Intended Meaning
Shahrur distinguishes between istita’a and iṭāqa; istita’a is the capacity accompanied by exertion, and he considers the addition of the letter tāʾ to indicate an increase in effort. As for iṭāqa, it is the capacity to act while encompassing it, and therefore he does not equate it with istita’a.
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: definitional
- Movement of the argument: it distinguishes between istita’a and iṭāqa in terms of exertion and encompassing.
- Key terms: istita’a, iṭāqa, exertion, encompassing.
- Degree of centrality: central.
It scrutinizes the semantic difference between two closely related terms, so that obligation becomes tied to the limits of exerted capacity rather than to mere abstract possibility.
Links That Help with Reading
Basis
- Supporting text: «Istita’a: capacity with exertion, and the presence of the tāʾ indicates, in his view, an increase in exertion. Iṭāqa: the capacity to act and encompass it, and he makes it distinct from istita’a».
Related Verses
Place of the Basis in the Book
- Book: Islam and Faith.
- Location: in the final section of the book, within the explanation of the story of breaching and tunneling.
- Type of basis: nearby witness.
- Marker that helps verification: exertion and expended energy
- Reading note: this passage is suitable as evidence because the witness shows that the tāʾ came to indicate exertion and expended energy, and it supports the distinction between istita’a and iṭāqa.
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented
- Meaning of the level: the atom rests on an explicit witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of the reading: the formulation above is an analytical summary and is not treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is transmitted textually.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional; it sets a meaning or conceptual distinction that Shahrur relies on in building the idea.
Editorial Note
The linguistic distinction performs a legislative function.