Scientific Qur’anic Exegesis in Indonesia: Contributions by Scholars, Institutions, and the Government

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of Islam’s relationship with science on the Qur’ānic interpretations given by Indonesian scholars. The discussion goes further to conclude their epistemology and approaches. It continues by examining the government’s role in providing a scientific Qur’ānic exegesis and several Indonesian institutions that deal with Islam and science integration in interpreting the Qur’ān. This study employs a qualitative research methodology by investigating all possible references and inducing the compiled data into sections based on predetermined research objectives. This article demonstrates that scientific Qur’ānic exegesis has grown in Indonesia since the 1960s and has been produced by Indonesian scholars in many works using various methodologies. Most of those works involved the integration of religion (Islam) and science. However, some of their epistemology tends to Islamisation, Qur’ānic justification or dealing with the concept of Islamisation of knowledge. The government uses scientific Qur’ānic exegesis to develop science and technology and propagate policies related to many sectors.

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