The punishment can be attributed to the Merciful
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 argues that attributing punishment to the Merciful is not a contradiction, because the Merciful is a comprehensive name that gathers mercy and punishment together. Therefore, “punishment from the Merciful” is possible linguistically and semantically in his view.
Explanation
He cites verses about fearing a punishment that may touch a human being from the Merciful, and explains this by saying that the Merciful is not synonymous with the Compassionate. If the name carries opposites, then there is no reason to rule out punishment coming from it. This does not mean that the Merciful is “punishment only”; rather, it means that the name extends to both sides. In this way, he responds to the reading that confines the Merciful to gentleness.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom is the climax of the morphological argument: as long as the name can bear two opposites, there is no objection to attributing punishment to it.
Limits of the claim
It does not say that the Merciful always punishes, but rather that punishment lies within the scope of its semantic range.
Brief testimony
“It is not possible… that I should fear the touch of punishment from the Compassionate… The Merciful punishes.”
Related links
- Shahrur - The Qur’an
- Shahrur - Al-Muhkam
- Atom: The Merciful is a name on the pattern fa‘lān that contains opposites