Formulation of the Claim
Arkoun calls for redefining the concept of the marvelous and captivating so that it may be applied to the Qur’an.
Explanation
Arkoun holds that this concept should not remain within its traditional definition if it is to be used in reading the Qur’an. What is required is to regulate its meaning anew, so that it becomes a valid tool for understanding, not merely a ready-made description transferred as it stands.
This means that redefinition is not a verbal detail, but a step that affects the way the Qur’anic text is viewed. In this context, the concept should be understood within the horizon of analysis that Arkoun seeks, not as a prior judgment about the nature of the text.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom falls within Arkoun’s effort to dismantle inherited concepts and reexamine their validity when they are transferred into the domain of the Qur’an. It converges with his broader thesis, which distinguishes between the uses of the concept in tradition and the possibility of employing it more precisely within the critical reading he proposes.
It also reveals a methodological aspect of the book: Arkoun does not merely summon terms, but demands that they be recalibrated before being introduced into analysis. For this reason, this atom is connected to a series of conceptual revisions that precede any conclusion about the text.
Limits of the Claim
The atom does not indicate that Arkoun provided a final alternative definition of the marvelous and captivating, nor that it summarizes his entire project in this concept alone. It goes no further than affirming the need for redefinition in order to apply it to the Qur’an.