Synthetic judgment
It emerges from the combination of the atoms that, in Arkoun, religious foundation rests on two unequal layers: a first origin that grants meaning and legitimacy, and a second source that completes the structure from within the origin, not from outside it.
What emerges from the combination of the atoms
The atom of the Qur’an as the first source of Islam makes the ordering among texts a structural rather than merely formal ordering, because precedence here is precedence in founding the religious field itself. The atom of the Sunna as a second foundational source adds a second layer of authority, but it comes after the Qur’anic origin and operates within its horizon rather than on an equal footing with it. As for the atom of the correspondence between the muṣḥaf and the word of God, it establishes for the Qur’anic text an authority that exceeds being a historical codex, because it is presented as corresponding to divine speech and as founding the norm. From the combination of these atoms, Islam appears here as a referential construction with a primary center and a foundational periphery, not as an overlapping of equivalent sources. Thus the synthesis moves from a mere Qur’an/Sunna duality to a foundational hierarchy that governs the meaning of source and following.
The logic of the synthesis
| Atom | Its role in the synthesis | What it adds to the relationship |
|---|---|---|
| The Qur’an as the first source of Islam | Establishes the supreme referential origin | Grants the structural ordering through which the remaining sources are understood |
| The Sunna as a second foundational source | Places the Sunna in a subsequent foundational rank | Prevents reducing religion to the Qur’an alone and prevents equating the two sources |
| Correspondence between the muṣḥaf and the word of God | Links the text to direct divine authority | Explains why the Qur’an takes precedence as a norm rather than as a mere text |
The argumentative function
This structure performs the function of founding and then regulating: it begins with the primary text to determine the structure of reference, then prevents any reading that dissolves the Sunna into the origin or places it on an equal footing with it, thereby setting the ordering of sources within the argument.
Bridges within the atlas
- It connects with structures in Mohammed Arkoun that address the authority of the text and the historicity of reception.
- It parallels other groupings that distinguish between the foundational source and historical explanation in Arkoun’s various works.
Atoms included
- The Qur’an as the first source of Islam
- The Sunna as a second foundational source
- Correspondence between the muṣḥaf and the word of God
Limits of the inference
This synthesis should not be turned into a denial of the Sunna’s role, nor into a complete equation among all forms of Islamic authority, nor into a reduction of the Qur’an’s authority to its historical dimension alone.