The Idea
This claim argues that the Qur’an performs a function that goes beyond purely spiritual guidance, insofar as it is mobilized to grant legitimacy to emerging states after independence. The point here is not that the text becomes a direct political instrument, but that its presence in the public sphere is used to support new authority and confer symbolic acceptance on it. In this way, religion becomes part of the construction of modern legitimacy.
Concise Formulation
The Qur’an ← grants legitimacy to emerging states after independence
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This statement serves the book’s line of argument by linking the sacred text to the political and social realities of the modern Arab world. It shows that the relationship between religion and the state is neither external nor incidental, but lies at the heart of shaping the public sphere. It therefore supports the book’s critique of the mechanisms by which the sacred is instrumentalized in the construction of power, rather than being treated only as a devotional reference.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in the fact that it reveals one aspect of the ambiguous relationship between religious text and the building of the modern state. Arkoun’s reading is incomplete without noticing how religious symbols are used to produce political acceptance. This claim helps read religion within a living social context, and makes the question of legitimacy an intellectual question, not merely a political one.
Brief Evidence
This evidence passage indicates that the Qur’an is not invoked only as a text of spiritual guidance, but is also mobilized to grant legitimacy to emerging states after independence. Its presence in the public sphere helps support new authority and confer symbolic acceptance on it. In this way, religion becomes part of the construction of political and social legitimacy.
Reading Questions
- How does the sacred text become a source of legitimacy in the public sphere?
- Does this mean that religion loses its meaning, or that its meaning is redirected within the modern state?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.