This axis brings together 4 instances of Muhammad Shahrur’s use of this verse in his books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
Verse text as cited
Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god? Then would you be a guardian over him?
Brief reading
Shahrur uses the verse as an example of the overt shirk embodied in following desire, and as a denial that the Messenger can be a guardian over one who has chosen this path.
Axes
- Faith
- Human and ethical
- Political and social
Associated concepts
- Overt shirk: 3
- Desire: 2
- Negation of agency: 2
Its place in the conceptual network
It is linked to criticism of the worship of desire and to the limits of the function of messengership.
The verse’s role in the argument
- Example: 3
- Critique of heritage: 1
Places of use
- Islam and the Human: He mentions it as an example of overt shirk embodied in the worship of desire.
- Concept: desire
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual evidence: «{ Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god? Then would you be a guardian over him? } (al-Furqan 43)»
- Islam and the Human: He includes it as an example of overt shirk when a person takes his desire as a god or worships other than God.
- Concept: overt shirk
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual evidence: «As with the worship of idols, manifestations of nature, the worship of the individual as “deification,” and the worship of desire { Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god … } (al-Furqan 43)»
- Islam and Faith, p. 112: He considers following desire one form of overt shirk, alongside idol worship and deification.
- Concept: overt shirk
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual evidence: «As with the worship of idols, manifestations of nature, the worship of the individual as “deification,” and the worship of desire { Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god … } (al-Furqan 43).»
- The State and Society, p. 303: He cites it to argue that it is impossible for the Messenger to be a guardian over one who has chosen desire as his path.
- Concept: negation of agency
- Function of the verse here: critique of heritage
- Textual evidence: «- {Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his god? Then would you be a guardian over him?} (al-Furqan 43),»
Related books
This page is presented within the general method of building the atlas.