What is Intended
In the author’s view, a report is what is narrated about a present, observed matter or about a detail known to the narrator Therefore, it is linked to direct witnessing and presence, not to the unseen In this way it is distinguished from the announcement, which appears in another context
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: definitional
- Movement of the argument: the report is referred back to observation and presence, not to the unseen.
- Key terms: report, observation, presence, announcement.
- Degree of centrality: central.
It sets a terminological boundary between two kinds of speech, classifying the report as linked to what is seen or directly known, and paving the way for distinguishing it from the announcement.
Links That Help With Reading
- Muhammad Shahrur al-Qasas al-Qur’ani vol. 1
- The contemporary reading methodology
- Report
- Announcement
Grounding
- Supporting text: «Report: what is narrated about an observed, present matter or a detailed matter known to the narrator».
Place of Grounding in the Book
- Book: The Qur’anic Narrative vol. 1.
- Location: in the middle section of the book
- Type of grounding: close witness.
- Sign that helps verification: the source of its credibility
- Reading note: this passage is suitable as evidence because it links the report to credibility and present knowledge, and it is close to the atom in terms of the core idea.
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented
- Meaning of the level: the atom rests on a clear witness close to the wording of the claim.
- Limits of reading: the wording above is an analytical summary, and is not treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is quoted textually.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional; it establishes a meaning or conceptual distinction on which Shahrur relies in building the idea.
Editorial Note
It is useful to connect it directly to the atom of the announcement so that the pair is completed.