Intended Meaning
Shahrur holds that every Qur’anic expression has a specific signification that it does not share with any other expression through synonymy. Therefore, Qur’anic expressions must not be treated as though they were interchangeable in meaning.
Structure of the Atom in the Atlas
- Type of argument: differentiating.
- Argumentative move: affirming the specificity of every Qur’anic expression and precluding the interchange of meanings between it and others.
- Central terms: Qur’anic expression, signification, specific, synonymous, others.
- Degree of centrality: pivotal.
This reading prevents the equation of Qur’anic words and requires the reader to investigate differences in usage before constructing an understanding. It is fundamental to regulating concepts and reducing overgeneralization.
Links That Aid Reading
Evidence
- Supporting text: “Every Qur’anic expression has a specific signification; therefore, it is not valid to treat it as synonymous with another.”
Location of the Evidence in the Book
- Book: Islam and the Human Being.
- Location: at the beginning of the book, within the introduction.
- Type of evidence: closely related textual witness.
- Marker aiding verification: the phrase “God, exalted is He, says.”
- Reading note: the passage concerns linguistic structure and the idea of distinguishing between significations. It provides close support for the idea that every Qur’anic expression has a distinct meaning.
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented.
- Meaning of the level: the atom rests on an explicit textual witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of reading: the formulation above is an analytical summary and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness has been transmitted verbatim.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional: it establishes a meaning or conceptual distinction on which Shahrur relies in developing the idea.
Note for the Reader
It works in concert with the atom denying synonymy and reinforces the same direction.