Formulation of the claim
The Mother of the Book is understood as the supreme source to which the revealed books are referred.
Explanation
At this point in Arkoun’s thought, the Mother of the Book is not mentioned as a passing name, but as a reference to an originary level that precedes revelation and gives it meaning. It is associated with the idea of the Preserved Tablet, which makes the revealed book part of a broader system of supreme reference.
It follows from this that the revealed books are not read here as entirely separate texts, but as forms connected to a higher origin. In this sense, attention is focused on the relationship between origin and revelation, not on the doctrinal details surrounding the term.
Its place in the book’s argument
This atom belongs to the book’s effort to clarify how Qur’anic and theological concepts are formed in the Islamic sphere, and how they are used to establish a link between revelation and the supreme reference. It is close to the atoms that deal with the Preserved Tablet and the revealed books, because it moves within the same field that connects the divine source and the textual forms of its manifestation.
Limits of the claim
This atom should not be taken to mean more than a reference to the originary status of the revealed books and their relation to a higher reference, without extending into a detailed doctrinal construction or settling theological interpretations.