What is Meant
Shahrur argues that scholars fall within the meaning of the witnesses, because they bear witness to things through knowledge and examination and provide material and rational testimony about them For him, they are at the forefront of the witnesses because their discoveries reveal the secrets of nature and provide evidence for the truth of the message and prophethood Thus, their testimony becomes part of establishing proofs for religious and scientific truths
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: Interpretive
- Movement of the argument: Expands the meaning of witness-bearing to include people of knowledge and scholarship.
- Key terms: scholars, witnesses, knowledge, examination, proofs.
- Degree of centrality: Central.
This atom links knowledge and witness-bearing, and gives the scholar an interpretive function within religion, so that the reader understands that science here is not outside faith but one of the tools of its clarification.
Links to help with reading
Basis
- Supporting text: «ﻷنّ ﻣﻌﻨﻰ اﻟﺸﮭﯿﺪ ﻛﻤﺎ رأﯾﻨﺎ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﺎ ھﻮ ﻛﻞّ ﻣﻦ ﺷﮭﺪ أﻣﺮاً وأدﻟﻰ ﺑﺸﮭﺎدﺗﮫ ﻓﯿﮫ، ﻟﺬﻟﻚ ﻧﺠﺪ أنّ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء ھﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ رأس اﻟﺸﮭﺪاء ﻓﻲ ﻛﻞّ اﻟﻌﺼﻮر ﻷﻧﮭﻢ ﯾﻜﺘﺸﻔﻮن أﺳﺮار اﻟﻄﺒﯿﻌﺔ وﯾﻘﺪّﻣﻮن ﺷﮭﺎداﺗﮭﻢ ﻋﻠﯿﮭﺎ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﯿﺔ وﺣﻀﻮرﯾﺔ. وﻧﺤﻦ اﻟﯿﻮم ﺑﺄﻣﺲّ اﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻋﻠﻤﺎء ﯾﻘﺪّﻣﻮن ﺷﮭﺎدﺗﮭﻢ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗُﻌﺪّ ﺑﻤﺜﺎﺑﺔ اﻷدﻟﺔ اﻟﻤﺎدّﯾﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺼﺪاﻗﯿﺔ ﻧﺒﻮّة ﻣﺤﻤّﺪ )ص(، اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻈﮭﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺗﺄوﯾﻞ آﯾﺎت اﻟﻘﺮآن ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻨﺰﯾﻞ اﻟﺤﻜﯿﻢ، وھﺬه اﻷدﻟﺔ ﻣﺘﻨﻮّﻋﺔ ﻗﺪ ﺗﻜﻮن: ﻛﻮﻧﯿﺔ، ﺗﺎرﯾﺨﯿﺔ، ﻋﻠﻤﯿﺔ، ﺗﺸﺮﯾﻌﯿﺔ اﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﯿﺔ. ﺑﮭﺬا وﺣﺪه ﻧﺼﺒﺢ ﺷﮭﺪاء ﻋﻠﻰ».
Location of the basis in the book
- Book: Islam and Faith.
- Location: in the middle section of the book
- Type of basis: Close witness.
- Marker that helps verification: scholars are at the forefront of the witnesses
- Reading note: It works as support because it places scholars in the position of witnesses by virtue of the knowledge-based testimony they provide about truths.
Degree of documentation
- Level: Structurally documented
- Meaning of the level: The atom rests on more than one witness or on a clear composition of closely related phrases.
- Reason for classification: The witnesses explicitly state that scholars are at the forefront of the witnesses and provide knowledge-based testimony.
- Limits of reading: The formulation above is an analytical summary, and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is quoted word for word.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is argumentative; it supports a larger conclusion in the chapter or prepares for it.
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Editorial Note
The atom establishes a relationship between knowledge and religious truth.