The Universe Is Built on Dualities
Editorial verification status: This atom is extracted from an explanatory audiovisual source and has now been linked to the closest books within the Shahrur project at the book level. For precise academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur holds that the universe is based on pairs of dualities and opposites, and that this structure is what explains the presence of the Merciful as a comprehensive name for counterparts.
Explanation
He explains that the world is neither linear nor singular, but governed by paired forms: male/female, lowering/raising, honoring/humiliating, etc. From there, understanding the divine names becomes tied to understanding the structure of reality itself. For him, the Qur’anic text cannot be read apart from this cosmological conception. Thus, the Merciful is in harmony with the laws of existence because it is a name that refers to this dual order.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom justifies why what appears to be oppositional can come together in the name of the Merciful: because existence itself is built on polarity.
Scope of the claim
It does not say that everything in the universe is merely a simple duality, but rather that this is the predominant pattern in the structure of existence.
Brief evidence
“This universe is built on pairs of dualities… and pairs of opposites.”
Nearby links
- Shahrur - The Qur’an
- Shahrur - The Civil State
- Atom: The Merciful Is the Name of Cosmic Lordship