The Merciful does not possess people through speech, but through action
Editorial verification status: this atom is extracted from an explanatory 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 says that the Merciful does not hold speech from people; meaning that people do not have, in relation to Him, the act of verbal speech or verbal control, but rather encounter Him through action and through the laws of being.
Explanation
“They do not hold speech from Him” is understood to mean that the Merciful is not confronted through verbal assertion, but is apprehended through His effect in action and in reality. This is set in contrast to human nature, which learns through action and experience. Therefore, discourse about the Merciful must also be merciful: that is, practical, not empty dialectic. Here, he links the language of the text to the order of the world.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom nearly concludes the argument: the Merciful is not only an object of speech, but an object of practice and of laws.
Scope of the claim
It does not say that speaking about the Merciful is impermissible, but rather that His truth is apprehended through action and reality.
Brief evidence
“The Merciful, they do not hold speech from Him.”
Related links
- Shahrur - the Qur’an
- Shahrur - faith
- Atom: true experience is practice, not hearing