The Intended Meaning
Shahrur argues that testimony here is not merely a verbal statement, but a scientific and epistemic testimony offered by scholars as among the foremost witnesses They uncover the secrets of nature and bring forward material and rational evidence that confirms the truth of Muhammad’s prophecy and the Qur’anic messages In this way, science becomes a means of proving the credibility of the Message and prophethood
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: methodological
- Movement of the argument: it makes scientific testimony evidence for the truth of the Message and prophethood.
- Central terms: scientific testimony, the Message, prophethood, scholars.
- Degree of centrality: central.
This atom gives science the function of a witness rather than an adversary of religion, and links knowledge to the material and rational evidence that supports the credibility of the Message.
Reading Aids
Basis
- Supporting text: «ﻷنّ ﻣﻌﻨﻰ اﻟﺸﮭﯿﺪ ﻛﻤﺎ رأﯾﻨﺎ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﺎ ھﻮ ﻛﻞّ ﻣﻦ ﺷﮭﺪ أﻣﺮاً وأدﻟﻰ ﺑﺸﮭﺎدﺗﮫ ﻓﯿﮫ، ﻟﺬﻟﻚ ﻧﺠﺪ أنّ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء ھﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ رأس اﻟﺸﮭﺪاء ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞّ اﻟﻌﺼﻮر ﻷﻧﮭﻢ ﯾﻜﺘﺸﻔﻮن أﺳﺮار اﻟﻄﺒﯿﻌﺔ وﯾﻘﺪّﻣﻮن ﺷﮭﺎداﺗﮭﻢ ﻋﻠﯿﮭﺎ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﯿﺔ وﺣﻀﻮرﯾﺔ. وﻧﺤﻦ اﻟﯿﻮم ﺑﺄﻣﺲّ اﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻋﻠﻤﺎء ﯾﻘﺪّﻣﻮن ﺷﮭﺎدﺗﮭﻢ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗُﻌﺪّ ﺑﻤﺜﺎﺑﺔ اﻷدﻟﺔ اﻟﻤﺎدّﯾﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺼﺪاﻗﯿﺔ ﻧﺒﻮّة ﻣﺤﻤّﺪ )ص(، اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻈﮭﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺗﺄوﯾﻞ آﯾﺎت اﻟﻘﺮآن ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻨﺰﯾﻞ اﻟﺤﻜﯿﻢ، وھﺬه اﻷدﻟﺔ ﻣﺘﻨﻮّﻋﺔ ﻗﺪ ﺗﻜﻮن: ﻛﻮﻧﯿﺔ، ﺗﺎرﯾﺨﯿﺔ، ﻋﻠﻤﯿﺔ، ﺗﺸﺮﯾﻌﯿﺔ اﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﯿﺔ. ﺑﮭﺬا وﺣﺪه ﻧﺼﺒﺢ ﺷﮭﺪاء ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺼﺪاﻗﯿﺔ ﻧﺒﻮّﺗﮫ ورﺳﺎﻟﺘﮫ )ص(. ﻓﺎﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء ھﻢ اﻟﺬﯾﻦ ﯾﻘﺪّﻣﻮن اﻟﺒﯿّﻨﺎت اﻟﻤﺎدّﯾﺔ واﻟﻌﻘﻼﻧﯿﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺪﻋﻢ ﻣﺼﺪاﻗﯿﺔ اﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ واﻟﻨﺒﻮّة، ﺗﻤﺎﻣﺎً ﻛﻤﺎ ﻓﻌﻞ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء اﻟﺬﯾﻦ وﺿﻌﻮا أﺳﺲ ﻋﻠﻢ اﻟﺠﻨﯿﻦ، ﻓﺠﺎء».
The Place of the Basis in the Book
- Book: Islam and Faith.
- Location: in the middle section of the book
- Type of basis: close witness.
- Marker that helps verification: material evidence for the credibility of prophethood
- Reading note: the passage is suitable as support because it links the scholars’ testimony to the presentation of material evidence for the truthfulness of prophethood and the Message.
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented
- Meaning of the level: the atom relies on an explicit witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of the reading: the formulation above is an analytical summary, and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is cited textually.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is argumentative; it supports a larger conclusion in the chapter or prepares for it.
Editorial Note
It is useful for showing how the author employs science within his religious argumentation.