The Idea
This claim states that Islamic consciousness established a complete correspondence between the written muṣḥaf and the Word of God, to the point that the Qur’anic text came to be understood as the divine meaning itself in its literal form. In this way, the muṣḥaf goes beyond being a vessel for discourse to become an object of absolute sanctification. Here emerges Arkoun’s sensitivity to reducing the relation to the text to a closed unity that blocks historical or critical questioning.
Concise Formulation
Islamic consciousness ← establishes an identity between the written muṣḥaf and the Word of God itself
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim appears at the heart of the book’s argument, which distinguishes between the text as it has come down through historical circulation and the status later granted to it by the community. Pointing to this correspondence explains how textual authority was formed and how discussion of it became difficult. From here, the muṣḥaf shifts from being an object of reading to a foundational point for understanding contemporary Islam’s relation to its heritage and its standards.
Why It Matters
The importance of this statement lies in the fact that it reveals one of the main reasons criticism is so difficult in the Islamic sphere: the conflation of the Word of God on the one hand, and its written form and human reception on the other. Understanding this point is essential for understanding Arkoun, because he seeks to open a space for thinking about the text without touching faith, while deconstructing the sanctity that history added to the mechanisms of reception.
Brief Evidence
Islamic consciousness entrenched a correspondence between the written muṣḥaf and the Word of God itself. The Qur’anic text was understood not merely as a vessel for discourse, but as the divine meaning in its literal form. Here Arkoun’s sensitivity to closing off the question of the text becomes clear.
Reading Questions
- What difference does it make, in understanding the religious text, to distinguish between the Word of God and the written muṣḥaf?
- How does this correspondence explain the resistance that criticism encounters within Islamic culture?
Level of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.