Ulama and Qur’anic Exegesis: Indonesian Exegetes and Their Approaches

Abstract

This study examines the interpretive approach of contemporary Indonesian scholars to the Quran, focusing on five major tafsirs: Tarjumanul Mustafid by Abdul Rauf As-Singkily, Al-Quranul Karim by the Ulama Tiga Serangkai, Al-Azhar by Hamka, Al-Mishbah by M. Quraish Shihab, and Tafsir Kementerian Agama. The research uses a historical approach with a bibliographical analysis method to understand the dominant patterns in each tafsir, reflecting the social, cultural, and political complexities in Indonesia. Drawing on Max Weber's theory of Sociology of Social Action, this study argues that tafsir represents an active response by scholars to the conditions of their time, including issues of pluralism, injustice, and technology. The main findings show that no tafsir adopts a single approach; each combines elements such as social, linguistic, and modernist approaches. This study concludes that tafsir in the archipelago serves as a means of adapting Islamic thought to socio-cultural challenges, while also creating a dialogue between the text and the context of the era.