Reconstructing the Epistemology of Exegesis in the Modern Era: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Methodology, Hermeneutics, and Socio-Religious Implications of Tafsir Al-Manar

Abstract

Tafsir Al-Manar stands as an intellectual monument marking the paradigm shift in Quranic exegesis from the medieval to the modern era. This article examines in depth the methodological framework established by Muhammad Abduh and Muhammad Rashid Rida. Employing a qualitative, library-based research method, the study explores how Al-Manar reformed the community's perspective on the revealed text through the al-Adabi al-Ijtima’i (socio-literary) approach. The findings reveal that Al-Manar deconstructed the authority of taqlid (blind imitation), purified narratives of Isra’iliyyat, and harmonized scientific rationality with theological messages. Furthermore, the article analyzes the divergence in thought between Abduh and Rida and the work's significant influence on the Islamic reform movement in Indonesia.