Exploring Scientific Exegesis (Al-Tafsīr Al-‘Ilmī) of the Quran: Merits, Challenges, and Interpretive Boundaries

Abstract

This study review the science-based interpretation (Tafseer Ilmi) of the Quran which matches the text with the discoveries scientists have made. The idea that the Quran helps with guidance in every part of life, including science, has caused many scholars to debate this method. While a few argue for being careful and sticking to the old ways, some suggest taking a sensible approach that considers science. The paper studies the history of scientific tafseer, paying special attention to what early and modern scholars such as Imam Ghazali, Sheikh Muhammad Abduh and Sheikh Tantawi Jawhari have offered. It points out the main aspects that separate scientific exegesis from scientific miracles and explains how it helps, for example, by improving our understanding of the Quran, building trust in God, reducing conflicts between science and faith and encouraging experts from different fields to join their efforts. Even so, the study points out the problems with this method, mainly due to the unchanging nature of the Quran and the fact that science is constantly progressing. The study uses qualitative research and combines ancient and recent writings to determine the validity, boundaries and potential of scientific tafseer in Quranic interpretation.

Keywords: Scientific Exegesis, Quranic Interpretation, Science and Religion, Interdisciplinary