Meaning
The author maintains that accusing woman of being the source of the original sin is not established in the Wise Revelation. He argues that this conception entered the exegetical works from the Torah narrative and the Isra’iliyyat, rather than from the Qur’anic text itself.
Atom Structure in the Atlas
- Argument type: critical.
- Argument movement: It denies that attributing sin to woman is original and traces it back to external exegetical infiltration.
- Central terms: woman, original sin, exegetical works, Isra’iliyyat.
- Degree of centrality: central.
This atom disentangles a traditional association that entrenched a negative image of woman and traces its root to extraneous exegetical sources, thereby opening the way for a textual reading that places less original responsibility upon woman.
Links That Aid Reading
- Muhammad Shahrur: Toward New Foundations for Islamic Jurisprudence
- Woman, Family, and Dress
- Isra’iliyyat
- Distinguishing the Station of Messengerhood from the Station of Prophethood
Evidence
- Supporting text: “He maintains that accusing woman of the original sin is not established in the Wise Revelation; rather, it seeped from the Torah narrative and the Isra’iliyyat into the exegetical works.”
Degree of Documentation
- Level: directly documented.
- Meaning of the level: The atom rests on explicit evidence closely corresponding to the formulation of the claim.
- Limits of reading: The wording above is an analytical summary and should not be treated as a verbatim quotation unless the evidence is cited word for word.
Function in the Book
Its function here is declarative: it establishes a conclusion on which the subsequent course of the argument relies.
Related to
Note to the Reader
The point is to critique the exegetical source, not to declare hostility toward the entire tradition.