The Epistemological Crisis of Ḥuḍūr in Digital Tafsir

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Digital qur’anic exegesis emerges at the intersection of classical interpretive traditions and the fast-paced, fragmented, and algorithm-driven logic of online media. This transformation not only reshapes how tafsir is delivered but also shifts the reader’s epistemological experience from the presence of meaning (ḥuḍūr) toward the dominance of representation (ḥuṣūlī). This study aims to critically analyze the epistemological crisis of ḥuḍūr in digital tafsir while proposing a conceptual framework grounded in Islamic mysticism to understand this shift within the context of online media. Employing a qualitative conceptual-empirical approach, the study applies philosophical analysis and mystical hermeneutics to exegetical texts published on NU Online and Detik.com as strategic case studies. The analytical framework integrates the thought of al-Ghazālī (ḥuḍūr al-qalb), Ibn ‘Arabī (tajallī), and Mullā Ṣadrā (‘ilm ḥuḍūrī vs. ḥuṣūlī) to evaluate five operational indicators of ḥuḍūr: intentionality, attention structure, interpretive ethics, existential engagement, and ethical transformation. The findings reveal that digital tafsir tends to exhibit fragmented attention, reduced hermeneutical depth, and a shift from inner transformation toward informative and normative functions. Algorithmic mediation and speed-oriented content structures reinforce representational knowledge, thereby weakening experiences of tajallī and dhawq in engaging the Qur’an. The study concludes that the crisis of ḥuḍūr is not merely a consequence of the digital medium but arises from the interaction between media logic and the epistemic disposition of the subject. It calls for a reorientation of tafsir as an existential experience integrating ethical, ontological, and epistemological dimensions.