A book or a novel including the Scriptures (5)
I believe the answer is:
koran
'scriptures' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Muslim Scriptures ' mean 'koran' so perhaps 'scriptures' could also mean 'koran')
'a book or a novel including' is the wordplay.
'including' indicates a hidden word.
'KORAN' is hidden in the letters of 'book or a novel'.
'the' is the link.
(Other definitions for koran that I've seen before include "Sacred texts of Islam" , "Sacred book of Islam (5)" , "Sacred writings of Islam" , "Sacred Islamic writings" , "Good book" .)