Idea
This claim links the Qur’an’s appeal to the moment of recitation, that is, to the time when the text moves from written letters to heard sound. The effect here is not based only on mental meaning, but on rhythm, chant, and the aural presence that awakens attention. In this sense, the Qur’an becomes a text that lives in performance as much as it lives in understanding, and its force appears in the moment of direct reception.
Concise Formulation
The appeal of the Qur’anic text: appears at: recitation
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
The book employs this claim to show that Arkoun views the Qur’an as a text with a sensory life in the believing community, not merely as material for interpretation. That is why recitation occupies an important place in his argument: it reveals how attachment to the text is formed before theoretical analysis. This is consistent with his concern for the nature of religious reception and the way a text’s effect takes shape.
Why It Matters
The importance of this claim lies in the fact that it explains why the Qur’an remains powerfully present in the Islamic consciousness even outside specialized reading. Recitation brings the text close to hearing, memory, and the community. This helps us understand Arkoun when he links the sanctity of the text to the way it actually appears in everyday life.
Brief Evidence
”And the appeal of the Qur’anic text in recitation.” This phrase links the Qur’an’s appeal to the moment of recitation, that is, when the text moves from writing to sound. The effect here does not rest on mental meaning alone, but on rhythm, chant, and aural presence. Thus the Qur’an appears as a text that lives in performance as much as it lives in understanding.
Reading Questions
- Why is the Qur’an’s appeal more closely associated with the moment of recitation than with anything else?
- How does this understanding change our view of the text’s presence in religious life?
Documentation Level
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.