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xxviintroductionlike-minded Muslims similarly opposed to Shahrur’s book, who initiateda series of publications that wanted to “set the record straight”. 27By 1993/94, it had become a matter of principle and urgency to jointhe debate. The circle of critics expanded from the group of Islamicscholars who had started the debate to other intellectual and socialgroups, now including linguists, 28 economists, 29 engineers, 30 lawyers, 31journalists, 32 and school and university teachers. 33 However, thepopularity of the book did not subside. On the contrary, its widespreadcirculation among young Muslims and the fact that in 1992the announcement of a (later cancelled) lecture by Shahrur atDamascus University attracted over 5,000 people rang alarm bellsamong the intellectual establishment. Thus, in 1994, M§hir Munajjidwrote a book against The Book and the Qur"an out of fear that it mightbecome the authoritative source for “a large group of people” whowould use it ideologically to justify their own non-Islamic lifestyle. 3427M§hir al-Munajjid, al-Ishk§liyya al-manhajiyya fÊ #Al-Kit§b wa’l-qur"§n’—Dir§sanaqdiyya (Methodological Problems in ‘The Book and the Qur"an’—A Critical Investigation),(Damascus/Beirut: D§r al-Fikr, 1994). See also his review “Mun§qashatal-ishk§liyya al-manhajiyya fi’l-Kit§b wa’l-Qur"§n,” #$lam al-Fikr (1993): 162.28Yåsuf al-‘ayd§wÊ, Bai·at al-dÊk: Naqd lughawÊ li-kit§b ‘al-Kit§b wa’l-qur"§n’ (TheEgg of a Rooster: A Linguistic Critique of the Book ‘The Book and the Qur"an’),(Damascus: al-Maãba#a al-Ta#§wunÊya, 1993); Nash"at MuÈammad Ri·§ Zhiby§n,Dh§k radd?!! #An qir§"a mu#§ßira li’l-kit§b wa’l-qur"§n (That Is a Refutation?!!—About theContemporary Reading of the Book and the Qur"an), (Damascus: D§r Qutayba,1992).29MuÈammad FarÊz ManfÊkhÊ, TaqwÊm #ilmÊ li-kit§b “ al-Kit§b wa’l-qur"§n” (A CriticalAssessment of the Book ‘The Book and the Qur"an’), (Beirut: D§r al-RashÊd,1993).30Ma"mån al-JawÊj§tÊ, al-Ußuß al-kh§sira li’l-qir§"a al-mu#§ßira (The Corrupt Foundationsof the ‘Contemporary Reading’), 2nd ed., (Limassol: Al-Jaffan & Al-Jabi,1993); Jaw§d Mås§ MuÈammad #Aff§na, al-Qur"§n wa-awh§m al-qir§"a al-mu#§ßira—Radd #ilmÊ sh§milÊ #al§ kit§b: ‘al-Kit§b wa’l-qur"§n: qir§"a mu#§ßira’ (The Qur"an and theDelusions of Contemporary Reading—A Comprehensive Critical Rejection of ‘TheBook and the Qur"an: A Contemporary Reading’), (Amman: D§r al-BashÊr, 1994).31AÈmad #Imr§n, al-Qir§"a al-mu#§ßira li’l-Qur"§n fi’l-mÊz§n (An Impartial Reviewof ‘The Contemporary Reading of the Qur"an’), (Beirut: D§r al-Naq§sh, 1995).32BashÊr #$nÊ, “MuÈammad ShaÈrår: Manhaj fi’l-qir§"a al-mu#§ßira,” (MuhammadShahrur: A Method in Contemporary Reading) Dir§s§t Ishtir§kiyya 164/65(1996): 46–54; Gh§zÊ al-Tawba, “Duktår ShaÈrår yulawwi a"n§q al-nußåß li’l-ajr§dghayr #ilmiyya wa-taftaqir il§’l-bar§"a,” (Dr. Shahrur Distorts the Texts Ignorantlyand with no Authority) al-Mujtama#, no. 1301 (May 26, 1998).33MunÊr MuÈammad •§hir al-Shaww§f, Tah§fut al-dir§s§t al-mu#§ßira fi’l-dawlawa’l-mujtama# (Refutation of Contemporary Studies on State and Society), (Beirut,1993), (Riy§dh: D§r al-Shaww§f, 1995), also published as: Tah§fut al-dir§s§t al-mu#§ßira(Limassol: D§r al-Shaww§f, 1994).34al-Munajjid, al-Ishk§liyya, 11.