful had a child, then I would be the first of the worshippers} (al-Zukhruf 81), that is, I would be the first to disbelieve in Him.”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for constructing the atlas.