Agere No Acknowledgments Ineroducton “The Covenant Signs and precedents The sign of God 26 Precedent instr history The Suwon of God Rules, commands and reasons why Does God work fora purpose? $9 Rulebsed reasoning 61 The loge of commands 87 Commands the earliest revelations 70 Commands, commandments, and purpose 77 Legal agumens Recirociy and rcompente #4 Prony, egalence and lmtation 89 Distinction and exception 93 Aisle fe “nom rate” proofs 98 An excrss on performative tracer 10Swo Simuariey 110 Analogy 115 Parable 117 Ditfrence 131 Ineaity 139 Opposition 140 Categorical arguments Condon and dsjuneive arguments Conditional arguments 170, Dishnctve arguments 186 ‘echnical cms and debating tenique Notes Bibliography Indes 10 Qu Index 1 20s 230 as ACKNOWLEDGMENTS igh ie acknowledge my det of rate omy profesor of ‘Arabic and Islamic stn some sadly longer wh wy eho sustained me through the long student year Prolsoes Nowry lhaledy, Peter Abboud, Nicholas Hee Farhat Zadeh, Pere Mackay, Marina Tolmacheva, Jere Bacharach, Walter Andrews, and George Makai, 1 thank my collegues in the Sothens® Regional Midile Ese and Islamic Seaies Seminar (SERMEISS), the Ameccan Oreatal Socen and the Amencan Aeademy of Religion (Stody of Iam ‘Seton for litening to and commenting upon inal peetations ‘of some of the ideas presented inthis dy Thane my collage atthe University of Tenneste, hacia ‘Thomas Barman and theoician Robert Glan, for reading sd commenting upon a dt of the bok, as I hark the anonymous readers to whem the publisher submited | thank lpian John [Nat for tswering my sporadic quemons abou mares flops, st leas ence graciously sliging fom his hcjle to ponder 3 Parcalry odd query Mistakes and onions are esely my ows. Thank UT ‘colleague David. Dungan and: Khalid Yahya Blankenship for she rp books ache ight time Teak te Departnen of Religion roe tthe University of Tennesse fr spiy of ranging peso research semester for is focal, ab T thank my colegucs inthe Geparene for thet ‘ppor and encouragement Thank the editor thi sees, Andrew Ripa, forbs expertise In Qurnie studies. Hie romp and thougheslasecance sled ‘my editorial problems while preserving my own pariclar pproach ro the scholarly iss, "And | thank ny dear busand Robert or strength, companion ship, mos omaputer suppor, and jazzINTRODUCTION ‘Toyard the end of his ong prea cetent, Aba Hamid a-ha (45057111) composed eatin which he extracted fon the {Qurin five “scales” that would enable the believer infliy 10 decnguih divine wuth from falehood. Together chee scales onset “the Just Balance agit a-mastagis, menied ia {Qurin 1735 and 26182, the inrument of known weights and impeccable provenance “that i beter and fier in the fal ‘deena (Q 1738). Ghai book lo ented ah Qi la Mastagim, and the Bre “eas are fie lial yllogems. (Ghazal had consol grared what most oes bad: hat the Quin dos or present Content a elevideny scant tue frames ie in pater of argument t0 show just bow tht material engages the heaet nd the reer ~ ow be o she 0 Ponder it andesand iran scr upon t-Ghanl demonstrated he the ofthe “scales” by recasting appropriate Que pasapes nto Inference schemas, 8 technique thst not only produces formally ‘ald arguments bot adheres more closely oth ee than do many Works of Quine exegen air). The pencils of reasoning, ‘planation and jastcauon are part of the ligt hae he (Quen presente ae charsctertic of Gods creation. The vey fact, that so much of the Quen in the fem of arguments show 0 ‘what extent urna Beings ae perceived as needing reason for ‘heir scons and being capable of altering their conduct by ‘ronal choice when presented with an alternative of demonstrated Soper. Choice inevitable, bot iis the wisdom and order bu inco cretion that ake choice at once s necessary and 4 reaingl a nape by Ghar short esti, the present wook i longer and much more dealed analyse of Que argument. The text ‘the Quin, osely examined, yields more than thi vrieies of