ZAD Al-Mufassirin
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): ZAD Al-Mufassirin 2026

The Ecological Crisis as an Epistemological Crisis: Reassessing Seyyed Hossein Nasr's Scientia Sacra for Developing an Environmental Tafsir Paradigm

Sofyan Puji Pranata (Institut Agama Islam As-Syifa, Subang, Indonesia)
Abdul Rohman (Institut Agama Islam As-Syifa, Subang, Indonesia)
Ghazi Abdullah Muttaqien (Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah, Saudi Arabia)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Sep 2026

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to identify the epistemological roots of environmental degradation, analyze Scientia Sacra as an alternative paradigm of knowledge, and explore its relevance for developing an environmental Qur’anic interpretation paradigm. Methodology – This qualitative study employs library research with a philosophical-hermeneutical approach. Primary data are drawn from Nasr’s major works, while secondary data consist of relevant scholarly literature on ecological philosophy, Islamic ecotheology, and environmental tafsir. The data are analyzed through qualitative content and conceptual analysis, with Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm theory used heuristically as an analytical framework. Findings – The study finds that the ecological crisis is rooted in the desacralization of knowledge and nature produced by secular, materialistic, and anthropocentric epistemologies. Scientia Sacra offers an alternative framework that integrates revelation, spiritual intellect, metaphysical knowledge, and tawḥīd. This framework provides an epistemological foundation for environmental tafsir by repositioning nature as a sacred manifestation of Divine signs. Research implications/limitations – The study suggests that Islamic environmental education and ecological literacy should integrate scientific and regulatory approaches with a tawḥīd-based understanding of nature. As a conceptual study, it does not test the proposed framework empirically or apply it systematically to specific ecological verses. Originality/novelty – The originality of this study lies in reconstructing Scientia Sacra not merely as an ecological philosophy, but as an epistemological foundation for environmental Qur’anic interpretation. Future research may operationalize this framework through verse-based exegesis and empirical studies of ecological attitudes and practices in Muslim communities.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

zam

Publisher

Subject

Religion Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

ZAD AL-MUFASSIRIN adalah jurnal studi ilmu Al-Qur’an dan Tafsir yang diterbitkan dua kali dalam setahun (per semester) oleh Pusat Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (P3M) Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Al-Qur’an (STIQ) Zad Cianjur. STIQ ZAD Cianjur itu sendiri, jelasnya Jurnal ini dikembangkan untuk ...