Intended Meaning
Shahrur holds that Paradise and Hell do not yet exist, and that their appearance will be in a new cosmos on the ruins of this cosmos. In this way, he separates the present reality from their eschatological existence.
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: Interpretive
- Argument movement: Paradise and Hell do not yet exist, and will appear in a new cosmos.
- Key terms: Paradise, Hell, the new cosmos, the Last Day.
- Centrality degree: Primary.
This atom redefines Paradise and Hell as eschatological realities that have not yet been realized. In doing so, it separates our present world from the coming world of requital.
Reading Aids
- Muhammad Shahrur: The Book and the Qur’an
- The Book, the Qur’an, and the Mother of the Book
- The Qur’an is guidance for all people
Grounding
- Supporting text: “He states that Paradise and Hell do not yet exist, and that they will appear in a new cosmos on the ruins of this cosmos.”
Place of Grounding in the Book
- Book: The Book and the Qur’an.
- Location: in the first section of the book
- Type of grounding: Near witness.
- Verification cue: they will exist on the ruins of this cosmos
- Reading note: This location is suitable as support because it explicitly states that Paradise and Hell will come into existence on the ruins of this cosmos, which is very close to the atom’s content.
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 reading: The wording above is an analytical summary, and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is quoted verbatim.
Function in the Book
Its function here is definitional; it fixes a meaning or conceptual distinction that Shahrur relies on in building the idea.
Related to
Editorial Note
This atom is central to Shahrur’s construction of the eschatological worldview.