Tanzil: Jurnal Studi Al-Quran

THE MEANING OF LAYLAH AL-QADR IN THE VIEW OF KHUMAYNĪ

Indra Wahyudi — 2026-04-14

The concept of the Night of Qadr (lailah al-qadr), an event immortalized and mentioned in the Qur'an, has even become part of the name of a surah in the Qur'an and has become a dream for people to be able to obtain or meet the Night of Qadr (lailah al-qadr), which is considered to have a reward exceeding a thousand months of worship. The Night of Qadr (lailah al-qadr) is interpreted and understood in an exoteric sense, referring to the process of the Qur'an's revelation, while interpretations that go beyond the literal meaning or that penetrate further to reveal the esoteric meaning of the concept are rarely found. This article attempts to analyze the meaning of the Night of Qadr in the view of Ayatullah Khumaynī, a great figure from Iran who became a revolutionary leader and a cleric who became a great leader in Iran. Using a Sufi hermeneutic framework such as tajalliyāt, qurb, and maqām, as well as a textual-thematic tafsīr method, this study examines how Khumaynī reads Q.S. Al-Qadr [97]: 1–5 not merely as a ritual explanation, but also as an ontological revelation, a tajallī of Muhammadiyah reality and maqām wilāyah. The results of this study show that, for Khumaynī, laylah al-qadr is not only the moment when the revelation of the Qur’an was sent down, but furthermore that night an existential experience where revelation, angels, and al-rūḥ (Jibrīl) function as channels of revelation (manifestation) closely related to the concepts of Nūr Muḥammad, maqām walī/imām, and transcendent time (a night that “transcends” chronological linearity).

ABDULLAH SAEED’S CONTEXTUAL APPROACH TO QUR’ANIC INTERPRETATION

Muhammad Barir — 2026-04-14

This study explores the epistemological foundations of Abdullah Saeed’s contextual hermeneutics within contemporary Qur’anic studies. In the twenty-first century, the growing demand to relate the Qur’an to changing social, ethical, and legal realities has made context-sensitive interpretation an important scholarly concern. Building upon and extending Fazlur Rahman’s double movement theory, Saeed introduces a contextual connector through a structured hierarchy of values that mediates between the historical meaning of the text and its contemporary application. This research employs a systematic conceptual mapping of Saeed’s interpretive framework, with primary reference to Interpreting the Qur’an: Towards a Contemporary Approach and Reading the Qur’an in the 21st Century. The findings indicate that Saeed offers several significant theoretical contributions, including refining interpretive stages, articulating ideal moral values, and classifying Qur’anic values hierarchically to guide contextual reasoning. This study reconstructs Saeed’s four-stage interpretive process into a simplified and integrative conceptual model that clarifies the epistemological relationship among text, interpreter, context, and application. Overall, Saeed’s framework reflects a coherent epistemological architecture that integrates sources of knowledge, methodological principles, and criteria of interpretive validity to support responsible and contextually grounded Qur’anic interpretation in contemporary Muslim societies. The coherence of the four stages of contextual interpretation constitutes a central element of Saeed’s epistemological validity; the omission of any stage would undermine the internal consistency of the method and consequently weaken its interpretive legitimacy. This study also identifies a reconstructed interpretive framework presented as a conceptual map.

ISRĀ’ILIYYĀT NARRATIVES IN IBN KATHĪR’S TAFSĪR

Supriyanto Supriyanto — 2026-04-14

The presence of isrā’iliyyāt narratives within the tradition of Qur’anic exegesis has long been a subject of scholarly debate, particularly concerning the extent to which narratives originating from earlier religious traditions may be used in the interpretation of Qur’anic verses. Among classical exegetes, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-Aẓīm, the work of Ibn Kathīr, is widely recognized for its strong reliance on transmitted reports (riwāyat) in the interpretation of the Qur’an. Within this framework, Ibn Kathīr’s tafsir frequently engages with isrā’iliyyāt narratives that appear in earlier exegetical materials. This study aims to analyze how Ibn Kathīr evaluates and manages isrā’iliyyāt narratives in his tafsir and to identify the interpretive patterns he employs when dealing with such reports. Using a qualitative method through textual analysis combined with an intertextual approach, this research examines selected isrā’iliyyāt narratives cited in Ibn Kathīr’s tafsir and analyzes how these narratives are interpreted, assessed, and contextualized. The findings indicate that Ibn Kathīr adopts a selective and critical evaluative framework in dealing with isrā’iliyyāt. Although he pays attention to the chain of transmission (sanad), his assessment does not rely solely on sanad verification. He also evaluates the content of these narratives, particularly by comparing them with Qur’anic verses and authenticated prophetic traditions. Reports that contradict established Islamic theological principles or authentic hadith are explicitly rejected, whereas narratives that do not conflict with the core teachings of Islam are occasionally used cautiously to supplement the historical context or narrative details of particular verses. These findings demonstrate that Ibn Kathīr’s engagement with isrā’iliyyāt is not an uncritical accommodation but rather operates within a structured interpretive framework that integrates both transmission criticism and content evaluation.

SLOW LIVING IN THE QUR’AN

Putri Qurrota A'yun — 2026-04-14

The fast pace of modern life has given rise to various psychological and spiritual problems. Demands for productivity and social pressure cause people to lose balance between their worldly and spiritual needs. Phenomena such as stress, anxiety, and even loss of identity show that people no longer live according to external standards without regard for their inner condition and well-being. In response to this, some individuals have begun to adopt a slow living lifestyle as an effort to rearrange the rhythm of life. This study aims to reveal the concept of slow living from the perspective of the Qur’an through a thematic study of five main terms, namely ḥayāh, ma‘īshah, dunyā, khushū‘, and muṭma’innah, using library research and a sociological contextual approach. The results of this study found that each word examined has a different conceptual contribution, such as ḥayāh indicating the essence of the purpose of life, ma‘īshah explaining a balanced life, dunyā emphasizing not to live materialistically, khushū‘ indicating the importance of spiritual aspects in life, and muṭma’innah describing the peak of peace of mind as the result of a slow living lifestyle. This finding confirms that slow living, from the perspective of the Qur’an, is not merely a matter of regulating the rhythm of life, but rather a way of life that balances physical and spiritual aspects. Through this balance, it is hoped that people can live their lives in a more conscious, calm, and purposeful manner, thereby achieving peace of mind and a more meaningful life.