Intended Meaning
Shahrur sees polygamy not as an open general ruling, but as a conditional solution specific to widows who have orphans He also links it to the fear of failing to act justly in caring for orphans, not merely to the desire for plurality Accordingly, for him the issue is tied to a specific social circumstance and to the requirement of equity
The Atom’s Structure in the Atlas
- Type of argument: legislative
- Argument movement: it links plurality to widows and orphans rather than to abstract desire.
- Key terms: plurality, widows, orphans.
- Degree of centrality: primary.
It defines the scope of plurality in a particular social situation, and makes it connected to protecting family vulnerability and to the requirement of equity, not to the unrestricted expression of individual desire.
Links to Help Reading
- Muhammad Shahrur Toward New Principles for Islamic Jurisprudence
- Women, Family, and Dress
- Divorce Is a Reciprocal Right and the Home Remains with the Wife
Grounds
- Supporting text: «He argues that polygamy is not a general authorization, but a conditional solution linked to widows with orphans, and to the fear of failing to be equitable in relation to orphans».
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 is not 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.
Related to
Editorial Note
The atom confines usage to a specific social context.