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
The heart did not deny what it saw.
Reader’s answer
Question
Where does Shahrur cite Qur’an 53:11, what does he mean by describing the vision as “sensory and of the heart,” and what function does it serve in his argument?
Shahrur cites the verse in The Book and the Qur’an (p. 322), in the course of his discussion of the vision of the Garden of Refuge. He treats it as evidence that the vision was sensory and of the heart, and then builds on this to distinguish the Garden of Refuge from the Garden of Reward.
Shahrur describes the vision for which he cites Qur’an 53:11 as a sensory vision of the heart, and pairs it with Qur’an 53:17. He employs this description of the sensory vision of the heart to conclude that what was seen was the Garden of Refuge rather than the Garden of Reward.
Citation and location
The Book and the Qur’an — p. 322.
Limits of the reading
- The citation does not provide a detailed definition of the term “of the heart” (fu’ādiyya) or an independent explanation of the relationship between the heart and sight.
- The citation does not explicitly state that the intended meaning is a negation of “linguistic imagination”; this phrasing should therefore not be attributed to Shahrur.
- The distinction established in the citation is between the Garden of Refuge and the Garden of Reward; it does not establish other distinctions.
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Brief reading
He cites it as evidence that the vision during the Ascension was a sensory vision of the heart, not merely linguistic imagination.
Axes
- Linguistic and semantic
- Faith-related
Related concepts
- The heart: 2
- Vision: 1
- Ascension: 1
Its place in the conceptual network
It supports a particular interpretation of the nature of perception during the Ascension.
Role of the verse in the argument
- Support: 1
Instances of use
- The Book and the Qur’an, p. 322: He cites it as evidence that the vision during the Ascension was a sensory vision of the heart, not merely linguistic imagination.
- Concept: the heart
- Function of the verse here: support
- Textual citation: “The Wise Revelation has stated that the vision was sensory and of the heart in His, exalted be He, saying: {The heart did not deny what it saw} (The Star 11).”
Related books
This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.