M OHAMMED ARKOUN’S THOUGHT ON METHODOLOGY OF INTERPRETING THE QUR’AN

This article explores Arkoun's thoughts on the Qur'an and its Methodology of Interpretation. In Arkoun's view, revelation as a guide for humankind must not only be treated as something sacred, but it appears for the benefit of humanity as well. For Arkoun, a revelation manifested into mush ā f must be studied with a modern approach using multidisciplinary sciences. So, we can reveal the substance of the message to the fullest. But the most important thing is that the meaning of revelation should not be followed or framed by ideological and political interests or other profane interests, which will reduce revelation to a kind of justification or legitimacy. Arkoun put forward in his interpretation methodology the following approach: first, Linguistic-Semiotic and Literary Interpretation. He wanted to explore the meaning of the Qur'an by explaining each word and the syntactic structure of the Qur'an. The Qur'an consists of signs and symbols which can be analyzed semiotically to reach the most profound meaning and far from an ideological point of view. Second, Historical-Anthropological Interpretation. This approach introduces the Koran as part of the history of life. Then, to understand the Qur'an well, the exegete must realize that the Qur'an contains many stories behind the process of its revelation. Arkoun realized that this method was clear to challenge all sacred and transcendental interpretations produced by traditional theological reasoning. Third, Theological-Religious Interpretation. It is used as a last resort for reading the Qur'an. Arkoun points to two essential characteristics of this approach. First, all kinds of faith-oriented reading come under a "dogmatic cage." Second, early monumental commentaries contributed to the historical development of "living traditions."


Background of The Study
The Quran always becomes exciting object of study to exlpored in every time. It has been giving many inspirations to human being (either muslim or non-muslim) to create new idea. Various approaches and methodologies are used to understand and to study it which subsequently bear Quranic and interpretation sciences in the same time.
What makes Quran looks very extraordinary is its language arrangement enchant and bear understandable meanings as well for every one although the understanding will be different based on all sort of factors. 1 Therefore, the interpretation of Quranic verses brings out not in single understanding. Exegesis books, consequently, emerge from the hands of scholars since olden till today have variety of interpretation colors, in accordance with methodology or approach they used.
Quranic study and interpretation methodology actually undergo significant enough of development, along with development acceleration of social-culture 1 Quraish Shihab, "Membumikan" Alquran: condition and human civilization since descending of Quran until this time. This is logical consequence of the existence of human wish to create any dialogue between Quran as limited text and the development of humanity social problem as unlimited context. 2 So, the limited Quranic text is not truth claim justification for an understanding in theology as well as jurisprudence, because as Ali Harb remarks that text is not a mirror of reality, but it revolves between what is happening and what will probably happen. 3 Quran as a text does not change, but the interpretation of the text may change in accordance with time and space context of human. It brings scholars to analyze, to understand, and to interpret by different methodologies and approaches for the sake of unfastening its real substance. These tools are submitted as way to unravel deepest meaning of the Quran. 4 It has been familiar in the sight of Quranic learner about adage that says Quranic text is like a bedug. 5 The interpreters make "bedug" sounded and reverberate. Thus, each approach 3 Ali Harb, Kritik Nalar Alquran, trans. M. Faisol Fatawi, (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2003), p. 9 4 Umar Shihab, Kontektualitas Alquran: Kajian Temamtik atas Ayat-ayat Hukum dalam Alquran, (Jakarta: Penamadani, 1998), p. 3 5 Bedug is a tool hit as a sign of calling prayer. and methodology are used "to hit the bedug" here. Such attempt has no purpose but to understand the holy Quran and to actualize it into daily life. To realize the attempt, one holds on textual understanding in the early appearance of that holy text while others attempt to adjust the understanding to the exchanging context of the time, and to form unpopular method in the past. 6 It is almost similar to Munzir Hatami, Abdullah Saeed clasify among Muslims in the modern period in relation to the interpretation to the Quran into three approaches: Textualist,  Those approaches to Quran reflect serious attention of moslem scholars to understand the Holy Book well. The existence of these different ways cause many problems but those differences make different interpretations which bear different understanding as well as actualization of Quranic text. That is why moslems from past to present do not stand on one word in performing their religious teaching.
So, it is not surprised if Abdullah Darraz, an Egyptian scholar, recognized that when we read the Quran, we probably textually understand the meaning clearly. But when we read it again, we may find the different meaning of a word or a sentence which all can be probably right. This is, Darraz continues, because of Quranic verses are like diamond. Every angle of it reflects different light from other angles. So, it is not impossible if one who sees from an angel will have different light reflection from other people in different angle. 8 Therefore, there can be as many reading as the number of readers or even more reading than the number of the readers as they can deploy In Islamic and Quranic study, there is a well-known group named as posttraditionalism. This attempts to criticize and to deconstruct view and credo coming from traditionalism and applies a postmodern methodology. This group is signed by emerging of Islamic reformer figures from Indian such as Iqbal, Amir Ali, and Ahmad Khan. Other intelectuals group appear then like Hasan Hanafi, Muhammad Imarah, Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid, Mohammed Arkoun, and the others who continue and develop the previous criticism thinking. 10 The rigid traditional dimensions could be liquefied only by doconstructing attempt of what has been established. This does "direct jabbing" to religious entity in totality, especially to holy book as a source of systematization of faith. This group efforts to use linguistic approach of pascamodernism in relation with history, historical psychology, sociology, and antropology which are not well known by previous scholars. 11 Application of modern linguistic approach in interpreting the Quran, which is harmonized to the last advancement of this subject, is used by outstanding Algerian, Mohammed Arkoun, a proffesor of Sorbonne University in Paris. Although he did not write a specific book of interpreting, in his numerous articles, he applied semiotic approach or the very lastest semiology -which analize the object of study as a collection or a system of a number of signs that intterrelate according to certain rules -in interpreting certain verses and terms of the Quran. 12 Reading the Quran in contemporary era requires a new more relevant interpretation to nowadays situation. For Arkoun, therefore, the primordial problem must be solved by actual representation of Quran is to know how do we read this Book today? Should we collect every great opus to revive all sort of meanings which not appear in our daily life? Is it possible for someone to reach the one of conceptual analysis framework and narrow Word of God as a plain document read by philologist and interesting in thinking hirstorian? Has it to be considered that the Quran is only for Muslims, at least non-Muslims will open it in simpatico and tolerantly without caring any terms mentioned poignantly about them? 13 Those several questions submitted by Arkoun in one of his articel, Comment Lire du Coran, compiled in his book, Lectures du Coran.
Arkoun's thought about Quran is related to his thought about the relationship between turats (tradition) and modernity. Reading turats means reading texts, all kind of texts. According to him, one of the objective in reading a text, particularly holy text, is to appreaciate that text in the middle of eternity of change. In other word, religious teachings that come from the Holy Text must conform in all conditions. That is one of core message of Islamic teaching; al-Islam yashluh li kulli zaman wa makan. The harmonization, therefore, between tradition and modernity must be committed through newest method.
By this view, Arkoun is subsumed to reformistic typology, in contemporary arabic thought discourse, who has reformation project in new more alive and more compatible 12 Taufik Adnan Kamal, Rekonstuksi Sejarah Alquran, (Yogyakarta: Forum Kajian Budaya dan Agama, 2001) p. 364 13 Mohammed Arkoun, Kajian Kontemporer Alquran, trans. Hidayatullah, (Bandung: Pustaka, 1998), p. 45 interpretations to the contemporary era. So, this tipology has tendency to believe that both turats and modernity are good. 14 To know Arkoun's thought much deeper about Quran and its interpretation, it requires special study. The writer, therefore, is interested in studying the Quran and its interpretation on perspective of Mohammed Arkoun. This study is exited because as contemporary thinker who wanted to batter down what has been established in the past, Arkoun will not free from critics and blasphemy, either from his admirror or his opposite.

Biography of Mohammed Arkoun
Mohammed Arkoun was one of the most prominent and influential figures in Islamic Studies. He was born on 1 February 1928 in Taourirt-Mimoun, Kabilia, a mountain range of Berber territory in East Aljir. This situation leads him since his childhood to three languages; Kabilia language, one of Berber language inherited by North Africa since pre-Islam and pre-Roman time; Arabic brought by Islamic expansion since the first century of Hijri; French, brought by colonial which conquer Algeria between 1830 and 1962. 15 Kabilia teritory consits of Big Kabilia and Small Kabilia. Inhabitant lives from agriculture (Fig and olive Islam Paramadina, v.I, no. 1, July-December 1998, p. 63 of Tariq bin Ziyad. In later development -like Khawarij-they rebelled against Bani Abbas. Because of this rebellion, Bani Abbas was divided into several dynasties, like Aglabid Dynasti, Moravit, and Almohad. These dynasties underwent power degradation in the last of 13th century and subsequently shattered thoroughly. 17 In Social-cultural point of view, Kabilian people actually are illiterate. They knew nothing but oral language. Algeria -when Arkoun was born and grown up-was under France dominance. 18 In this subjugated territory, France promoted agriculture settlement specially dedicated for French. They lived in districts -on their views-have belonged to them legally. The district they live in usually is was taken from the hands of land owners who rebel, or a district from reclamation result. 19 French in general, did want to destroy moslem people. Moslem people even were given special rights in line with French them self. But this happened if they were ready to accept kinship law of French as well as ready to leave kinship law of Islam which based on syariah rule. For French, this regulation was small sacrifice of Moslems against worn out believe, which will be rejected by blind prejudice. But, Moslems, even they who were educated in french school, seldom choose be a French -in mean leave kinship law of Islam,-Although culturally they were really "French". 20 In this condition, Arkoun's position, that was educated in culture and education system of French, can be placed proportionally. 21 As a Kabilian born-child, Arkoun recognized well the illiteracy of Kabilia. As Algerian, Arkoun knew Arabic well as well as French as educated people. In other words, those languages represented three traditions and different culture orientation. Kabilia language was a tool to convey all kinds of traditions and guide value related to social and economic life which exist since thousands years ago. Arabic was expression tool and perpetuation of tradition in religioun which linked Algeria to other regions and nations in North Africa and Middle East. French was goverment language and medium for western values and traditions delivered throught French schools which established by colonialist in quite big number in Kabilia. 22 Because Arkoun lived among these three languages, he got awareness that language was more than technical medium to express self, that can be changed to another language without any problems. Each language has own valuable background. As ilustration, in Arkoun's view, arabic is religious language, while French is administration and education language. 23 He passed away in Paris on 14 September 2010. In a career of more than 30 years, he was an outstanding research scholar, a searching critic of the theoretical tensions embedded in the field of Islamic Studies, and a courageous public intellectual, carrying the banner of an often embattled Islamic modernism and humanism. Arkoun's education will lead his intercourse to many languages and thought tradition, primarily Islamic tradition, mostly expressed in arabic, and Western tradition, which specially devoloped in French and France. He took his primary school in his native village, Kabilia, and his high school in Oran. Since 1950Since -1954, he studied Arabic literary in University of Aljir, while he was teaching Arabic on one of high school in outskirt of Capital of Algeria, 24 namely in  In the middle of liberation war of Algeria from France (1954)(1955)(1956)(1957)(1958)(1959)(1960)(1961)(1962), he registered as student of university in Paris. Since that time, he lived in France. But he never changed his prime field of study and research: Arabic language and literary and more islamic thinking. 26 In further development, he focus his attention intencity on islamic thinking much more than before. Prominent characteristic of Arkoun's thought, therefore, is special combining between western and Islam. Incorporation effort of both substances is extremely his dream and be a baground of his works and programs. 27 Arkoun took his last formal education and reached doctoral degree in Literary field in 1969 from Sorbonne University in Paris under disertation about humanism according to ethical thinking of Miskawaih, a Moslem Persian thinker since the last 10 century till 11 century (d. 1030). 28 As he began to consider how one might rethink Islam in the contemporary world, his sophisticated questioning provided a welcome counterpoint to the highly ideological interpretations that dominated debate in both the Muslim world and the non-Muslim West. This prompted Arkoun to consider ways to adapt modern scientific and scholarly thought to Islam in the twentiethcentury. He promoted this critical approach as editor of the journal Arabica, serving also as its science editor. He influenced the way Englishlanguage scholars viewed Islam, urging them to depart from the dichotomy of Orientalism versus Occidentialism to adopt an epistemological approach to the study of cultures.
As scholar who focuses on language field, Arkoun's view about language, in the early phase comes from self experience, but then supported by several contemporary studies on languege through the opus of western scientist, philosophs, antrophologist, and teologist. We can understand, therefore, why most prime term of Arkoun's study related to language. Nevertheless, various terms that Arkoun explicates, finally, bring us to one purpose, that is how to combine diverse different thinking ways. 29 When he was a student of university in Paris, Arkoun ever worked as a member of Arabic language and literary. He was also a teacher in an high school in Strasbourg, a dicstrict located in east of France. Beside that, he was also asked to give a lecture at Literary faculty of Strasbourg University (1956)(1957)(1958)(1959) In several verses, revelation has all sort of meanings in accordance with the context. In Quran , the word waḥy and its derivation mentioned in sixty one places. From such sixty one places, Quran gives different meanings. As it means giving inspiration to human in Q.S. Qasas: 7 mentioned above, giving sign or code in Q.S. Maryam: 11, writing something down mentioned in Q.S. al-An'am:112, and even nature meaning of revelation means giving bad information, as written in Q.S. al-An'am: 121.
In its verses, Quran uses the word waḥy (revelation), consistently, as giving inspiration, code, whisper, or common information, if the object is not a prophet. Conversely, waḥy means the sacred words of Allah the Almighty delivered in hidden via an angel as sign of prophethood, if the object is a messenger, as mentioned in Q.S. al-Anbiya: 25, Q.S. Yunus: 109, and so forth. 39 From previous explanation, we can say that the meaning of revelation cannot be seen in one side of coin, because literal meaning cannot give real sense of that word yet. All we can do is to understand its etimology and syari'ah sense. Understanding both of them will produce whole comprehension and not dichotomy. This can be looked, for instance, from the basic meaning of revelation, that means giving information in hidden and writing something down. This both meanings, in fact, adhere in syar'i sense of Quranic revelation. So, it means that Quran is recitation, but it does not mean there no same meaning with Quran as a text. It also means something written, so that Quran named as al-Kitāb. Therefore, according to Malik Ben Ali, waḥy (revelation) should be taken to mean a spontaneous and absolute knowledge of an object not conceived or even conceivable. 40 When receiving the revelation, Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. did not receive it in a written form or a book, but he received verses by recitation. Conforming to its literal meaning, after the Messenger grasped the revelation and taught it to the companions and they memorized it, the memorized revelation then written down on stem of dates and bone. Although the revelation delivered orally, Quran , consistently, named it as al-Kitāb (the written Book). The care of Quranic revelation, therefore, used two media, memorizing and assisted by writing, as it will be explained later. It means, there is no different content between revelation delivered orally during the prophethood from revelation written down in text.
Many verses refer to the revelation as a qawl, which may be translated as 'saying', 'word' or 'words' that are 'said', 'communicated' and then 'heard'. These and similar verses indicate that the Quran is primarily spoken word coming from God. There are also several verses that indicate that, during the time of the Prophet, the Quran came to be conceived of as 'scripture', not just spoken word. It thus became a book a scripture much like the earlier scriptures given to prophets before Muhammad. 41 The descent (tanzīl) process of revelation has three kinds of ways. The first, 40  The first thing we have to pay attention more in understanding Arkoun's thought is his standpoint or notion of revelation. This is important because the concept of revelation that Arkoun proposes has strictly difference from other thinkers and scholars' opinion. That is why, Arkoun got many responses and critiques.
The Islamic conception of revelation is called tanzīl ("descent"), a fundamental metaphor for the vertical gaze human beings are invited to cast toward God, trancendence. 45 Arkoun said that revelation has three levels. Revelation in Quran , firstly is the result of linguistic verification. Syntax structure, in Quranic discourse semiotic supplies a communication space which articulated totally to express the notion and the content of the revelation. 46 Arkoun views the covabulary of revelation used by the Quran itself is difficult to translate into our desacralized languages, cut off from the system of coontations relcant to religious discourse in the semitic languages. 47 Therefore, when Arkoun quoted about revelation in Quran , he did not want to translate the term of "waḥy". Like sura 42: 51: Man is not of a dignity such that God speaks to him other than by means of waḥy or from behind a veil or by sending him a messenger who, with the permission of God, communicates the waḥy that God wants to give him. God is Transcendent and Wise." Acording to Izutsu, revelation means that God 'spoke', that He revealed Himself through language, and that not in some mysterious non-human language but in a clear, humanly understandable language. This is the initial and most decisive fact. Without act on the part of God, there would have been no true religion on earth according to Islamic understanding of the word religion. 48 Arkoun remarks that analysis of the levels of revelation as mentioned above is not careless and vilification deed which done only by "unbeliever". But "the believer" is really hoped to do this effort because he has to develop 46  the honour with full of morality consideration on word of Allah more than "unbeliever". 49 Such classification, for Arkoun, implies the contradiction between who knows and does not know.
On the first level of revelation, word of Allah is "kept" in Archtype of the Book, transcendent, replete with wisdom, and kept in the presence of God. 50 In this meaning, revelation written in Quran , New and Old Testament or revealed to other apostles are piece or part of that unlimited word of Allah. 51 As it is presupposed in Sura Lukman (31): 27: And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in power, full of wisdom." On second level of revelation, it happened only once, cannot be repeated, and we cannot undergo it again. More than it, according to Arkoun, the utterance of the revelation cannot be known again whether it is exactly as same as today or not. But, the revelation obviously has been framed in history that is not separated from factors which accompany it, ideology, culture, and so forth. 52 On this level, pieces of word of Allah, linguistically, are articulated in Hebrew (AlKitāb), Aramec (Isa's As for second level, Arkoun tries toward a comparative theology of revelation. Whereas Jews and Muslims concur compfortably that God reveals his will to human beings via the mediation of pophets (with the difference that Muslim recognize all the prophets of Israel, while the jwes have always refused t accord Muhammad this status), Christians stake claim irreducibly different from the Judeo-Islamic position: Jesus Christ, they say, is the Word of God become flesh. He is the incarnation of God, the son of God to live among men in order to communicate directly, without the mediation of an angel or a prophet, the Divine Word. In this conception, the New Testament is only an account of what the disciples heard and remembered of the teaching of the Son of God, speaking in the name of the Father. 54 Related to Quran indicates to muṣḥaf, Arkoun prefer to use term of Closed Official Corpus according to procedures developed and supervised by scholars: official because they resulted from a set of decisions taken by "authorities" recognized by the community; closed because nobody was permitted any longer to add or subtract a word, to modify a reading in the Corpus now declared authentic. 55 The expression of closed official corpus ilustrates generally researchs and methods of philolog and linguist. Corpus defined as a great unit of texts compiled in one volume of book; linguistic testing on these texts exposes a various discourses. 56 After Quranic discourse tranformed into form of closed official corpus, so, according to Arkoun, this corpus factually has three fundamental implications: a) Quranic discourse, which in its first time pronounced and used as a oral discourse, now becomes a text. This transformation will lead to amount of radical change that linguistic and semiotic science must take into account; b) the characteristic of sacred of the text expanded to the Book as material medium and tool for "revelation"; and c) that Book as cultural instrument will be basic for another fundamental change in societies of Book, namely the devoloping of role and, finally, cultural domination of educated-written on people-oral. This domination related to state which will develop a need on official archives and historiography. 58 Because of Quranic discourse, linguistically, has become a text, so it turns to be final, limited, and open corpus of arabic utterance that we cannot have any entrance to it except through a text which its written form standardised after 4th/10th century. All such standardised texts are treaten as an opus. 59 In other words, the text exist among us is result of enunciation action. We, consequently, cannot have an access to word of Allah in the first level but via this text. 60  closed official corpus becomes "holy Book", which means that it is purified through a set of ritual, strategies, and interpretation methods related to many real political, social, and cultural situations and known or unknownable. 61

b. Quran and Exegesis
After simple explanation above about levels of revelation, in this discussion we will talk the third level of revelation much deeper, that is closed official corpus known well as Quran manifested in muṣḥaf ut} māni. Although in fact, between one level and another one has relation cannot be separated one and another. This is due to vividly all levels are revelation, word of God.
The Quran strongly denies that it is the speech or ideas of the Prophet or, indeed, of any other human. It also asserts that the revelation came directly from God and in Arabic so that it could be without human induced errors or inaccuaracies. 62 Therefore, for the Quran itself, and consequently for the Muslim, the Quran is the word of God. Not only does the word Quran , meaning 'recitation', clearly indicate this, but the text of the Quran itself states in several places that the Quran is verbally revealed and not merely in its meaning and ideas. 63 The Quran was revealed in Arabic because of Muhammad is arabian. Many references in the Quran indicate that it was revealed in arabic, not in a mysterious code or in a tongue unknown to the Prophet: "We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran ." 64 Zamakhshari commented on this verse, as Gatje quoted, that we have sent it down to you as something that is composed in your own language or can be recited in your own language, so that you will be able to understand it and grasp its meanings; or, that you will employ your intellect and (through it) discover that the account, out of the mouth of a man like this who could not produce a (comparable) account (previously), is a matchless miracle which one can conceive only as having been revealed. 65 As an obeserver and scholar of Arabic literary, Arkoun exactly knows well arabic. To understand Quran, knowing well the arabic is absolutely important for everyone who studies Quran and its interpretation. This is because, Islam has taken Quran as prime and first guidance in its teachings.

In latin, Quran named Alcoranus. In old
English called "al-Coran", and Germany is "Koran", while French looks prefer "Coran". This name is for whole content of the Book, not just a part of revealed text. 66 In origin this word is a generic noun which is applicable to the whole as well as to a part of it. It then became predominant as a proper name referreing to the whole. 67 Literally, the word Quran either from the word qara'a or qarana, all mean "collection". As it is narrated in Q.S. al-Qiyamah: 17. 68 Therefore, the naming of "Quran " as revelation sent down to Prophet Muhammad because the collection commandement and prohibition, promise and threat, story, verse (ayah), chapter ( "Don't move your tongue to recite (the Qur'an) as if you wanted to hurry with the enunciation. It falls to us to put it together and proclaim it (qura'anahu); and when we have proclaimed it, to recite it faithfully; then it is our task to make it clear." Orientalist philologists suggest that the word Quran has Syriac or Hebraic origins, but this observation does not modify the meaning required by the Quranic context itself. The principal idea, according to Arkoun, is that of a recitation conforming to a discourse that is heard, not read. That is why he prefer to speak of Quranic discourse and not of text in the initial phase of enunciation by the prophet. 71 Quran is the word of Allah and retains its pristine purity without the least change, alteration, distortion, divisian, amendment or annulment since it was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). 72  Arkoun offers the philosophical critique of sacred texts -which has been applied to the Hebrew Bible and to the New Testament without thereby engendering negative consequences for the notion of revelation -, although it has been rejected by Muslim scholarly opinion. 74 What appears for the next problem is Quran has become text. And there is no anyway to understand word of God except through this text. Therefore, the text is final, it means really limited in amount of utterance form it. Final in enunciation form and its content, as well. But, on another hand, the text is opened to various contexts brought and carried by every reading.
To show the trip of Quran as text or muṣḥaf, Arkoun makes a following figure: 75 In this figure, Arkoun portrayed the movement by which God revealed a part of the Heavenly Book to human beings on the vertical axis, symbolic of the "descent" of revelation and the climb back toward transcendence. On the horizontal axis, that of earthly history, the 73 Helmut Gatje, The Quran And Its Exegesis, p. all of which were faithfully reported) to the Closed Official Corpus and then on to the Corpus of Interpretation, that is to say, the numerous commentaries written revealed truths to illuminate the conduct of human beings through the course of earthly history in the world down here (al-dunya). This earthly history is thus entirely lived as a passage toward the other World (al-akhira) after the test of Resurrection and Last Judgment. 76 By this reason, Arkoun then makes work hypothesis stating that: 1. Quran is a set of potential meaning introduced to all mankind, conform to emphasis of doctrin building as various as situation of its emerging history.
2. On the level of potential meaning, Quran refers to trans-history religion, or on another word, to trancedency. On the level of doctrinal actualization of teology, jurisprudence, philosophy, politic, ethic, and so forth, Quran becomes mythology and ideology influenced by trancendental meaning.
3. Quran is a opened text. no any interpretation can close it absolutely and orthodoxy. Conversely, all muslim schools are ideological movement that support and validate the wish of strenght of diverse social group compete to gain the power.

De jure, Quranic text is impossible narrowed
to ideology because the text explores, particularly, the situation of human condition limit, existence, love, life, and death. 77 From the such hypothesis, the problem faced by moslem community for the sake of understanding Quran does not just really exist 76 Mohammed Arkoun, Rethinking Islam: Common Questions, Uncommon Answers, p. 37 77 Mohammed Arkoun, Nalar Islami dan Nalar Modern: Berbagai Tantangan dan Jalan Baru, (Jakarta: INIS, 1994), p. 194-195 in interpretable and vage verses, but also in the verses regarded as final and absolute meaning. It seems the last mentioned is more questionable by Arkoun on the treasure of the existing Quranic interpretation. Remeaning of Quranic discourse through many kinds of science disciplines is what Arkoun tries, some of it through semiotical and anthropological study. 78 When Arkoun offered readings of Quran, what he wanted to do is study on theoretical requisites for the possibility of an ideal reading purposed for the original meaning of Quran on discourse level and not on text level. 79 Although those requisites can be recognized, defined, but impossible fulfilled primarily because in fact that, as said before, the situations of the first discourse has been lost and cannot be repeated again. What we can do now is outspan the hands asymtotically to an approach which so far so close to it. But today, we must stop, spiritually and intellectually, the pretension of jurists-teologs who have built dogmatic systems to hold jurisprudence and political rule, and even the semantical rule of societies which the strong symptom of the Book force its existence. 80 Therefore, when someone reads Quran , there is really a prime destination to reach, that is to understand and to grasp text meaning. It means that reading purpose is not just to understand the meaning of text narrowly, but also gain maximally the meaning of text. This kind of Arkoun's reading cannot be separated from the method he proposes, that is lingustics or exactly semiotics. 81 Because Quran is the divine messages come from Allah, so an interpreter tries to grasp the meaning what Allah wants to from the verses. Therefore, according to Yusuf, an interpreter finds the meaning, not produce it. 82 According to Arkoun, Quranic exegesis developed by moslem community since 1st/7th century just honour the history in rare and separate case which the influence is not big enough for a critical teology of revelation; interpreters lead Quranic text to various meanings, questions, interpretation related to thinking, culture and ideological need corforming to each time, social environment, and political situation. 83 This kind of interpretation still goes forward to moslem community until this time, primarily because influenced by social system and political condition, self indentity searching (nasionalism), and economical problem demand. This kind of interpretation, for Arkoun, slow but sure will impact to the force of religion as ideolical stick of leaders, hiding place of opposan, moral sanctuary of religous leader, promotion tool for new cadres of societies. 84 Bringing the Quran on the same footing as the rest of world scriputrers, Arkoun reiteratess that historicity aplies equally to the hertage of all humankind and that there is no alternative ways to interpret any type or any level of revelation except by relating it to its historical context. comprehending the Holy Quran. The emergence of contemporary methodology of interpretation is absolutely needed and unavoided in history. Moreover in thinking map of islamic sciences, problem of interpretation methodology, that is a set of concept and theory, process and procedure to develops interpration, is kind of immature science, so that, it always open to renew and advance. It is not excessive to say that contemporary methodology of interpretation can be viewed as an effort of interpretation advancing in contemporary era for the sake of responding period challenges. 86 Talking interpretation methodology means talking about teoritical concepts of process and procedure used by interpreter in doing interpretation activity. It is also a part of epystemology that studies about steps taken up to make achieved knowledge fulfills scientific characteristis. 87 Besides that, methodology also seen as part of logic which studies the exact reasoning principle, as well as studies assumption background the emergence of method. 88 As contemporary thinker, Arkoun shows his care by contributing his thought in methodology of Quranic interpretation. For Arkoun, modern literature of Quran has lower value compared to clasical literature. This is caused the recently opus of moslems is just repeated statement and more defensive apology than searching a way to understand. 89 The impact then, Arkoun adds, word of Allah opposed and foiled by our practices of our societies today; hounored but in fact hampered by moslem community, and reduced by Arkoun's Theory of Quranic Hermeneutics: A Critique", Intellectual Discourse, 2006, vol. 14, No 1, p. 20 86  To study Quran, Arkoun offers three approaches. Those are: 1.
Linguistic-Semiotic and Literary Interpretation By taking the conception of de Saussure which according to him, language is not substance but form, L. Hjemslev proposes the change of traditional method of language study with its inductive characteristic to analysis method and special searching applied to the Quran with good result and bringing hope. 91 Text must be taken into account in all of it as internal connection system. Meaning exists in this coonection and not in separate partial level made careless in whole. By refinding all internal connections which form Quranic text, we do not just take into account special arrangement and dynamism of arabic; we grasp a thinking and feeling way, which will really play important role in real history of islamic consciousness. It means too that the analysis only done in arabic to indicate how physiology, acoustics, phychology, sociology, history, and so forth build each other and succeed in forming meaning network which is inseparable. 92 Text, besides writer and reader, is the most important factor to produce meaning. For Arkoun, modern  In linguistics, text is a language in work to express social function or meaning in situation context and cultural context. The used language (Fonology, graphology, lexicogramatics, and semantics of the discourse) is linguistic choice of the speaker for the sake of realisation text social function. 94 Arkoun explains that language in general and the Quranic language in paricular consists of signs and symbols. These signs and symbols, when analysed semiotically, refer to the objects by arbitrary and conventional decisions within a society, they have no natural connection with what they signify (the objects). 95 Therefore, he described the Quran as a composition of signs and symbols that affords all meanings and opens to everyone, and that no interpretation can exhaust its text. 96 Semiotical analysis of Quran , basically, has two purposes: first, to show historical fact of language of Quran ; second, to show how new meaning can be achieved from Quranic text without any restriction by traditional study. Beside that, the usage of semiotics to study Quran due to the expressions in the sacred text which is full of simbolism is fertile field for semiotic. 97 The aplication of this semiotical analysis, Arkoun used it, as an example, when he read surah al-Fatihah. In the first phase of his reading, Arkoun explicated about discourse modality including: determinant (ism ma'rifah), pronoun, verb, noun, syntax arrangement and rhyme. 98

Historical-Antropological Interpretation
The main objective of this reading is to relate the Quran to its environment in the seventh-century Arabian Peninsula. 99 This reading, according to him starts with a new history of the Quran . The Quran was first delivered orally and then written down on the availale materials, though in scratch form, during the lifetime of Propet Muhammad (SAS). Less than three decades after his death, the the surahs (chapters) of the Quran were codified into the muṣḥaf. This muṣḥaf remains, as it was, to the present. 100 Historical approach is used by Arkoun to deconstruct islamic thought. Historicity method means a text interpretation must be viewed on its history, must be in there when it was born. So, it was imppossible to separate any text from its history. 101 For Arkoun, historicity is not only an intellectual game invented by westerners for westerners, but also to concern the human condition since the emergence of 97 Intelltual Discouse, 2006, vol. 14, No. 1, p. 24 man on this earth. There is no other ways of interpreting any types, any levels of what we call revelation outside the historicity of its emergence, its development through history and its changing functions under the pressures of history as we have already shown. 102 Arkoun recognizes that this method is obviously to challenge all sacralizing and transcendentalizing interpretations produced by traditional theological reasoning. 103 For him, although orthodox moslems regard that approach is unthinkkable, but he extremely believe that this approach will give good impact for Quran . That methodology is an ijtihād, though in many things shakes conventional way of thinking. 104 Linguistic approach lead us to contradict the concept (that is logical knowledge basic) and symbol (a source enlights many definitions moved by the connection of contradiction, implication, corelation, and symmetry). The elevation of word-sign to wordsymbol ensures the elevation of concrete and harmonious language style to mythical language style. 105 Quran is provided so much in mythical language, namely related to qaṣās (stories). Story in arabic may mean a piece of news, followed, and trail tracer, as well. 106 In Arkoun's view, stories in mythical meaning is anthropological concept which change time by time. For stories about prophets, figures, old communities told in Quran , are religious advice that can lead readers and Quranic studier toward universal religious teaching. 107 To explore anthropology concept, Arkoun offers back the concept of "sign" as symbol word ensures logically and concretely of myth language. In Quran , this kind of literary indicates to: (a) "Truth" because it is very useful for human conscience and in same perpective, there is no any myth language can be equal to it; (b) "meaningful" because it ties on primordial time of creation and authomatically opens prime time, that is revealing time, Prophet Muhammad era, and the prior pious (salāf aṣ-ṣalīh) time; (c) "spontanity" ancient enlightment of undemonstrative illustration, but really based on deeply spirit of mankind; (d) "symbolic", e.g. "realistic" illustration of Paradise and Hell direct to same destination, that is story about history of the sacred like prophet, companions, and the example of the saved and the accurst. 108 This kind of reading can be seen vividly in his reading of surāḥ al-Kahfi. 109

Theological-Religious Interpretation
Arkoun insists that this reading must come as the last step, after the first two readings, and that the type of theology sought must be based on the findings of the first two readings, especially the historicalanthropological reading. This is because if one continues to regard the Quran as a divine text of the transcendental and imminent God, one will simply end up with more theological problems. 110 A type of theology required here then is a 'rational belief' based on the confrontation between the prevailing episteme at a certain point and the problems posited by a  Intellectual Discourse, 2006, vol. 14, No 1, p. 27 religious text, that, is between heritage and history. 111 Arkoun points out two essential characteristics of this approach. First, any type of belief-oriented reading falls under the "dogmatic enclosure". Second, the early monumental works of exegesis contributed to the historical development of "the living tradition". 112 Arkoun has already branded this reading as "ritual reading", and the first two reading as more "academic and more complex". No type of theological reading is recognized here except what might be referred to as "a secular theology", of which Arkoun is very passionately fond of. Rejecting the mainstream belief that "Islam does not separate the spiritual from the profane", he assured his readers that secularism is ingrained in Islam. 113 According to Salihu, just as Harvey Cox has derived justifications for secularization from the Bible, Arkoun too states that secularism is included in the Quran and Medinan experience. This is not a logical conclusion based on historical facts, but a preconceived idea. He did declacre his ultimate aim in an essay on "Islam and Secularism" where he states that it is necessary for us to deconstruct the closed orthodoxy from within. This cannot be possible until we search for a free history which alone could lead us to the entrance of secularization in Islam. 114 Secularism is then a preconceived dogma that needs to be promoted and substantiated at all costs, even if it requires that historical facts be twisted. If Arkoun succeeded in avoiding a belief-oriented reading in order to evade the 'dogmas' of Sunnites or Shiites, difinitely, Salihu proclaims, Arkoun has fallen prey to a secular theology with its own dogmas. 115

Conclusion
The revelation simply plays an important role in forming societies which have integrity of piety, either individually or even socially. Arkoun sees revelation as Word of God (Parole de Dieu) that can guides human being to the path for meeting Him. The transcendental revelation cannot be monopolized by certain group of people for profane interest. Revelation in each levels has its own features. In Umm al-Kitāb level, revelation is the prominent source for each ummah by sending messengers to each of them.
The second level that is prophetic discourse or quranic discourse has great role to shape strong character for initial moslems by which they will be example for moslems come after them. Meanwhile, the last level of revelation manifested into a corpus become prime medium and first way to understand the guidance of God for mankind, after the death of the last Messenger.
Quran and tafsīr (exegesis) are two different things. The first is absolute and indisputable, while the last mentioned is contemplative and relative. The result of interpretation of quranic text is not Quran its self. Sacralizing to Quran, therefore, cannot be labelled to its interpretation too. Thus, any interpretation subsequently is not final result and conforming to what God wants through His words in Quran. Every interpretation has its own episteme in accordance with the place, social-cultural situation and the intellectualism of the interpreter.
Arkoun's methodology of interpreting the Quran is still neglected in both western and eastern intelectual due to his method he proposes is not grasped well. Nevertheless, the influence of his thought has impact in Middle East as well as in South East Asia, like Malaysia