Political Power and the Transformation of the Qur’anic Exegetical Tradition in Islamic History
(Kekuasaan Politik dan Transformasi Tradisi Tafsir Al-Qur’an dalam Sejarah Islam)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20625/theosyn.v2i2.216Keywords:
Political Power, Qur’anic Exegesis, Islamic History, Hermeneutics, Exegetical TransformationAbstract
The tradition of Qur’anic exegesis has evolved through a dynamic interaction between religious authority and political power throughout Islamic history. Previous studies have generally examined this relationship from limited historical periods or individual scholars, leaving the broader pattern of its transformation insufficiently explored. This study analyzes the relationship between political power and the transformation of Qur’anic exegesis using a historical-hermeneutical approach based on library research. Data were analyzed thematically by tracing the development of Qur’anic interpretation from the Prophet Muhammad’s era to the contemporary period. The findings reveal three major functions of political power: formative authority (formation), institutional patronage (institutionalization), and ideological instrument (ideologization). These findings propose a conceptual model demonstrating that the transformation of Qur’anic exegesis has been shaped by changing configurations of political authority alongside methodological developments in interpretation. This study contributes to Qur’anic studies by providing a historical-hermeneutical synthesis that offers a critical framework for understanding the relationship between political power and Qur’anic interpretation.
Abstrak
Tradisi tafsir Al-Qur’an berkembang melalui interaksi yang dinamis antara otoritas keagamaan dan kekuasaan politik dalam sejarah Islam. Namun, penelitian sebelumnya umumnya membahas hubungan tersebut secara parsial berdasarkan periode atau tokoh tertentu, sehingga belum menjelaskan pola transformasinya secara komprehensif. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis relasi antara kekuasaan politik dan transformasi tradisi tafsir Al-Qur’an menggunakan pendekatan historis-hermeneutis melalui penelitian kepustakaan. Data dianalisis secara tematik dengan menelusuri perkembangan tafsir sejak era Nabi Muhammad SAW hingga periode kontemporer. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kekuasaan politik mengalami tiga fungsi utama, yaitu sebagai otoritas pembentuk (formation), patron institusional (institutionalization), dan instrumen ideologisasi (ideologization). Temuan ini menghasilkan model konseptual yang menjelaskan bahwa transformasi tradisi tafsir dipengaruhi oleh perubahan konfigurasi kekuasaan sekaligus perkembangan metodologi penafsiran. Penelitian ini berkontribusi memperluas kajian sejarah tafsir melalui sintesis historis-hermeneutis yang menawarkan perspektif kritis dalam memahami hubungan antara politik dan penafsiran Al-Qur’an.
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