BASED RESEARCH THE METHOD OF AL-TAFSĪR

BASED RESEARCH THE METHOD OF AL-TAFSĪR

The Qur’ān is the holy book that has been sent down to the Prophet Muḥammad as the guidance for human being to live in this world. As the guidance, Qur’ān should be understood well in order to be applied perfectly.

Therefore, according to Abdul Hayy al-Farmāwī, the study on the Qur’ān and its interpretation is absolutely needed. This study is very important to know the true aim of Allah in the Qur’ān, including the command and prohibition for human being. It is also important to know the guidance of Allah in the term of aqīdah (faith), ibādah (worship) and akhlāq (moral) in order to get the happiness in this world and hereafter.

Al-Farmāwī sees that in the earlier age, many Qur’ānic exegeses with their various methods did not support to achieve the goal of the Qur’ān easily. Even, some interpreters fulfilled their book with many aspect of their preference. Such as, kalām, balāghah, fiqh, language and other tendencies, but leaving the most important thing that must be uncovered from the Qur’ān namely the guidance.

Al-Farmāwī hopes that the appearing of exegesis explaining the Qur’ān with thematic approach which tries to uncover all of ḥukm (rule) and regulation in the Qur’ān that have direct correlation with human life problems. He said, thematic approach is very needed to explain many regulations in the Qur’ān. With this approach he hopes the guidance in the Qur’ān for human life can be reached clearly by all people. So, the people know that Qur’ān is a perfect guidance and a problem solving for them. And also, the Qur’ān can be exactly related with politics, social and human behaviour. They also can know that the Qur’ān has an assertive rule and clear guidance about individual and society behaviour.

Now, many significant changes in the interpretation of the Qur’ān have already appeared. The thematic approach becomes a new favorite method because it works effectively in producing the solution of human problem, like what al-Farmāwī hopes.

In learning tafsīr mauḍū’ī approach, there are two exegesis which are different from other books. They are Naḥwa Tafsīr Mauḍū’ī Lī Suwar al-Qur’ān al-Karīm by Muḥammad al-Ghazālī and ‘Ījāz al-Bayān fī Suwar al- Qur’ān by Muḥammad ‘Alī al-Ṣābūnī. Both of them have some similarities, they are: First, both of them use al-tafsīr al-mauḍū’ī li sūrah wāḥidah approach. They did not explain Qur’ān word by word or verses by verses any more, but sūra by sūra with describing the main theme of sūra. These tafsīr also arranged with standart musḥāf composition.

Al-tafsīr al-mauḍū’ī li sūrah wāḥidah is a prototype of tafsīr mauḍū’ī (thematic) that exists today. According to al-Ghazālī, the first interpreter who use this approach is Muḥammad Abdullāh Darrāz in al-Nabā’ al-Aẓīm. Al-Farmāwī, in his al-Bidāyah defined al-tafsīr al-mauḍū’ī li surah wāḥidah as a commentary about one sūra in Qur’ān with describing its purposes; the main and the particular theme of sūra, then describing the correlation among various themes. So, this sūra with all different theme appears as a unity.

Second, in their tafsir, al-Ghazālī and Al-Ṣābūnī also apply the unity of sūra idea or usually called by al-waḥdah al-mauḍū’iyyah. This idea sees that every sūra is one bunch or union. Although, there are many themes or purposes in one sūra but all include and come together into central theme, namely miḥwār al-sūrah.

The idea of sūra as a unity is not something new. Quraish Shihāb supposed that the first scholar who intro miḥwār duced this idea was Fakhruddīn al-Rāzī. According to al-Rāzī every sūra has main purpose and theme. Then, Abu Ishāq al-Shāṭibī, Umar al-Biqā’i and Muḥammad Abdullāh Darrāz. Al-Shāṭibī said that “In one sūra, although there are many different themes actually it was compiled in one main theme.”

According to M. Quraish Shihāb, one of scholar who gives special attention in this study and considers it an important thing is Darrāz. He said, “According to Darrāz, every certain sūra in the Qur’ān is one union that cannot be separated. Although there are many parts and themes in one sūra and this sūra was sent down in different time or place, all of it are in one” We can find the application of idea above in tafsīr that use al-tafsīr al-mauḍū’ī li sūrah wāhidah approach,9 such as, al-Ghazālī’s and al-Ṣābūnī’s book that will be studied in this research.

Third, both of these books are especially composed for describing miḥwār  (central theme) and main theme in every sūra. In the preface, they write that their book is produced to help Qur’ān reader to understand the message and goal of sūra. Then they made a small and brief exegesis book.

Understanding the main purpose and theme in every sūra in Qur’ān is very important. According to M. Quraish Shihab, at least, there are three reasons in knowing this part. First, knowing the themes of a sūra bring us to know the main goal of Allah in every sūra because all of verses revolve around those theme.

So, we can reach the main purpose of sūra is easier. Second, knowing the main themes of sūra can reduce the fault in understanding certain sūra. For example, there are many Muslims that recited certain sūra, such as Yāsīn, al-Wāqi’ah, al-Raḥmān. Some of them may be got the difficulties in understanding the meaning or purposes of Sūra, even got fault to understand the purpose and the content of Sūrah.

Moreover, if they read some books about the advantage of sūra based on ḥadīth mauḍū’ (false). Such as, reciting sūra al-wāqi’ah can invite the livelihood (al-rizq). Knowing the main themes or purpose of sūra help to straighten the fault and create true understanding.

Third, some people still doubt in systematical writing and placement of some verses or sūras in Qur’ān. They perhaps did not know that systematical writing and placement in Qur’ān is a something unique and contained many element of education. Describing the main themes and showing how match the relation among verses and the main themes help to reduce the doubt among in Qur’ānic system of writing and placement.  Even, some scholars consider it as the part of ‘I’jāz al-Qur’ān. Although, there are similarities in their book but there are also differences. Such as, in determining the main theme or message of sūra. In sūra al-Nisā’, al-Ghazālī said that this sūra talked about the society and their problem. While, al-Ṣābūnī said that the main talk is about the women and their problem of life and law.

The other different can be seen in their approach and preference. Although both of them try to uncover the main goal of sūra but al-Ghazālī always drove and related his explanation about the theme and purpose of sūra with newest problem such as; the relation among the religion, social justice, gender, economy, polygamy etc. While, al-Ṣābūnī give more explanation about ḥukm (rule, law) that include in one sūra.

Based on background above, the researcher attracted to research the method of al-tafsīr al-mauḍū’ī li sūrah wāḥidah used by al-Ghazālī and al- Ṣābūnī in their book. This research is also important because the study about al-tafsīr al-mauḍū’ī li sūrah wāḥidah is still limited, especially in Indonesia.

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