Scientific Exegesis and Epistemic Boundaries: A Qualitative Study of Tafsir al-Muntakhab on Qur’anic Cosmology
The development of modern science, particularly in cosmology and natural sciences, has created epistemological tensions in Qur’anic studies. Scientific exegesis (tafsīr ʿilmī) has emerged as an approach linking revelation with empirical knowledge, yet it often faces criticism for potentially reducing divine revelation to positivistic frameworks. Tafsir al-Muntakhab, compiled by the Lajnah al-Qur’an wa al-Sunnah under the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Egypt, occupies a unique position as an institutional tafsir designed for modern readers. This study analyzes the construction and epistemological legitimacy of scientific interpretation in Tafsir al-Muntakhab, focusing on QS. Al-Anbiyāʾ [21]:30 and QS. Adz-Dzāriyāt [51]:47. A qualitative design employing content analysis and hermeneutic interpretation was used, emphasizing textual fidelity and contextual understanding. Findings show that Tafsir al-Muntakhab separates core Qur’anic meanings from supplementary scientific explanations, positions science as an illustrative tool, and balances textual, scientific, and contemporary reader needs. Analysis of cosmological verses reveals understanding of the initial union and separation of heaven and earth, planet formation, emergence of life from water, and cosmic expansion, consistent with modern scientific theories. This approach reflects a moderate scientific tafsir that preserves the epistemic authority of the Qur’an while facilitating constructive dialogue between revelation and science.
Afandi, L. (2021). The Progress of the Quranic Scientific Exegesis in South-East Asia. Al-Bayan: Journal of Qur'an and Hadith Studies, 19(2), 228-256.
Arifin, Z., & Haqqi, A. R. A. (2024). Islamic Law: Between Revelation and Human Thoughts. Afkar, 26(1), 277–306. https://doi.org/10.22452/afkar.vol26no1.9
Al-Jauhari, T. (1931). Al-Jawahir fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Karim. Mustafā al-Bābī al-Ḥalabī wa Awlāduhu.
al-Māturīdī, A. M. (2000). Ta’wilat Ahl al-Sunnah. Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah.
Al-Razi, F. (1981). Mafatih al-Ghayb. Dar al-Fikr.
Al-Syatibi, A. I. I. (n.d.). Al-Muwafaqat Fi Usul Al-Shari‟at. Dar al-Ma’rifah.
Al Balushi, A. M. A. R., & Janabi, M. K. A. L. (2024). Mukhālafāt Al-Imām Al-Rāzī Li Abī Muslim Al-Aṣfahānī fī Tafsīr Sūrah Maryam min Khilāl Al-Tafsīr Al-Kabīr. Quranica, 16(2 Special Issue 12), 446–485. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105000405218&partnerID=40&md5=01b333fbfc247fbbc79751358370dc4e
Azhar, M. H. M., Bakri, M. F. M., Ahmad, K., & Rosele, M. I. (2025). Ethics and Limits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Quranic Exegesis According to the Epistemological Framework of Islamic Knowledge. Quranica, 17(2), 97–124.
Bucaille, M. (1980). The Qur’an & Modern Science (Issue 2). Peace Vision.
Darmawan, E. (2024). Perkembangan tafsir di indonesia kontemporer. Mashadiruna Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Tafsir, 3, 101-8. https://doi.org/10.15575/mjiat.v3i2.25310
Graves, A. J. (2021). The Phenomenology of Revelation in Heidegger, Marion, and Ricoeur. In The Phenomenology of Revelation in Heidegger, Marion, and Ricoeur. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781978732667
Güler, N. (2021). The References to the Battle of Badr in the Makkī Surahs in Tafsīr Al-Muqātil. Cumhuriyet Ilahiyat Dergisi, 25(3), 1143–1162. https://doi.org/10.18505/cuid.961161
Gusmian, I., & Muttaqin, Z. (2024). Cultural Integration in Tafsir al-Iklil fi Ma’ani al-Tanzil by Misbah Mustafa within the Context of Javanese Islam. Jurnal Studi Ilmu-Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Hadis, 25(2), 392–415. https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.v25i2.5538
Hosseinieskandian, A., Setiyani, W., & Kholid, A. (2023). The Conceptions of Divine Revelation: A Comparative Study of the Views of Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra. Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf Dan Pemikiran Islam, 13(1), 159–179. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2023.13.1.159-179
Ilmiah, D. B. (2025). Transformasi Paradigma Studi Al-Qur’an dan Tafsir di Era Digital: Dialektika antara Warisan Tafsir Klasik dan Inovasi Teknologis Kontemporer. Pelita: Jurnal Studi Islam Mahasiswa UII Dalwa, 3(1), 80-92. https://doi.org/10.38073/pelita.v3i1.3642
Majelis al ’A’la li al Syuun al Islamiyyah Mesir. (2001). Al-Muntakhab fi Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim. Al-Azhar.
Mårtensson, U. (2022). Linguistic Theory in tafsīr between 100/400 and 700/1000: Implications for Qur’anic Studies. Journal of Qur’anic Studies, 24(3), 1–45. https://doi.org/10.3366/jqs.2022.0514
Mezei, B. M. (2024). The Relevance of Revelation in the Sciences. In Divine Revelation and the Sciences: Essays in the History and Philosophy of Revelation (pp. 212–230). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003485889-13
Mir, M. (2017). Scientific Exegesis of the Qur’ān-A Viable Project? In Studies in the Islam and Science Nexus: Volume 1 (pp. 443–452). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315242187-37
Moh. Mauluddin. (2024). Kontribusi Artificial Intelligence (AI) pada Studi Al Quran di Era Digital; Peluang dan Tantangan. Madinah: Jurnal Studi Islam, 11(1), 99-113. https://doi.org/10.58518/madinah.v11i1.2518
Muttaqin, S., Alba, C., & Haq, S. Z. (2024). Model Penafsiran Kontemporer: Kajian Epistemologis terhadap al-Tafsîr al-Wasîț li-al-Qur’ân al-Karîm. Jurnal Studi Al-Qur'an, 20(2), 137-164.
Noor, M. F., & Saputra, E. (2024). Hermeneutics in the Interpretation of Qur’an. International Journal of Education, Culture, and Society, 2(1), 30-39. https://doi.org/10.58578/ijecs.v2i1.2685
Qatawneh, M. A., & Hamat, M. F. B. (2020). The Congruence between Revelation and Reason and the Impact of Its Civlized Role on Muslim Ummah. Quranica, 12(1), 157–182.
Rohmah, N. (2013). AL-QUR'AN DI ERA KEKINIAN: RELASI ANTARA TEKS DAN REALITAS (Tafsir Al-Qur'an Indonesia Menjawab Tantangan Zaman). Al-Mabsut: Jurnal Studi Islam dan Sosial, 6(1), 68-83. https://doi.org/10.56997/almabsut.v6i1.59
Shehata, A. (2023). Women’s rights in Islam: A critique of Nawal El Saadawi’s writing. In Women’s Rights in Islam: A Critique of Nawal El Saadawi’s Writing. De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111105314
Siddiqui, A. (2025). Contemporary Qur’anic Exegesis: Bridging Classical and Modern Approaches. Journal of Religion and Society, 4(02), 794-802.
Sodiqin, A. (2025). Religion and Science: Analysing Medical Fatwas of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (2010–2021). Journal of Islamic Law, 6(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v6i1.2683
Supena, I. (2024). Epistemology of Tafsīr, Ta’wīl, and Hermeneutics: Towards an Integrative Approach. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 14(1), 121–136. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.141.08
Syafi’i, I., Hasyim, F., & Jawid Marwat, M. (2025). Transformational Curriculum Model through Interpretation Epistemology; Islamic Boarding School Curriculum Management Perspective. Munaddhomah, 6(3), 387–403. https://doi.org/10.31538/munaddhomah.v6i3.1802
Syamimi Mohd, N., Hussin, H., & Nasyrudin Wan Abdullah, W. (2014). Scientific exegesis in Malay Qur’anic commentary. Asian Social Science, 10(10), 236–242. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v10n10p236
Syuhud, H. (2021). Interrelation of Mind and Revelation: Analysis of the Thought of Ulama Mutakallimin in the Formation of Islamic Law. Journal of Islamic Law, 2(1), 43–61. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v2i1.127
Toru, Ü. (2024). Impact of Sectarian Loyalty on Tafsīr: A Study in the Context of Commentaries of Imāmite and Sunnite Scholars on Verses Related to the Belief in Raj’a. Hitit Theology Journal, 23(1), 492–519. https://doi.org/10.14395/HID.1431846
Ünsal, H. (2022). Claims of the Caliphate of Abu Bakr in Ta’wīlāt al-Qur’an by Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi. Jurnal Studi Ilmu-ilmu al-Qur’an dan Hadis, 23(2), 311–324. https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.v23i2.3642
Zulfikar, Z. Z., Pratama, Y. H., & Syahbana, M. N. S. (2025). The Integration of Natural Science and Theology in Tafsīr Al-Jawāhir: A Study of the Thought of Imam Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, 7(2), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.24042/ijitp.v7i2.28097