Formulation of the Claim
Islam moves from the position of the founding text to the position of the dominant political and social symbol.
Explanation
This shift is coupled with the declining centrality of the Qur’an in common discourse, and with the emergence of the word «Islam» as a unifying sign that exceeds direct textual reference.
In this context, the Islamic presence is no longer confined to the foundational text; rather, it becomes a framework for identity and for social and political expression, thereby changing the angle from which religion is viewed within the public sphere.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom appears within Arkoun’s critique of the transformation of founding concepts in modern consciousness, where his concern is to track how Islam is re-presented outside its original relation to the text, and how symbolic meaning comes to precede foundational reference. It converges with the book’s theses, which distinguish between historical Islam as a multiple experience and the reduced forms that shape its presence in public discourse.
Limits of the Claim
This formulation does not mean that the Qur’an disappears entirely from Islamic consciousness, nor does it describe all forms of religiosity in the same way; rather, it points to the predominance of the function of symbol over the function of reference at the level of common discourse.
Brief Evidence Passage
The text indicates Islam’s transition from the position of the founding text to the position of the dominant political and social symbol. This is associated with the declining centrality of the Qur’an in common discourse. The word «Islam» also becomes a unifying sign that exceeds direct textual reference.
Nearby Links
- the Qur’an
- Islam