Vol. 8 No. 2 (2025): Al Furqan: Jurnal Ilmu Al Quran dan Tafsir

The development of scientific interpretation (tafsīr ʿilmī) in Indonesia reflects an ongoing attempt to negotiate the relationship between Qur’anic revelation and modern scientific knowledge, while simultaneously raising epistemological questions concerning interpretive boundaries and methodological legitimacy. This study examines the transformation of scientific interpretation in the Indonesian context through a comparative analysis of the interpretive approaches of Agus Purwanto and Agus Mustofa, particularly in their engagement with kauniyyah verses. The primary objective of this research is to identify the dominant patterns of scientific interpretation employed by both figures and to assess their continuity with classical exegetical principles. Adopting a qualitative-descriptive design, this study employs comparative textual analysis supported by an evaluative framework derived from classical tafsīr theory, emphasizing linguistic accuracy, rhetorical coherence, and theological consistency as articulated by al-Zahabi. Primary data are drawn from the major works of Purwanto and Mustofa and are contextualized through relevant classical and contemporary literature on scientific exegesis. The findings demonstrate that Purwanto advances a revelation-based, scientific-textual model in which modern science functions as an explanatory tool subordinate to the Qur’anic text. In contrast, Mustofa represents a rational-speculative approach that positions contemporary scientific theories as the primary interpretive lens for metaphysical Qur’anic concepts. This study contributes to Qur’anic studies by offering an epistemological mapping of scientific interpretation in Indonesia and by advancing a critical framework for integrating scientific reasoning with textual fidelity and theological integrity in contemporary exegesis.

Studies on ethical principles in contemporary Qur’anic exegesis hold significant potential for advancing contextual and socially relevant interpretations of the Qur’an. This research provides an in-depth analysis of Ahmad Hassan’s Tafsir Al-Furqan, focusing on the construction of the concept of salam (greeting of peace) and its implications for social ethics in contemporary Muslim communities. The primary aim of this study is to explore how salam is articulated not merely as a ritualized greeting but as an ethical principle emphasizing peace, moderation, and social responsibility. The study employs a qualitative-descriptive approach with thematic-conceptual analysis, examining Qur’anic verses related to salam, documenting Ahmad Hassan’s exegetical interpretations, and situating them within modern socio-religious contexts. Primary data were derived from Tafsir Al-Furqan, supported by secondary sources from global Qur’anic studies, Islamic ethics literature, and social research. Findings indicate that salam in Tafsir Al-Furqan functions as a moral instrument that fosters trust, social solidarity, and harmonious interactions, effectively linking Qur’anic principles with contemporary social practices. The main contribution of this study lies in presenting an exegetical framework that integrates Qur’anic moral guidance with modern social realities, thereby extending the horizon of Qur’anic interpretation toward a more interdisciplinary, dialogical, and socially transformative discourse.

The development of modern science, particularly in cosmology and natural sciences, has created epistemological tensions in Qur’anic studies. Scientific exegesis (tafsīr ʿilmī) has emerged as an approach linking revelation with empirical knowledge, yet it often faces criticism for potentially reducing divine revelation to positivistic frameworks. Tafsir al-Muntakhab, compiled by the Lajnah al-Qur’an wa al-Sunnah under the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Egypt, occupies a unique position as an institutional tafsir designed for modern readers. This study analyzes the construction and epistemological legitimacy of scientific interpretation in Tafsir al-Muntakhab, focusing on QS. Al-Anbiyāʾ [21]:30 and QS. Adz-Dzāriyāt [51]:47. A qualitative design employing content analysis and hermeneutic interpretation was used, emphasizing textual fidelity and contextual understanding. Findings show that Tafsir al-Muntakhab separates core Qur’anic meanings from supplementary scientific explanations, positions science as an illustrative tool, and balances textual, scientific, and contemporary reader needs. Analysis of cosmological verses reveals understanding of the initial union and separation of heaven and earth, planet formation, emergence of life from water, and cosmic expansion, consistent with modern scientific theories. This approach reflects a moderate scientific tafsir that preserves the epistemic authority of the Qur’an while facilitating constructive dialogue between revelation and science.

Amid the intensifying global discourse on gender justice, Qur’anic interpretation continues to be shaped by a long-standing legacy of patriarchal exegesis, particularly in narratives concerning the creation of woman. This tension is especially evident in interpretations of Surah al-Nisāʾ verse 1, a passage that affirms humanity’s origin from a single ontological source (nafs wāḥidah), yet has frequently been read through hierarchical frameworks that position women as derivative and subordinate. This article seeks to reconstruct the narrative of Eve’s creation in Qur’anic exegesis by integrating gender analysis with Sufi perspectives as an alternative hermeneutical framework. Employing a qualitative library-based approach, the study draws on classical and contemporary Qur’anic commentaries as primary sources, supported by scholarly literature on gender, Qur’anic hermeneutics, and Islamic ontology. Data were analyzed using critical hermeneutics and thematic analysis to identify ontological assumptions and gender bias embedded in exegetical traditions. The findings demonstrate that hierarchical portrayals of Eve’s creation do not originate from the Qur’anic text itself but from historically contingent patriarchal epistemologies that shaped classical interpretation. Contemporary egalitarian tafsīr emphasizes the shared ontological origin of men and women, while Sufi interpretations further reinforce this equality through concepts of spiritual parity and human perfection (insān kāmil). By integrating these approaches, this study proposes a reconstructive, non-hierarchical model of Qur’anic interpretation that is ethically grounded and contextually responsive. This research contributes to Qur’anic studies by advancing a gender-just and spiritually informed exegesis that remains faithful to the Qur’an’s moral vision while addressing contemporary demands for gender justice.

Studies on the Qur’anic concept of shifāʾ have predominantly emphasized ritual practices and physical healing, leaving its relevance to contemporary psychological disorders—particularly anxiety—largely underexplored. This study re-examines selected shifāʾ verses (Qur’an 9:14–15 and 41:44) through a contextual hermeneutical framework, employing Fazlur Rahman’s double-movement theory to uncover their psychological significance for anxiety management. Adopting a qualitative-descriptive design, the research applies content analysis to reconstruct the historical-moral meanings of the verses and to recontextualize their ethical-spiritual principles within contemporary theories of emotion regulation and cognitive reappraisal. Primary data are drawn from the Qur’anic text and classical as well as modern exegetical works, complemented by contemporary scholarship in Islamic psychology and empirical studies on dhikr and ruqyah practices. The findings indicate that the shifāʾ verses articulate a coherent model of emotional healing, encompassing affective stabilization, spiritual tranquility, psychological resilience, and the release of negative emotional states—dimensions that functionally correspond to core mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral therapy in addressing anxiety. This study proposes an integrative interpretive framework that positions Qur’anic insights as a form of complementary psychospiritual support for mental health, thereby extending the interdisciplinary dialogue between Qur’anic studies, therapeutic practice, and modern psychological approaches.

The emergence of viral cases of non-transparent polygamy in Indonesia in 2025 has reignited critical debates on family ethics, honesty, and moral accountability in contemporary Muslim societies. This study examines these practices through the lens of Muhammad Syahrur’s Theory of Limits (Naẓariyyat al-Ḥudūd), which conceptualizes Islamic legal norms as operating within defined minimum and maximum ethical boundaries. Employing a qualitative research design, this study is based on a critical literature review combined with intra-textual analysis of Qur’anic verses on marriage and polygamy, alongside an examination of Syahrur’s principal works. Sociological data from publicly documented viral cases are utilized as contextual evidence to illustrate the ethical tensions surrounding non-transparent polygamy. The findings demonstrate that, within Syahrur’s framework, polygamy is not an unconditional male prerogative but a conditional social practice constrained by strict moral limits aimed at safeguarding justice and protecting women’s rights. Polygamy conducted without transparency is shown to violate the minimum boundary of justice by denying women access to truthful information, undermining trust, and generating psychological and social harm. From the perspective of boundary theory, such practices constitute a form of injustice (ẓulm) and conflict with the maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, particularly the preservation of dignity, welfare, and family stability. This study argues that Syahrur’s Theory of Limits offers a relevant ethical framework for evaluating modern polygamy, emphasizing transparency, honesty, and justice as indispensable principles in contemporary Islamic family ethics.

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly influenced religious studies, particularly in the analysis and interpretation of sacred texts. This study critically examines the role of AI in Qur’anic interpretation by addressing its epistemic capabilities, ethical limitations, and claims to interpretive authority. Employing a qualitative, literature-based research design, this study analyzes peer-reviewed scholarship on AI and religion, computational hermeneutics, natural language processing of sacred texts, and algorithmic bias, alongside classical and contemporary works in Islamic epistemology and Qur’anic exegesis. The findings indicate that while AI demonstrates high proficiency in linguistic processing, semantic consistency, and structural analysis of religious texts, it lacks epistemic understanding, moral intentionality, and ontological subjectivity. From the perspective of Islamic epistemology, knowledge is inseparable from consciousness, ethical responsibility, and interpretive accountability—dimensions that AI cannot possess. Moreover, algorithmic bias and the risk of decontextualization further challenge the use of AI as an autonomous interpretive authority in religious contexts. This study argues that AI should be positioned as an instrumental analytical tool rather than a subject of interpretation in Qur’anic exegesis. Its primary contribution lies in articulating a clear epistemological boundary between computational processing and hermeneutical understanding, thereby offering a critical framework for the ethical and responsible integration of AI within Islamic studies and religious scholarship more broadly.

The concept of naskh–mansūkh (abrogation) has long remained one of the most contested issues in ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, particularly with regard to its methodological legitimacy and epistemological implications in Qur’anic interpretation. This study critically examines the construction of naskh–mansūkh in Hasbi al-Shiddiqie’s interpretation of Qur’an 2:106 in Tafsir an-Nur by employing Karl Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge as its analytical framework. The primary objective of this research is to uncover how the meaning of naskh is produced, negotiated, and reconfigured within the socio-intellectual context of post-independence Indonesia. Adopting a qualitative-descriptive design grounded in library research, the study applies discourse analysis to Qur’anic exegesis, situating the interpretive text within the historical position of the exegete and the dynamics of Islamic intellectual tradition. Primary data are drawn from Tafsir an-Nur, supported by classical exegetical sources, Hasbi al-Shiddiqie’s intellectual writings, and theoretical works on the sociology of knowledge. The findings demonstrate that Hasbi al-Shiddiqie does not conceptualize naskh–mansūkh as the literal annulment of Qur’anic rulings or texts, but rather as a process of contextualization and semantic reconciliation aimed at preserving the enduring normative relevance of revelation. From a Mannheimian perspective, this interpretive stance reflects a pattern of relationism, in which the meaning of naskh emerges through a dialectical engagement between classical exegetical authority and the social demands of modern Indonesian society. This study argues that naskh–mansūkh in Tafsir an-Nur represents a socially situated intellectual construction that embodies an effort toward exegetical reform without undermining the authority of the Qur’anic text. By doing so, the article contributes to Indonesian Qur’anic studies and advances broader discussions on the interplay between interpretation, social context, and epistemic authority in Islamic scholarship.

The ongoing leadership crisis, low integrity, and weak organizational governance highlight the need for a managerial paradigm grounded not only in technical competence but also in moral and spiritual values. This article aims to reconstruct the Qur’anic concept of human responsibility by integrating three key notions—khalifah (leadership mandate), ‘ibad (servanthood and value orientation), and amanah (trust and accountability)—into the framework of Qur’anic Managerial Responsibility (QMR). The study employs a qualitative approach using thematic (maudhu‘i) interpretation and hermeneutical analysis, examined through the lens of contemporary Islamic management theory. Data are derived from Qur’anic verses, classical and modern tafsir literature, and scholarly works on Islamic leadership and management. The findings demonstrate that khalifah represents a strategic leadership mandate and sustainable stewardship, ‘ibad constitutes the spiritual–ethical foundation guiding leadership behavior, and amanah functions as a structure of moral and institutional accountability. The integration of these three pillars forms a holistic Qur’anic leadership model conceptualized as Leader–Servant–Trustee. Furthermore, the study shows that QMR is not merely theoretical but can be operationalized in Islamic finance, education, and business sectors through ethical governance and accountability practices. Theoretically, this research bridges the epistemological gap between Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic management studies, offering a value-based leadership framework relevant to contemporary organizational contexts.

Although Living Qur’an studies have significantly expanded discussions on how Qur’anic values are enacted in Muslim ritual life, the field remains largely dominated by descriptive accounts that treat local traditions primarily as symbolic representations. Such approaches tend to overlook how Qur’anic meanings are actively negotiated, reconfigured, and sustained within communities undergoing social and institutional transformation. Addressing this limitation, the present study examines the reception of Qur’anic gratitude (shukr) in the Kupatan Munggah Gunung Menjuluk tradition as a dynamic and socially embedded religious practice in contemporary Javanese Islam. This study mobilizes the Living Qur’an framework as an analytical tool rather than a descriptive label by integrating it with Karl Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge. Through Mannheim’s tripartite model of meaning—objective, expressive, and documentary—the research investigates how gratitude operates simultaneously as a theological principle, a communal ethic, and a carrier of cultural memory. Drawing on ethnographic methods, including participant observation, in-depth interviews, and symbolic–narrative analysis, the study demonstrates that Qur’anic gratitude is not merely reproduced textually but is selectively articulated through culturally mediated ritual practices. The findings reveal that the Kupatan Munggah Gunung Menjuluk ritual functions as a site of negotiation between Qur’anic authority and local cultural logic, particularly as the practice becomes institutionalized through processes of festivalization. In this context, gratitude is rearticulated in ways that prioritize social cohesion, moral education, and collective identity, while simultaneously reshaping the religious meanings attached to the ritual. Theoretically, this study advances Living Qur’an scholarship by moving beyond ritual description toward an analysis of religious meaning production, and contributes to broader debates in Islamic studies and the anthropology of religion by demonstrating how Qur’anic values operate as living moral resources that are continuously negotiated and reconstituted within culturally mediated religious practices in contemporary Muslim societies.

The ongoing debate on polygamy in Islam highlights the urgency of Qur’anic interpretation that goes beyond legal-formal readings and incorporates the ethical and social objectives of Islamic law. In this context, Tafsīr al-Manār by Muḥammad ʿAbduh and Rashīd Riḍā represents a significant reformist exegetical work that responds to modern human and social challenges through a rational and maqāṣid-oriented framework. This study examines in depth the dimension of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah in the interpretation of polygamy-related verses in Tafsīr al-Manār, particularly QS al-Nisāʾ [4]:3 and related passages. The primary objective of this research is to uncover the maqāṣid-based construction of polygamy developed by ʿAbduh and Riḍā and to analyze its relevance to contemporary discourses on justice and family welfare. This research employs a qualitative-descriptive approach using content analysis, supported by thematic (mawḍūʿī) interpretation and critical textual analysis of the exegetical text. Primary data are drawn from Tafsīr al-Manār, while secondary sources include classical and contemporary works on Qur’anic exegesis, maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, and Islamic family law. The findings demonstrate that polygamy is not treated as an ideal normative practice but as a socially conditioned concession that is strictly constrained by the objectives of Islamic law, particularly justice, the protection of women’s dignity, and family stability. This study underscores the contribution of Tafsīr al-Manār to the development of a contextual and human-centered maqāṣid-based paradigm of Qur’anic interpretation.

The issue of spousal maintenance (nafqa) remains a persistent source of domestic conflict within Muslim families, frequently contributing to marital breakdown and divorce. This study critically examines Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān’s conception of the husband’s obligation of maintenance as articulated in Fatḥ al-Bayān fī Maqāṣid al-Qur’ān, situating his exegetical position within a maqāṣid al-Qur’ān framework as developed by Maḥmūd Shaltūt. Rather than approaching maintenance solely as a juristic obligation, this article seeks to uncover the ethical and socio-moral rationales underlying Qur’anic injunctions on financial responsibility within marriage. Employing a qualitative, library-based research design, the study conducts a thematic analysis of key Qur’anic passages on maintenance—Qur’ān 2:233, 2:241, 4:5, 4:34, and 65:6–7—drawing on primary sources including the Qur’ān, Fatḥ al-Bayān, and Shaltūt’s Ilā al-Qur’ān, supported by relevant secondary literature in Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic family law. The findings demonstrate that Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān conceptualizes maintenance as the husband’s fundamental and continuous responsibility, encompassing provision of food, clothing, and housing in accordance with the husband’s financial capacity and prevailing social norms. This obligation persists under specific circumstances, such as during the ‘iddah period and pregnancy, reflecting a protective orientation toward women’s rights. From a maqāṣid al-Qur’ān perspective, maintenance emerges not merely as a legal prescription but as a moral commitment aimed at upholding justice, sustaining marital harmony, and securing broader social welfare. This study contributes to contemporary Qur’anic family law scholarship by integrating classical exegetical insights with a maqāṣid-oriented reading, offering a more ethically grounded and context-sensitive understanding of spousal maintenance in the Qur’ān.

The rapid expansion of digital media has fundamentally transformed the production, circulation, and authority of Qur’anic interpretation across the Muslim world. Whereas classical tafsir traditions grounded religious authority in scholarly sanad, linguistic expertise, and institutional recognition, contemporary digital platforms increasingly mediate religious meaning through algorithms, popularity metrics, and visual performance. Despite the growing scholarship on digital religion, empirical studies that critically examine how Qur’anic interpretation itself is reshaped by platform logics and how this process reconfigures religious authority remain limited, particularly in non-Western Muslim contexts. Addressing this gap, this study examines digital Qur’anic interpretation in Indonesia through a qualitative–quantitative content analysis of 50 tafsir-related contents collected from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, and digital tafsir websites. Drawing on theories of digital religion, mediated religious authority, and algorithmic governance, the analysis maps content formats, producer typologies, ideological strategies, and emerging forms of digital piety. The findings demonstrate that digital Qur’anic interpretation is dominated by short, motivational, and emotionally driven content aligned with the logic of social media virality. Religious authority is increasingly negotiated through visibility, aesthetic performance, and audience engagement rather than through classical scholarly credentials. The study also identifies distinct forms of digital piety—performative, communal, consumerist, ritual-digital, and emotional—reinforced by algorithmic mechanisms such as polarization, confirmation bias, and echo chambers of belief. Theoretically, this study conceptualizes a shift in Qur’anic interpretive authority from sanad-based legitimacy toward algorithmically mediated authority, while empirically positioning Indonesia as a critical case for understanding the global transformation of Qur’anic interpretation in the age of algorithms.

Domestic violence within Muslim societies continues to persist not only as a social and legal problem but also as a consequence of entrenched interpretive practices that normalize patriarchal authority in family relations. This study critically examines women’s rights and the Qur’anic prohibition of domestic violence through a maqāṣid al-sharīʿah–based hermeneutical framework. The primary objective is to elucidate the ethical architecture of the Qur’an in regulating family relations and to develop an interpretive model that situates domestic violence as fundamentally incompatible with the higher objectives of Islamic law. Employing a qualitative normative approach, this study conducts a thematic analysis of Qur’anic verses on family relations, supported by classical and contemporary Qur’anic exegesis and strengthened through a comparative analysis of legal instruments and family protection policies. The data are integratively constructed from the Qur’anic text, representative exegetical literature, and legal documents addressing domestic violence. The findings demonstrate that the Qur’an consistently frames the family as an ethical space grounded in justice (ʿadl), compassion (raḥmah), and human dignity (karāmah), thereby rendering all forms of domestic violence contradictory to the protection of life, honor, and family integrity as core objectives of the Sharīʿah. This study contributes by proposing an integrative maqāṣidī hermeneutical framework that bridges Qur’anic ethics, gender-sensitive interpretation, and contemporary legal discourse, offering a normative foundation for advancing family justice and protection in Muslim societies.

Environmental degradation and waste accumulation represent critical challenges that extend beyond technical or policy failures, reflecting deeper ethical and moral crises in human–nature relations. This study examines how Qur’anic caliphate (khalīfah) values can be operationalized through zero waste practices, bridging normative Islamic ethics and contemporary environmental action. Using a qualitative normative–textual approach within an ecological tafsīr framework, Qur’anic verses on stewardship, balance (mīzān), moral trust (amānah), and prohibitions against excess (isrāf) and environmental destruction (fasād) were thematically analyzed alongside classical and contemporary exegeses. The findings reveal that zero waste embodies a practical manifestation of Qur’anic ethics, translating khalīfah, mīzān, and amānah into actionable environmental behaviors, including consumption reduction, waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and organic waste management. This operational mapping demonstrates that ecological responsibility is an inherent dimension of Islamic ethical teachings, offering a systematic framework for implementing value-based sustainability practices. The study contributes theoretically by advancing ecological tafsīr from conceptual ethics toward practice-oriented application and highlights the potential of religious principles to transform environmental behavior in contemporary Muslim contexts. Future research should investigate the empirical effectiveness of zero waste practices grounded in Qur’anic ethics and explore comparative eco-theological applications across communities.