Written by Mun’im Sirry | Review Article
This article was written by Mun’im Sirry which light up Tafsir Al-Azhar in Modern Tafsir’s discourse. He begun with narration that traditional tafsirs almost in interpreting verses use internal appoarch namely hadith, Qur’an, tarikh and the others internal source by throwing historical, social, and political context. In opposite side, contemporary Tafsir like Al-Azhar also uses what traditional Tafsir misses it.
Interestingly, in tafsir Al-Azhar, Hamka does not only use the foremost Tafsir in contemporary era, Al-Manar writted by Muhammad Rasyid Ridha, but also, he elaborates his Tafsir with internal issue and appoarch that closed to the reasoning of the society in which he lived (Indonesia).
In his first explanation, Mun’im highlights Hamkas biography. It is importance to explain how Hamka’s intellectual journey played importance role in his reformism thought. The spirit of reformism was introduced by his father, Abdul Karim Amrullah who was known as a founder of Sumatera Thawalib, the first islamic Educational Boarding School in Indonesia.
Muhammadiyah also had a impotrant role in Hamka’s live. At the age of 16th, Hamka came to Yogyakarta. He met with many national figures, both from nationalist and muslim’s reformist. His journey to Mecca to Hajj also become one of many narrative that does not escaped from Mum’im’s explanation about Hamka’s life. Although Hamka didn’t live long enough to learn in that palce, he had opportunity working in case room which was owned by Haji Ahmad Khatib.
In his tafsir, Hamka use elaborating both classical and modern tafsir. That shows that in addition, Hamka has high capabilith to read classical arabic literature, he is also open in modern Tafsir literature. In modern, Hamka was influenced by Muhammad Abduh and Rasyid Ridha thoughts. But, in some other case, he gave difference interpretation from both due to adapt with local tradition and reason.
For example, when he interprete the verses that explain about inter-religion context, he give at least two appoarches namely historical (asbabun-nuzul) and general appoarch. In surah At-Taubah: 29 that talk about jizyah, he explain that the reason muslims fought to people who didn’t want to pay jizyah was not only people who dissobey, but also they were people potentially betrayed that could endanger muslims. In other words, what they did was preventive effort to protect humankind.
In another verse, Al-Maidah: 51, he interprete in general meaning. Auliya’s meaning in his Tafsir is only for politic and leadership relation. This verse does not mean in social inter-religion relation. So, the other verse like in Al-Maidah: 79 talking about christian and Judaism’s believe’s concept, Hamka also gives the similar explanation. What god said is not only for both religions, but also as a admonition for all People having desirabelity not because of Allah. It is also for people that still believe in shaman and voodoo.
Reviewer: Muhammad Wildan
