This axis brings together 1 locus of 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
And We certainly created the human being from an extract of clay
Reader’s Answer
Question
How does Muhammad Shahrur employ God’s saying, “And We certainly created the human being from an extract of clay,” in his conception of the human being?
Shahrur reads the verse as an affirmation of the human being’s material origin: for him, the human being is a “biological human creature” created from an extract of clay. He then joins it to the verse on the breathing of the spirit to argue that this creature became a rational, conscious being. From this, he constructs his distinction between the biological human dimension on the one hand and the rational, conscious human being on the other. In this use, the verse is not by itself a complete definition of consciousness or reason; rather, it is the first part of a construction that Shahrur connects to other verses.
Shahrur explicitly states that the human being is a “biological human creature,” relying on God’s saying: “And We certainly created the human being from an extract of clay.” Shahrur links this biological human creature’s transition into a rational, conscious being to the breathing of the spirit, citing in the same passage verse 29 of al-Hijr.
Evidence and Location
A Contemporary Guide to Reading the Wise Revelation — p. 59.
Limits of the Reading
- The wording of The Believers 12 alone does not state reason, consciousness, or a terminological distinction between “bashar” and “insan.”
- This connection is a composite Shahrurian reading that also relies on the verse concerning the breathing of the spirit; therefore, it is not appropriate to attribute all its details to the verse in isolation.
- The available evidence establishes Shahrur’s presentation of this connection in this passage, but it is not by itself sufficient to judge its consistency with all uses of the two terms in the book.
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Brief Reading
Shahrur makes it the basis for distinguishing between the biological human dimension and the rational human dimension after the breathing of the spirit.
Axes
- Methodological
- Faith-related
Related Concepts
- Human being: 2
- Biological human dimension: 1
- Rational human dimension: 1
- Breathing of the spirit: 1
Its Place in the Network of Concepts
It occupies a foundational position in constructing the conception of the human being in the reading.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Foundation: 1
Loci of Use
- A Contemporary Guide to Reading the Wise Revelation, p. 59: He makes it the basis for distinguishing between the biological human dimension and the rational human dimension after the breathing of the spirit.
- Concept: Human being
- Function of the verse here: Foundation
- Textual evidence: “The human being is a biological human creature, by virtue of God’s saying: { And We certainly created the human being from an extract of clay } (The Believers 12).”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general methodology for constructing the atlas.