This axis brings together 1 instance 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
It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists dislike it.
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does Shahrur place Al-Saff 9, how does he distinguish the meaning of dislike, and what function does it serve in his argument concerning coercion?
Shahrur cites Al-Saff 9 as the final occurrence among the derivatives of the root «k-r-h» that he enumerates in the Qur’an. He assigns two meanings to karh: aversion and hardship; he places this verse within his discussion of the term, while using the context of coercion to establish the effect of coercion on the validity of faith or disbelief.
Shahrur mentions Al-Saff 9 as the final occurrence among the derivatives of the root «k-r-h» in the Wise Revelation. Shahrur holds that “karh” denotes aversion and hardship, and presents other verses to clarify each of the two meanings. The verse occurs in a passage addressing coercion, in which Shahrur maintains that coercion precludes the validity of faith and the attribution of disbelief, before proceeding to explain the root «k-r-h».
Citation and Location
Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 157.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not explicitly state that Al-Saff 9 itself is specifically devoted to establishing the meaning of aversion rather than hardship; rather, it includes it among the occurrences of the root’s derivatives and then states the two meanings in general terms.
- The citation does not establish that the verse is independent evidence for the definition of coercion or that its meaning corresponds to the meaning of coercion.
- The citation contains no judgment concerning a relation of synonymy or non-synonymy between “karh” and “ikrah.”
- The description of the verse’s function should be limited to its being part of an enumeration of the occurrences of the root within a discussion of coercion.
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Brief Reading
The verse is invoked to establish that karh in Arabic denotes aversion, as a prelude to discussing coercion.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Legislative
Related Concepts
- karh: 2
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It provides a linguistic foundation for understanding the question of coercion in terms of meaning.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Context: 1
Instances of Use
- Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 157: It is invoked to establish that karh in Arabic denotes aversion, as a prelude to discussing coercion.
- Concept: karh
- Function of the verse here: context
- Textual citation: “And the last of them is in His—Exalted be He—saying: {It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance… even though the polytheists dislike it}”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.