Formulation of the claim
The mawālī appear as an element that balances the influence of the Arab aristocracy within the social structure described by Arkoun.
Explanation
This presence is not presented as an isolated social detail, but as a sign of a broader configuration in which Arab and non-Arab groups coexist within the early Islamic sphere. Balance here is understood as an effect on the distribution of power and prestige, not as a mere numerical equality between groups.
Within this perspective, Arkoun turns his attention to actors whose significance is not confined to tribal or purely Arab affiliation, because their presence reveals that the Islamic sphere took shape through multiple social interconnections. The category of the mawālī thus becomes part of a historical reading of the structure, not a marginal addition to it.
Its place in the book’s argument
This atom falls within Arkoun’s interest in how the early Islamic society took shape and how positions were distributed within it between the Arab aristocracy and other groups. It supports his broader thesis that understanding Islamic history requires attention to social structures and representations, rather than relying solely on a direct political or doctrinal narrative.
Limits of the claim
This atom should not be taken as a definitive judgment on the position of the mawālī in all periods of Islamic history, nor turned into a fixed general rule outside the context in which it appears. Nor does it by itself explain all forms of social or political conflict.