Ideologi Islam Tradisionalis dalam Tafsir

Abstract

This article analyses the relationship between Tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis) and the Pesantren Tradition within the context of Traditionalist Islam in Indonesia, which firmly adheres to local traditions, the thoughts of classical ulama (scholars), and utilizes the pesantren (Islamic boarding school) as its ideological base. Epistemologically, traditionalists prioritize taqlid mazhabi (adherence to a specific legal school of thought) and refer to the four primary sources of law (Al-Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma’ [consensus], and Qiyas [analogical deduction]). Within the pesantren tradition, the teaching of classical texts, particularly Tafsir Jalalain, employs the sorogan and bandongan methods alongside the makna gandhul (makna utama) notation, which serves as an established medium for knowledge transmission and a symbol of traditional authority. The network of traditionalist mufassir (exegetes), connected to global Islamic scholarly centers (the Haramain), utilizes tafsir as an arena for articulating the Aswaja ideology to affirm traditional religious practices. Despite facing criticism from reformist groups who emphasize rationality, traditionalists have responded adaptively by broadening tafsir literature while strictly maintaining the Aswaja ideological framework, thus underscoring that the development of exegesis in Indonesia represents a dialectic contestation between the authority of tradition and that of modernity.