The Epistemological Crisis of Ḥuḍūr in Digital Tafsir
Lufaefi Lufaefi, Siti Kafidhoh, Isyroqotun Nashoiha, Sulalatun Nikma, Himmah Aliyah
Kanz Philosophia : A Journal for Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism June 24, 2026 DOI: 10.20871/kpjipm.v12i1.564 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative conceptual-empirical study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Exegetical texts published on NU Online and Detik.com |
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Hermeneutics Existentialism Problematization Context archaeology Meaning existential Mediation Kabbalah Normative Epistemology Representation politics Transcendental number Subjectivism Qur’anic interpretation studies |
| Key findings | Digital tafsir tends to exhibit fragmented attention, reduced hermeneutical depth, and a shift from inner transformation toward informative and normative functions, weakening experiences of tajallī and dhawq. |
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.
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| Do Drugs Have Religious Import? A 40-Year Retrospective | 2004 | Interview | |
| Narratives of the mystical among users of psychedelics Psychedelic drug users | 2021 | Qualitative study | n = 50 |
| Auras in mysticism and synaesthesia: a comparison. Synaesthetes who experience colors in response to human faces and figures | 2012 | Qualitative study | n = 4 |