The epistemology of Javanese Qur'anic exegesis: A study of Sālih Darat's Fayd al-Rahmān

Abstract

This article seeks to analyse the structure of the epistemology of Fayd al-Rahmān, a Javanese Qur'anic-exegetical work by Sālih Darat, a prominent Javanese ulama in the nineteenth century. It is the only Javanese Qur'anic-exegetical work (kitāb al-tafsīr) with the Sufi-esoteric interpretation (al-tafsīr al-sūfi al-ishārī). Yet, there has not been research discussing its epistemology of interpretation whereas it is significant to grasp its fundamental structure of thought. Employing historical-philosophical approach, this article argues that Fayd al-Rahmān's exegesis reflect the illuminative epistemology ('irfāni) by which Sālih Darat does not only explain the textual meaning (al-ma'nā al-zāhir) but also the esoteric meaning (al-ma'nā al-ishārī) of the Qur'an. In Sālih Darat's view, the relation of the two resembles the relation between spirit and body that cannot be separated. The esoteric interpretation thus constitutes revealing inner meanings of the Qur'an. According to Sālih Darat, the ideal interpretation is to grasp both the textual and esoteric meaning of the Qur'an. With the Sufi-esoteric interpretation, Sālih Darat truly intends to bridge the epistemological polemics between Muslim jurists (fuqahā') who are inclined to the textual meaning and Sufi-philosophers who are inclined to the esoteric meaning. Besides, written in Arabic-pegon script, Sālih Darat's Fayd al-Rahmān fortifies the Javanese cultural identity in the sense that Javanese Qur'anic exegesis have equal authority as Arabic Qur'anic exegesis. This also reflects the cultural strategy to oppose the policy of the Dutch colonialism that enforced the use of Latin alphabet on behalf of bureaucracy and correspondence at the time.