Rhetoric Is Not Padding but Communication
Editorial verification status: This atom was extracted from an explanatory audiovisual source, and it 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 eloquence in the Qur’an does not mean padding or excessive repetition; rather, it means precise communication from the speaker to the addressee.
Explanation
He explains that the value of a text lies not in piling up similar words, but in linguistic economy that achieves understanding. For this reason, he links eloquence to the function of communication and meaning, not to verbal embellishment alone. This is consistent with his rejection of synonymy, because, for him, redundancy contradicts semantic precision. From here, he argues that differences in wording are intentional differences.
Its place in the episode’s argument
It supports the methodological argument that reading the Qur’an requires new linguistic tools, not the tools of traditional schoolbook rhetoric.
Limits of the claim
He does not deny the existence of linguistic beauty, but he redefines eloquence according to its cognitive function.
Brief witness
“The pinnacle of eloquence… is communication from the speaker to the listener.”
Close links
- Shahrur - the Qur’an
- Book Guide to the Contemporary Reading of the Wise Revelation
- Shahrur - jurisprudence