Sufistic Epistemology in Qur’anic Interpretation: Ahmad Sanusi’s Rawḍat al-‘Irfān in the Sundanese Context

Understanding the Qur'an through Sufistic epistemology emphasizes mystical dimensions and inner experiences. This study examines K.H. Ahmad Sanusi's exegesis Rawḍat al-Irfān fī Ma‘rifat al-Qur’ān from the Nusantara context, finding that his interpretative framework integrates three Sufi epistemological dimensions: ethical, philosophical, and experiential. These dimensions appear through rational interpretation, spiritual consciousness, ethical transformation, and experiential knowledge of God. The work represents a distinctive model of Nusantara Qur'anic exegesis that synthesizes local Islamic intellectual traditions with Sufi principles, offering an alternative to dominant legalistic and scientific approaches in contemporary Islamic scholarship.

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Abstract

Abstract In navigating the complexities of the modern era, a profound understanding of religious teachings is increasingly vital to provide moral and existential guidance in human life. A central aspect of Islam is understanding the Qur’an, which serves as a foundational source of spiritual and moral guidance. Sufistic epistemology offers a distinctive framework for interpreting the Qur’an, emphasizing mystical dimensions and inner experiences. This study investigates Sufistic epistemology as reflected in Qur’anic exegesis in the Nusantara context, focusing on K.H. Ahmad Sanusi’s Rawḍat al-Irfān fī Ma‘rifat al-Qur’ān. Employing a qualitative approach, this study examines the characteristics of Sufi epistemology within the Nusantara exegetical tradition through an analysis of Tafsir Rawḍat al-ʿIrfān fī Maʿrifat al-Qurʾān authored by K.H. Ahmad Sanusi of Sukabumi, West Java. The findings reveal that Sanusi’s interpretative framework integrates three interrelated dimensions of Sufi epistemology: ethical (tasawuf akhlāqī), philosophical (tasawuf falsafī), and experiential (tasawuf ʿirfānī) epistemologies. These dimensions are manifested through the integration of rational interpretation (tafsīr bi al-ra’y), spiritual consciousness, ethical transformation, and experiential knowledge of God (maʿrifah). The study further demonstrates that Rawḍat al-ʿIrfān represents a distinctive model of Nusantara Qur’anic exegesis that synthesizes local Islamic intellectual traditions with Sufi epistemological principles. This research contributes to the broader discourse on Qur’anic interpretation by highlighting an alternative epistemological paradigm beyond the dominant legalistic and scientific approaches in contemporary Islamic scholarship.