Menelaah Karya Misbah Musthafa dalam Kitab Tafsir Al-Iklīl fī Ma’ānī Al-Tanzīl

Abstract

One of the significant works in the corpus of Qur’anic exegesis in the Indonesian archipelago is Tafsir Al-Iklīl fī Maʿānī al-Tanzīl by Misbah Musthafa. This study aims to identify, classify, and critically analyze the sources referenced by Misbah Musthafa, including those derived from the classical tradition of Qur’anic exegesis as well as other relevant materials. It also seeks to systematically examine the structure and pattern of the tafsir’s composition in order to understand its methodological characteristics. This research aims to explore how the exegetical approach employed in this work bridges the Qur’anic text with the socio-cultural context of local communities, thereby producing interpretations that are both contextual and applicable. This study adopts a qualitative approach by utilizing the tafsir text as the primary source, supported by relevant secondary literature such as scholarly articles and studies on Qur’anic exegesis. The qualitative method is employed to uncover the intellectual framework underlying the composition of Tafsir Al-Iklīl. The findings reveal that Misbah Musthafa integrates the methods of tafsīr bi al-maʾtsūr (transmitted exegesis) and tafsīr bi al-raʾy (reason-based exegesis) in a balanced manner, while maintaining strong reliance on classical references such as Tafsir al-Jalālayn and Tafsir al-Baydawi. In terms of its structure, the tafsir is systematically organized, beginning with literal reading, followed by syntactic analysis, and culminating in contextual interpretation tailored to the needs of local readers. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of local Qur’anic exegesis as an integral part of the global Islamic intellectual tradition. It also highlights the importance of further scholarly engagement with Nusantara tafsir works, which have not yet received sufficient academic attention.