Formulation of the Claim
In the Qur’an, the heart is a center of thought and knowledge that opens onto what exceeds the familiar.
Explanation
This claim means that the heart is not merely the seat of emotion, but has a cognitive function distinct from that of logical reason in the way it understands and receives. It is therefore presented as a horizon of knowledge that does not reduce the human being to calculation and demonstration.
This conception makes the heart a domain for attending to the wondrous and to what does not easily fall within ordinary measurement. In this sense, the heart is associated with openness to a meaning broader than direct rational apprehension.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom falls within Arkoun’s effort to broaden the understanding of the instruments of knowledge in the Qur’anic text, and not to confine them to a single model of reason. It supports his broader thesis that distinguishes between multiple levels of understanding within the Islamic tradition, and gives Qur’anic concepts their historical and epistemic weight rather than reducing them to later definitions.
Limits of the Claim
This atom should not be burdened with a final philosophical meaning for the heart, nor should it be taken as a comprehensive judgment on all uses of the term in the tradition. Nor does it imply equating the heart with reason or denying reason’s role; rather, it is limited to highlighting its open cognitive function in this context.