The Orientation of Turjuman al-Mustafid: Qur'anic Tafseer within the Socio-Religious Context of Seventeenth-Century Aceh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28918/z9wfv492Keywords:
Turjuman al-Mustafid, Interpretive Orientation, Socio-Historical Approach, AcehAbstract
Background and Objectives: Previous studies on Turjuman al-Mustafid have predominantly focused on its status as the earliest complete Malay tafsir, its linguistic characteristics, and its exegetical methodology. However, limited attention has been devoted to examining its interpretive orientation within the socio-religious context of seventeenth-century Aceh. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the orientation of Turjuman al-Mustafid by situating it within the socio-historical conditions that shaped its composition.
Method: This study employs a qualitative library research design using a socio-historical approach. Turjuman al-Mustafid by Abd al-Rauf al-Sinkili serves as the primary source, supported by relevant historical and scholarly literature. The collected data are analyzed descriptively and interpretatively to identify the relationship between the tafsir's interpretive orientation and the socio-religious dynamics of seventeenth-century Aceh.
Main Results: The findings reveal that Turjuman al-Mustafid demonstrates a general, adaptive, and non-polemical interpretive orientation. Its concise explanations, the use of the Malay language, and its accessible style reflect an effort to provide broader religious understanding while responding to the theological contestation surrounding the doctrine of wahdat al-wujūd without engaging in explicit polemics.
Contributions: This study contributes to the development of Indonesian Qur'anic exegesis studies by demonstrating that the interpretive orientation of Turjuman al-Mustafid can only be adequately understood through its socio-historical context. It offers a contextual perspective that explains how socio-religious dynamics influenced the formation of early Malay tafsir and fills a gap in previous scholarship that has largely emphasized textual and historical aspects separately.
Conclusions: The study concludes that Turjuman al-Mustafid is not merely the earliest complete Malay tafsir but also an intellectual response to the religious and theological circumstances of seventeenth-century Aceh. Its interpretive orientation functioned as a mediating discourse that promoted accessible Qur'anic understanding while maintaining social and religious harmony within a contested intellectual environment.
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