Intended Meaning
According to the available evidence, Shahrur says: “Abraham and Ishmael came to purify it, not to build it.” Accordingly, this atom distinguishes between purification and construction: what is attributed to them here is the former, not the latter.
What Does the Evidence Not Settle?
The evidence does not specify when the House came into existence, who built it, or how the purification took place. The claim that the House stood before their arrival is a possible inference from the denial of construction, not an explicit statement in the quotation.
Links That Help with Reading
- Muhammad Shahrur, the State and Society
- The Book, the Qur’an, and the Mother of the Book
- The story of Moses and the righteous servant symbolizes the conflict between knowledge and law
Reliance
The direct evidence establishes the attribution of purification and the denial of construction, without further detail about the history of the House or its builder.
The story of Moses and the righteous servant symbolizes the conflict between knowledge and law