The Intended Meaning
Shahrur sees wine and gambling as belonging to the category of prohibition, not absolute prohibition. They are among the forbidden acts in which room is left for balancing harm and benefit, rather than for adopting the final ruling of prohibition on a par with the rest of the prohibited matters.
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: Distinctive
- Movement of the argument: It distinguishes between prohibition and absolute prohibition in wine and gambling.
- Key terms: wine, gambling, prohibition, absolute prohibition.
- Degree of centrality: Central.
It introduces a conceptual distinction within the sphere of prohibition, making some acts part of the domain of prohibition subject to balancing, not the sphere of absolute prohibition.
Links That Help with Reading
Reliance
- Supporting text: “Some prohibited matters are not absolute prohibition but a prohibition that leaves room for balancing harm and benefit, as in wine and gambling.”
The Reliance’s Location in the Book
- Book: Mother of the Book and Its Elaboration.
- Location: in the final section of the book
- Type of reliance: close witness.
- Marker that helps verification: a fixed part and a movable part
- Reading note: This passage is suitable as support because it situates rulings within the fixed and the variable and reinforces understanding prohibition within the scope of ijtihad.
Documentation Degree
- 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 formulation above is an analytical summary and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the witness is transmitted textually.
Its Function in the Book
Its function here is argumentative; it supports a larger conclusion in the chapter or prepares for it.
Editorial Note
This atom is important because it distinguishes between two degrees of religious discourse and does not stop at establishing prohibition.