Paradise Is Described by Vastness, Not by an Enclosed Place
Editorial verification status: This claim atom is extracted from a clarifying audiovisual source, and it has now been linked to the closest books within Shahrur’s project at the book level. For precise academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur states that Paradise is not a narrow or enclosed place, but is described by extreme vastness: “its width is the heavens and the earth.”
Explanation
He relies on the descriptions of Paradise in the Revelation: its width is like the width of the heavens and the earth. He explains “width” as not merely the opposite of length, but as indicating spaciousness and extension. In this way, he rejects the idea of Paradise as a small, limited place. For him, Paradise is linked to a vast and open world, not to a confined space. This description is part of his construction of the idea of the “new universe.”
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom is essential because it establishes the subsequent contrast with Hell. If Paradise is vast and open, then Hell is understood in a different sense: as a limited prison. The contrast between expansiveness and confinement is the backbone of the argument in the episode.
Limits of the claim
This idea does not determine the physical form of Paradise or its physical location, but rather describes it through Qur’anic language.
Brief witness
“And a Paradise whose width is the heavens and the earth.”
Nearby links
- The Qur’an
- The Book
- Islam and Faith