Statement of the problem and its objective
The dialectic of the “constant and the variable” represents one of the most significant issues in contemporary Arab thought, particularly within modern attempts to reinterpret Arab-Islamic heritage and question its epistemological, historical, and narrative structures. In this context, the Tunisian intellectual Hashem Jaït occupies a prominent position among Arab thinkers who sought to reconstruct Islamic history through a critical and historical methodology that transcends traditional descriptive approaches.
Among Jaït’s intellectual works, Al-Fitna stands out as a major historical and narrative text in which the early Islamic historical event is reconstructed through a critical discourse combining historical analysis, narrative reconstruction, and interpretive reading. Rather than presenting history as a fixed and sacred truth, Jaït approaches it as a dynamic field shaped by political, social, and cultural transformations. Consequently, narrative discourse in Al-Fitna functions not merely as a means of recounting events, but as a critical epistemological mechanism through which historical meaning is reconstructed and traditional heritage narratives are questioned.
This study proceeds from the assumption that narrative discourse and deconstructive mechanisms in Al-Fitna constitute the independent variable, while the dialectic of the constant and the variable in interpreting Arab-Islamic heritage represents the dependent variable. The research aims to analyze how Jaït employs historical narrative as a critical instrument for reconstructing historical consciousness and reinterpreting heritage within a contemporary intellectual framework.
The study further seeks to uncover the deconstructive dimensions embedded in Jaït’s narrative strategy, especially his attempt to dismantle traditional sacred-centered readings of Islamic history and expose the ideological and political structures underlying many historical narratives. In doing so, the research attempts to clarify the relationship between narrative discourse, historical interpretation, and the reconstruction of Arab intellectual consciousness.
Methodology
This study adopts an interdisciplinary methodological framework combining historical, descriptive-analytical, narrative, and deconstructive approaches. The historical method is employed to examine the political, intellectual, and social contexts surrounding the narratives discussed in Al-Fitna, as well as to situate Jaït’s project within broader debates concerning heritage, modernity, and historical consciousness in contemporary Arab thought.
The descriptive-analytical approach is utilized to analyze the conceptual and intellectual structures of the text and to clarify the mechanisms through which Jaït reconstructs historical meaning. In addition, the narrative approach is applied to investigate the structure of historical narration and the methods used to organize events within discourse. Through this approach, the study explores how narrative sequencing, temporal reconstruction, and interpretive framing contribute to producing a critical reading of Islamic history.
The research also benefits from the deconstructive approach, particularly in analyzing the hidden ideological assumptions and internal contradictions embedded within traditional historical narratives. Deconstruction, in this context, is not understood as the destruction or negation of heritage, but rather as a critical process aimed at revealing the epistemological structures governing the production of historical meaning.
Moreover, discourse analysis is employed to examine the relationship between power, knowledge, and historical representation within Jaït’s narrative discourse. This analytical framework allows the study to uncover how discourse participates in constructing historical consciousness and shaping perceptions of legitimacy, authority, and identity.
The theoretical framework of the study draws on several modern thinkers and theorists whose works contributed significantly to narrative theory, interpretation, and discourse analysis, particularly Paul Ricoeur, Hayden White, Jacques Derrida, and Michel Foucault. Ricoeur’s conception of narrative as a means of organizing historical time, White’s understanding of history as narrative construction, Derrida’s theory of deconstruction, and Foucault’s analysis of discourse and power collectively provide important conceptual tools for understanding Jaït’s historical writing.
Discussion and Analysis
The study demonstrates that narrative discourse in Al-Fitna transcends the conventional function of historical documentation and instead operates as a critical epistemological practice through which historical meaning is reconstructed. Jaït does not simply reproduce traditional historical accounts; rather, he critically reorganizes and reinterprets them by linking events to their political, social, and cultural contexts.
The analysis reveals that Jaït’s narrative strategy seeks to dismantle the sacred-centered historical discourse that has long dominated traditional interpretations of early Islamic history. By questioning the authority of inherited narratives and exposing their ideological dimensions, Jaït transforms narrative into a critical tool for rethinking the relationship between history, power, and collective memory.
Furthermore, the study shows that Jaït approaches heritage not as a fixed and immutable structure, but as an open and dynamic field of interpretation. Consequently, the dialectic of the constant and the variable in his intellectual project reflects a continuous interaction between Islamic civilizational references and historical transformations. The “constant” appears in the form of enduring cultural and civilizational references that shape Arab-Islamic identity, while the “variable” emerges through changing historical interpretations and evolving forms of consciousness.
The research also highlights the interpretive role of narrative in reconstructing historical events. Through narrative organization and analytical reinterpretation, Jaït presents the early Islamic conflict not merely as a religious dispute, but as a complex political and social phenomenon shaped by historical conditions and struggles over legitimacy and authority.
Findings and Contributions
The study concludes that narrative discourse and deconstructive mechanisms in Al-Fitna function as major critical tools for reconstructing Arab historical consciousness and redefining the relationship between past and present. The findings confirm that the dialectic of the constant and the variable constitutes a central dimension of Hashem Jaït’s intellectual project and reflects his attempt to establish a rational and critical reading of Arab-Islamic heritage.
The research also demonstrates that Jaït’s historical writing challenges rigid and sacred-centered understandings of heritage by emphasizing the historical and interpretive nature of historical narratives. Through narrative reconstruction and deconstructive analysis, Jaït succeeds in transforming historical writing into an intellectual practice aimed at renewing Arab critical consciousness.
Moreover, the study contributes to highlighting the narrative and deconstructive dimensions of Jaït’s historical discourse, dimensions that have often been overlooked in previous studies focusing primarily on the philosophical and historical aspects of his work. By examining the interaction between narrative structure, interpretation, and historical consciousness, the research provides a more comprehensive understanding of Jaït’s contribution to contemporary Arab thought.