Al-Nur 23

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This axis brings together 2 instances of the use of this verse in Muhammad Shahrur’s books, linking it to the concepts and arguments that appear around it.

The Verse Text as Cited

Indeed, those who accuse chaste, unsuspecting believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter, and theirs is a tremendous punishment.

Reader’s Answer

Question

How does Muhammad Shahrur read the description “al-muhsanat” in al-Nur 23, and does he confine it to marriage?

Shahrur reads “al-muhsanat” in the context of false accusation in a way that does not confine ihsan to marriage. In his view, it is impossible to restrict the term here to married women, because an unmarried chaste woman may also be subject to false accusation and allegation. He therefore regards ihsan in the verses on false accusation as a general protection encompassing chastity, within what he calls the three forms of ihsan. This is a conclusion within his interpretive framework, not a ruling that can be inferred from this citation alone for all uses of the term in the Qur’an.

Shahrur employs al-Nur 23 among the verses on false accusation to distinguish between “ihsan through marriage” and a general ihsan that is not limited to marriage. His stated argument is that restricting ihsan in the context of false accusation to marriage does not account for the case of the chaste unmarried woman who may be falsely accused and charged.

Citation and Location

Islam and Faith — p. 222.

Limits of the Reading

  • This citation presents Shahrur’s reading and its internal rationale; by itself, it is insufficient to establish a comprehensive linguistic or juristic study of the meaning of “ihsan.”
  • The excerpt does not discuss occasions of revelation; therefore, on the basis of this citation, no claim that this verse rejects restricting interpretation to them should be attributed to it.
  • Shahrur’s reference to the “three forms” of ihsan appears in the excerpt, but the details of these forms do not appear there in full.

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Brief Reading

The verse is employed to distinguish the meaning of ihsan in false accusation and to reject confining interpretation to occasions of revelation.

Axes

  • Legal

Its Place in the Conceptual Network

It brings together the specification of the ruling and criticism of a narrow historical reading.

The Verse’s Role in the Argument

  • Distinction: 1
  • Critique of tradition: 1

Instances of Use

  • Islam and Faith, p. 222: It distinguishes between ihsan through marriage and absolute ihsan, because false accusation may be directed at a chaste unmarried woman.
    • Concept: false accusation
    • Function of the verse here: distinction
    • Textual citation: “- Indeed, those who accuse chaste, unsuspecting believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter… (al-Nur 23).”
  • Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence, p. 94: It cites it as an example of how tying interpretation solely to occasions of revelation effaces universality and turns the text into something local and historical.
    • Concept: Occasions of revelation
    • Function of the verse here: critique of tradition
    • Textual citation: “Do you mean that His saying—Exalted is He—: { And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution } (al-Nur 23) cannot be understood and applied unless we first know …”

This page is presented within the general atlas-building methodology.

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Muhammad Shahrur Atlas