This entry brings together 1 locus where this verse is used in the books of Muhammad Shahrur, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.
The Verse Text as Cited
{And man is ever most contentious}
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where does Shahrur place Al-Kahf 54, what does disputation in it mean within his presentation, and what function does it serve in his argument about consultation?
Shahrur cites the verse in the context of his discussion of consultation as a historical and structural practice. He links “human disputation” to the principle of opinion and the other opinion, then uses this connection to support the claim that the contemporary structure of consultation should accommodate the existence of opposing views in social, economic, and political fields.
Shahrur links the verse “And man is ever most contentious” to the principle of human disputation, explaining this principle in terms of opinion and the other opinion, in the context of his presentation of consultation. In Shahrur’s argument, the verse serves to support a conception of consultation that requires a structure necessarily accepting the existence of opinion and the other opinion, especially in matters of society, economics, and politics.
Citation and Location
The State and Society — p. 302.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation establishes the link between the verse and the principle of opinion and the other opinion within a discussion of consultation, but it does not provide an independent and detailed definition of the concept of “disputation.”
- The citation does not establish that disputation and consultation are one and the same; rather, it establishes that Shahrur connects them in constructing his argument.
- This locus does not establish a general judgment about human nature outside the context in which Shahrur presents it here.
Continue from Here
Brief Reading
For Shahrur, the verse affirms that the human inclination toward disputation is inseparable from the presence of consultation and the exchange of views in human society.
Themes
- Political and social
Related Concepts
- Human disputation: 2
- Consultation: 1
- The other opinion: 1
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is linked to the concept of human disputation as a basis for understanding the other opinion within society.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Support: 1
Loci of Use
- The State and Society, p. 302: He uses it to affirm that consultation and the other opinion are consistent with humanity’s disputatious nature.
- Concept: Human disputation
- Function of the verse here: Support
- Textual citation: “… and connected to His—exalted is He—saying: {And man is ever most contentious} (Al-Kahf 54).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.