This axis brings together 1 instance 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
Have you considered what you till? Is it you who plant it, or are We the Planters?
Reader’s Answer
Question
Where do these two verses occur, what is the meaning of the distinction between tillage and planting in Shahrur’s view, and what function do they serve in his argument?
The two verses occur in Surat al-Waqi’ah (63–64). Shahrur distinguishes between planting as the act of placing seeds and performing agricultural work, and tillage as the yield or increase obtained from that work beyond the quantity of seeds. He presents the two verses as evidence for this definition in the context of his discussion of the meaning of tillage.
Shahrur cites al-Waqi’ah 63–64 in the context of his distinction between “planting” and “tillage”: for him, planting is connected to the agricultural act, whereas tillage is what is reaped as the yield of agricultural work—specifically, the increase over the quantity of seeds placed in the ground. The function of the two verses in Shahrur’s argument is to support his understanding of tillage as gathering and gain connected to the agricultural yield in which human labor is involved, rather than as vegetation cover or agricultural land.
Citation and Location
State and Society — p. 181.
Limits of the Reading
- The citation establishes this distinction as Shahrur formulates it in this passage; it does not establish an independent ruling on the meaning of the two verses outside his framework.
- The citation does not address a relation of synonymy or non-synonymy between the two terms in general; rather, it explains the function of each within the agricultural example.
- The citation does not establish that “tillage” means every form of gain or increase in all usages; the formulation here is restricted by its context and Shahrur’s reasoning.
Continue From Here
Brief Reading
Shahrur cites the verse to explain tillage as the increase and gain a human being reaps in agricultural production, rather than merely the act of planting.
Axes
- Political and social
- Human and ethical
Related Concepts
- Tillage: 2
- Increase: 1
- Gain: 1
- Agricultural production: 1
Its Place in the Conceptual Network
It is connected to expanding the meaning of tillage to include its productive outcome.
The Verse’s Role in the Argument
- Example: 1
Instances of Use
- State and Society, p. 181: He cites it to explain tillage as the increase and gain a human being reaps in agricultural production, rather than merely the act of planting itself.
- Concept: tillage
- Function of the verse here: example
- Textual citation: “Tillage has come to mean gathering and gain, especially in connection with agricultural yield … hence He—exalted is He—said: {Have you considered what you till? Is it you who plant it, or are We the Planters?}”
Related Books
This page is presented within the general atlas construction methodology.