Jurnal Ilmiah Religiosity Entity Humanity (JIREH)
Vol 8 No 1 (2026): Issue in Progress

Beyond Envy: Rethinking Comparison Culture through Syahrur’s Theory of Limits

Muhammad Fathul Huda (Uin Walisongo Semarang)
M. Sihabudin (Faculty of Usuluddin and Humanities, Walisongo State Islamic Universitiy Semarang City)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 May 2026

Abstract

This study examines comparison culture in the digital age and proposes a Qur’anic ethical framework through a reinterpretation of Q. An-Nisa’: 32 using Muḥammad Syahrur’s naẓariyyat al-ḥudūd (theory of limits). Social media has intensified social comparison practices, often leading to insecurity, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Although Social Comparison Theory explains how comparison functions, it provides limited normative guidance for regulating such behavior. This qualitative library research integrates Qur’anic exegesis with contemporary social theory. The study analyzes Q. An-Nisa’: 32 through contemporary tafsir, particularly socio-ethical (adab ijtimā‘ī) and spiritual (tasawuf) perspectives found in the works of al-Ālūsī, al-Marāghī, and M. Quraish Shihab, and reinterprets them through Syahrur’s theory. The findings show that the Qur’an does not prohibit comparison altogether but regulates it within ethical boundaries: ḥadd adnā, which limits destructive envy, and ḥadd a‘lā, which permits constructive comparison that encourages self-improvement.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jireh

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Education

Description

Jurnal JIREH: Jurnal Ilmiah Religiosity Entity Humanity merupakan jurnal yang mempublikasikan artikel yang diangkat dari hasil penelitian, gagasan konseptual, kajian analisis kritis dan aplikasi teori di bidang keberagamaan, kewujudan, dan kemanusiaan. Jurnal ini terbit 2 (dua) kali setahun pada ...