Nama :Audi Prameswari

NIM : 20105030023

Kelas : Reading Text

The Structure of Epistemology of Fayḍ al-Raḥmān

1. On The Description and Background of Fayḍ al-Raḥmān
Fayḍ al-Raḥmān consists of two volumes. The first volume of 577 pages starts with
an introduction followed by the interpretation of two sura, Al-Fātiḥah and al-Baqarah.
Meanwhile, the second volume, consisting of 705 pages, provides interpretation of ‘Ali Imrān
and al-Nisā’. Each chapter is preceded by a preface leading to the interpretation. Ṣāliḥ Darat
indicates there are several factors that give the birth of Fayḍ al-Raḥmān. First, the theological
factor. The Qur’an was revealed in order to that humans would ponder its messages (Qur’an,
47: 24 and Qur’an, 38: 29). To understand and grasp its message, Qur’anic interpretation is
required. Second, sociological factor. At the time few Javanese had any capability to
understand Qur’anic meanings, because they were not familiar with its language and did not
understand how to interpret it.
Thus, Ṣāliḥ Darat determined that he would write in Javanese when he observed that
the Javanese generally did not understand the language of the Qur’an. By writing Fayḍ al-
Raḥmān in Javanese, he intended to interpret the Qur’an for the purpose of transmitting its
messages to the Javanese. Accordingly, the use of Javanese in Fayḍ al-Raḥmān reflects a
local wisdom and is a proper way to communicate Qur’anic messages to them.
2. The Ontological View of the Qur’an
The ontological view is fundamental for Ṣāliḥ Darat on the subject matter, namely the
Qur’an itself. According to Ṣāliḥ Darat, the Qur’an is holy scripture containing lessons and
meanings that must be comprehended. Otherwise, its existence would be meaningless. From
the perspective of discourse analysis, Ṣāliḥ Darat intentionally uses the word tadabbur
(contemplation, reflection) to emphasize the esoteric meaning of the Qur’an instead of its
textual meaning. Semantically, the word tadabbur is derived from the word dubur which
means “a back path”.39 Following the verb form, tafa’ala, tadabbara means “to find out a
meaning of a text beyond its textual meaning”. By addressing the word tadabbur, Ṣāliḥ Darat
seems to acknowledge that an attempt to grasp the esoteric meaning of the Qur’an is justified
by the Qur’an itself .
3. Arabic Pegon Script and Anti Colonialism Ideology
 The Arabic-pegon script uses Arabic letters modified to write local languages, such as
Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, and Malay languages. The word pegon is derived from a
Javanese word pégo that means “to deviate”, as Javanese words written in Arabic are viewed
as unusual. The emergence of pegon script is significantly influenced by the Islamicate
culture of Nusantara, and of Java in particular. The use of Arabic-pegon script of Fayḍ al-
Raḥmān is a form of vernacularization of the Qur’an into Javanese and ideologically can be
seen as a symbol of resistance against Dutch colonialism. Almost all of Ṣāliḥ Darat’s works
are written in Arabicpegon script.
4. The ‘Irfāni Reason and Esoteric Meaning
The tradition of esoteric-Qur’anic interpretation emerged in the second and third
century AH. It was aimed to overcome the stagnation of the epistemology of Qur’anic
interpretation which had been constructed through a formalistic framework introduced by
Muslim jurists, theologians, and philosophers. The esoteric interpretation has contributed to
developing the idea that the Qur’an has a deeper and more inward meaning that can only be
revealed by those who undergo the mystical experience (ma’rifah)
5. The Sources and Methods of Fayḍ al-Raḥmān
Āliḥ Darat often interprets one verse on the basis of another, especially if it is close
together. However, āliḥ Darat further explains that there are three levels of muttaqn. 71 From
my point of view, āliḥ Darat’s way of thinking resembles that of al-Ghazāli. For example, in
interpreting the Qur’an, 2:110, āliḥ Darat argues that believers should perform prayers and
zakat. According to āliḥ Darat, the true wealth of a faithful person is wealth that has been
distributed in the way of God, while the rest is for his heirs. Āliḥ Darat maintained the
traditional method of transmitting and transforming Islamic knowledge in the field of
Qur’anic exegesis. In this case, āliḥ Darat only completed his exegesis of some parts of the
Qur’an, from al-Fātiḥah to al-Nisā’ and he died before completing more. Furthermore, āliḥ
Darat’s method used in writing fayḍ al-Raḥmān is an analytical method . It only explains the
main messages of the Qur’anic verses and does not interpret them in technical terms, as in
Qur’anic science. Third, in muqārin, the verses of the Qur’an are interpreted by inter-textual
comparisons of the Qur’an and adīth, the Qur’an and other holy books, and several
interpretations of the Qur’an. Ṣāliḥ Darat interprets verse one one by one, without specifying
the number.
Āliḥ Darat then explains his interpretation under the verse which is interpreted in
Javanese and sometimes in Arabic. In his interpretations, āliḥ Darat sometimes describes the
occasion of the revelation of the Qur’an, the coherence of the Qur’an, and the opinions of
former traditional Muslim egetes, although he does not name them. Finally, āliḥ Darat
explains the esoteric meaning of the verses of the Qur’an. For example, in interpreting the
Qur’an, 2:219, taking into account the socio-historical context, āliḥ Darat admits that
alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Islam. Āliḥ Darat then explains the esoteric meaning of
the verse. According to āliḥ Darat, the term khamr in this verse has two meanings. Āliḥ Darat
argues that like khamrfisi, esoteric khamr is forbidden, because both share the same
characteristic, namely that if the former makes a person drunk, the latter is a hindrance to
reaching God.
6. Interpretation Validity Benchmark
Some esoteric interpretations of Sufis are seen as ideological and/or distorted. Thus,
traditional Muslim scholars establish the yardstick from which esoteric interpretations are
verified. First, the esoteric interpretation must not conflict with the textual meaning of the
Qur’anic verse. Third, the relationship between the textual and esoteric meanings of certain
Qur’anic words has been maintained. Therefore, it cannot be justified to ignore the textual
meaning of the Qur’an and claim that the esoteric meaning is the only meaning intended by
God. However, I argue that these benchmarks are irrelevant for measuring the validity of āliḥ
Darat’s esoteric interpretation.
Āliḥ Darat himself is renowned as a Muslim jurist with deep roots in the Shafiite
School of Law. Moreover, as explained above, he asserts that a translator must acknowledge
the textual meaning before explaining the esoteric meaning. According to āliḥ Darat, it is not
enough to interpret the Qur’an if one focuses only on distinguishing its textual meaning. One
must also reveal its esoteric