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
Let one of ample means spend according to his means …
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where is the verse located, what distinction does Shahrur make in it between zakat and spending, and what function does it serve in his argument?
The verse is Divorce 7. In his discussion of zakat, Shahrur uses it to support the view that spending is determined by a person’s means and by what God has given them, while expanding what may be spent to include things other than money. The citation does not establish that zakat itself is entirely governed by means; by contrast, he mentions a minimum threshold attributed to the Messenger.
Shahrur presents the verse as evidence that spending is according to a person’s means and what God has given them. He expands what a person may be given and what they may spend from money to resources such as knowledge, art, and a beautiful voice. In the context of his presentation of zakat, Shahrur states that God specified the eligible recipients and that the Messenger imposed a minimum threshold; he then invokes Divorce 7 to clarify the principle of spending according to one’s means.
Citation and Location
Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism — p. 32.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation does not state that spending and zakat are synonymous, nor that they are not synonymous.
- The citation does not establish that all zakat, including the mentioned minimum threshold, varies directly according to means.
- The expansion of spending to include knowledge, art, and a beautiful voice is Shahrur’s presentation in this passage; the citation does not establish normative details for how these resources are to be assessed or distributed.
- The citation does not explain why the minimum threshold is attributed to the Messenger or its detailed source.
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Brief Reading
The verse supports the idea that spending and zakat proceed according to a person’s capacity and means.
Axes
- Legislative
- Human and Ethical
Related Concepts
- Capacity: 2
- Spending: 1
- Zakat: 1
- Means: 1
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It belongs to the network of concepts that links obligation to available capacity.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 1
Instances of Use
- Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism, p. 32: He cites it to affirm that spending and zakat proceed according to a person’s means and available capacities.
- Concept: Capacity
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “{Let one of ample means spend according to his means …} (Divorce 7)”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for building the atlas.