TOWARDS A HOLISTIC FRAMEWORK FOR SCIENTIFIC EXEGESIS: A COMPARATIVE METHODOLOGICAL STUDY OF ELMALILI M. HAMDI YAZIR AND TANTAWI JAWHARI

Abstract

Scientific exegesis (tafsir ilmi), which connects Qur’anic verses with scientific discoveries, remains a significant discourse in contemporary Islamic scholarship, particularly concerning its methodology and interpretive validity. This study contributes to this area by analysing and comparing the methodological approaches of Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır and Tantawi Jawhari in interpreting the Qur’anic verses on creation (ayat al-khalq) based on Hak Dini Kur’an Dili and al-Jawahir fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Karim. Employing a qualitative research method and thematic analysis, the study focuses on three key themes: the creation of the universe, the heavens, and the earth. Findings reveal that Elmalılı adopts a rational-theological approach rooted in the kalam tradition and emphasises balance between revelation and reason, whereas Tantawi applies an empirical-reformist approach, employing science as an instrument of da‘wah and intellectual renewal. Both affirm the harmony between revelation and science as manifestations of Divine unity. The synthesis of these two approaches offers a balanced epistemological framework that integrates revelation, reason, and empirical experience. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Holistic Scientific Exegesis Framework (HSEF)—an integrative model uniting naql (revelation), ‘aql (reason), and tajrībah (empirical observation). Future research is recommended to assess the effectiveness of HSEF in Islamic education, particularly in developing a holistic model of scientific literacy that balances cognitive, affective, and spiritual dimensions.