Mutawatir : Jurnal Keilmuan Tafsir Hadith
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2025): JUNE

Vernacular Nationalism and Sufi Hermeneutics in Shodiq Hamzah’s Al-Bayān fī Ma‘rifat Ma‘ān Al-Qur’ān

Shilvia Shauqil Firdaus (Unknown)
Miftahul Jannah (Unknown)
M. Badruz Zaman (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Jun 2025

Abstract

This article examines the nexus between Sufism and nationalism through the hermeneutical framework of Al-Bayān fī Ma‘rifat Ma‘ān Al-Qur’ān written by Shodiq Hamzah Usman, a pesantren-based scholar from Central Java. The study analyzes how Qur’anic interpretation in Al-Bayān integrates classical exegetical traditions with local vernacular strategies to articulate social-ethical values within the Indonesian context. The research employs a hermeneutical approach by focusing on Shodiq’s incorporation of Javanese vernacular (Latinized Pegon) and the inclusion of rubrics such as faḍīlat al-sūrah, asbāb al-nuzūl, and qiṣṣah. The analysis demonstrates that values of iḥsān (moral excellence), raḥmah (compassion), and tasāmuḥ (tolerance) are transformed from personal-spiritual ethics into socio-political virtues that underpin inclusive civic leadership, solidarity, and structural justice. Notably, Shodiq links the Qur’anic notion of raḥmah to Indonesia’s nationalist struggle, including Soekarno’s liberation of West Irian, which illustrates a unique vernacular nationalism rooted in Sufi ethics. While Al-Bayān successfully vernacularizes Qur’anic values for pesantren audiences, its normative-descriptive style limits engagement with structural issues such as systemic injustice or global discourses on human rights. This study contributes to broader debates on Indonesian Islam, civil Islam, and the role of Sufism in shaping public virtue and national identity.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

mutawatir

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities

Description

The Mutawatir: Jurnal Keilmuan Tafsir Hadith is published twice a year by the Department of Al-Quran and Hadith, Faculty of Ushuluddin and Philosophy, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University (UIN) Surabaya Indonesia. The journal aims at publishing an original academic research on the main topic of the ...