This thematic node gathers 1 instance of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The verse text as cited
And whatever creatures He has dispersed throughout them both
Reader’s answer
Question
How does Shahrur read the divine statement, “And whatever creatures He has dispersed throughout them both,” in the context of evolution and life beyond Earth?
Shahrur employs the verse, in his reading, to indicate the existence of living beings in the heavens and the earth, and that evolution is a general law of creation; he also understands “their gathering” as a future meeting of the rational beings among them. This citation does not establish that organic life began from a single origin and then diversified.
Shahrur cites al-Shura 29 as evidence for the existence of creatures—meaning living beings in his view—in the heavens and the earth, not on earth alone. Shahrur regards the phrase “And whatever creatures He has dispersed throughout them both” as an affirmation of the law of evolution as the basis of creation throughout all existence. He interprets “their gathering, whenever He wills” as a possible future meeting of the rational beings among those creatures, relying on his understanding of the plural pronoun.
Citation and location
the Book and the Qur’an — p. 196.
Limits of the reading
- This page documents Shahrur’s reading of the verse and does not offer an independent scientific judgment concerning evolution or life beyond Earth.
- The citation establishes Shahrur’s discussion of the universality of the law of evolution, but it does not establish the claim that life began from a single origin.
- The interpretation of “creature” and “their gathering” here forms part of Shahrur’s interpretive construction, rather than being a conclusion imposed by the text alone on this page.
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Brief reading
The verse is cited as evidence that organic life began from a single origin and then spread and diversified within the law of evolution.
Themes
- Methodological
- Narrative and historical
Related concepts
- Evolution: 2
Its place in the conceptual network
It grounds a law-governed reading of the diversity and gradation of life.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Foundational: 1
Instances of use
- the Book and the Qur’an, p. 196: cited as evidence that organic life began from a single origin and then spread and diversified within the law of evolution.
- Concept: evolution
- Function of the verse here: foundational
- Textual citation: “And this is what He, exalted is He, made clear in His statement {.. AND WHATEVER CREATURES HE HAS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THEM BOTH} (al-Shura 29).”
Related books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.