Page 296 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

Al-Munir, the reform the editor of al-Imam wrote that the [on Quranic explanation] Muhammad For Southeast Asian Muslims, as al-Imam, July edition 1908. Similarly to Mepsi magazine No.3
magazine for youths in magazine attempted “to remind those Abduh delivered in his lecture at al-Azhar for Egyptian Muslims, Muhammad Abduh’s Quranic interpretation, al-Imam issued on May 20, 1935.
West Sumatra which who had forgotten; to wake up those in the month Muharram 1316 AH, as Abduh’s Quranic commentary meant mentioned the source of the article as Mepsi (abbreviated from
continued the role and who had fallen asleep; to show the published in al-Manar vol. III, 4 edition. 9 a radical transition in tafsir literature. follow: Madjlis Ekonomi PSII/the
th
the spirit of al-Imam, right direction to those who had gone It is certainly different from commonly This article (Ilmu dan Ulama) is a Economic Assembly of
which was published in astray; to give a voice to those who This quote is only one of many in which practiced Quranic interpretations in translation of the work by Sheikh the PSII) was an internal
Singapore in 1911. speak wisely; to call for Muslims to live al-Imam states that it would republish traditional pesantrens, where mostly Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Ahmadi, magazine of the PSII
in accordance with the Divine command the articles, or the kind of articles that the Tafsir al-Jalalain by al-Suyuti and that not only discussed
Source: Perpustakaan had previously been published in al- a leading Egyptian cleric at al-Azhar.
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Nasional (The National as much as possible; and to obtain the Manar. The Quranic interpretations al-Mahalli was mostly used. With We publish this article in al-Imam in the finances of the
Library of the Republic greatest happiness in the world and section confirms al-Imam’s primary Abduh’s interpretations, al-Imam aimed installments so that the readers of al- organization, but also
of Indonesia). divine blessing in the hereafter.” 8 mission to disseminate the reformist at explaining the Quran practically to a Imam may know the nature, position, and economic problems in
The influence of Al-Manar’s on al-Imam ideas from Cairo to Southeast Asia. wide audience of readers, wider than endeavors of this religious scholar. society.
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clear enough al-Imam reprined a number Quranic interpretation is a major field that which could be reached in the Source: Perpustakaan
of articles that had been printed in al- of Islamic knowledge and provides the medieval period of tafsir the products As appears from its title, “Ilmu dan Nasional (The National
Manar. On August 29, 1908, the editor of essential framework of the understanding of which were mostly discussed in Ulama’” discusses the essence of Library of the Republic of
the ulamas as sources of religious
al-Imam announced that this magazine of the core source of Islamic teachings, pesantrens. authority in the Islamic tradition. Apart Indonesia).
would start to publish the interpretations i.e. the Quran. By translating Quranic Besides tafsir, al-Imam also published from illustrating the traditional roles of
of the Qur’an. It provided a special interpretations, al-Imam had laid down articles on other subjects, for instance ulama in teaching religious subjects
section for that purpose, namely the main principle of Islamic reformism in a translated version of a work titled to Muslims, al-Imam also strongly
the Malay translation of the Quranic Southeast Asia. “Ilmu dan Ulama” (lit. knowledge and encouraged ulama to involve themselves
interpretations that had previously been in all attempts to create the conditions
published in al-Manar. It is noteworthy that Abduh’s Quranic the knowers) by the Egyptian cleric,
interpretations, which were published Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim al- the Muslims needed to advance in the
As mentioned in the previous edition Ahmadi. This article was published in contemporaneous world. For al-Imam,
of al-Imam, we promised our readers in al-Manar by Rashid Rida, Abduh’s Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-Hakīm al-Mushtahar bi Tafsīr the clerical role that traditionally centered
to publish the translation of Quranic disciple who completed his work on al-Manār and it was first published in 1925. For a on Islamic education “must be expanded
interpretations which originate from Quranic commentary, not only displayed discussion on the origin of this Quran commentary to include all efforts dealing with worldly
Sheikh Muhammad Abduh’s recent a modernist tendency, but also rational see J.J.G. Jansen, The Interpretation of the affairs, in order that they may offer their
Koran in Modern Egypt (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1974),
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lectures at al-Azhar. To meet our approach to Quranic interpretation. 20-21, 23-24. See also Charles Adams, Islam and benefits for wider society.” 13
promise, this edition will begin with a 9. See al-Imam, No. 4, vol. 3, 1908. Modernism in Egypt, (London: Oxford University As in the case of tafsir, through “Ilmu
Press, 1933), 273.
presentation of the introductory remarks 10. It must be noted here that ‘Abduh wrote
explanations on a number of Quranic verses. 11. Martin Van Bruinessen, “Kitab Kuning: Books dan Ulama” al-Imam underlined that
8. See al-Imam, I, July 1906. For a discussion on Rashid Rida, who was present and took notes of in Arabic Script Used in the Pesantren Milieu,”
the purpose and goal of al-Imam see also Roff ‘Abduh’s lectures in al-Azhar, continued the work Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 146 12. See al-Imam, vol. 2, No. 3, 1908.
(1967: 56), Hamzah (1991: 28-29). after ‘Abduh died in 1905. The complete title is (2/3), 253-254. 13. See al-Imam, vol. 2, July, 1908.

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