The Epistemological Crisis of Ḥuḍūr in Digital Tafsir
Kanz Philosophia A Journal for Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism June 24, 2026 Lufaefi Lufaefi, Siti Kafidhoh, Isyroqotun Nashoiha et al.
Digital Qur'anic exegesis, or tafsir, is shifting from a focus on the presence of meaning (ḥuḍūr) to a dominance of representation (ḥuṣūlī) due to the fragmented, algorithm-driven logic of online media. The authors analyze this epistemological crisis using a qualitative conceptual-empirical approach, applying philosophical analysis and mystical hermeneutics to exegetical texts from NU Online and Detik.com. They integrate the thought of al-Ghazālī, Ibn ‘Arabī, and Mullā Ṣadrā to evaluate five indicators of ḥuḍūr. Findings indicate that digital tafsir exhibits fragmented attention, reduced hermeneutical depth, and a shift from inner transformation toward informative and normative functions. The authors argue that this crisis arises from the interaction between media logic and the subject's epistemic disposition, calling for a reorientation of tafsir as an existential experience.