The Idea
This claim presents the idea that the collection of the Qur’anic text was not an immediate event coinciding with the revelation, but rather passed through a later stage in which it became established in the form of the muṣḥaf. The reference to the time of Uthman makes compilation part of the history of the text’s formation rather than merely an external detail about it. In this way, the transition from recitation to writing becomes a decisive moment in understanding how religious discourse was preserved and fixed.
Concise Formulation
The stage of Qur’anic compilation: came later: in the time of Uthman
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim lies at the heart of the argument that distinguishes between the text as it lived in the context of revelation and its written form, which stabilized later. Mentioning the Uthmanic period is not meant only as a historical account, but to highlight that the religious text entered, from an early stage, into a process of organization and consolidation. This is consistent with the book’s concern with tracing the formation of concepts and sources within Islamic history.
Why It Matters
The importance of this statement lies in the way it prompts the reader to view the Qur’an as a text with a history of reception and collection, not merely as a datum detached from time. This helps clarify Arkoun’s method in questioning historical assumptions about foundational texts, and in introducing the question of history into the reading of the Qur’an without denying its status.
Reading Questions
- How does linking compilation to the Uthmanic period change our understanding of the history of the muṣḥaf?
- What is the difference between viewing the Qur’an as a revealed text and viewing it as a text that was collected and stabilized in a later historical period?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear place in the book’s material.