REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian tafsir scholar, Prof. Dr. M Quraish Shihab, is one of the few scholars in the country who has a book of interpretation of the Quran. His most famous book of tafsir is known as Tafsir Al-Mishbah.
At the launch of Tafsir Al-Mishbah digital application in Jakarta on Tuesday (31/10/2023), Prof. Quraish was asked about the possibility of revising the contents of Tafsir Al-Mishbah. This interpretation was worked on for three and a half years during his tenure as Indonesia's Ambassador to Egypt in 1999.
“Before we do revision, we have to measure our capabilities. It is common for us to have a dream, but if we are not able, leave it to others so that the dream can be realized,” he said.
Prof. Quraish is also aware that in the 20 years since the publication of Tafsir Al-Mishbah, there are certainly things that need to be revised in it.
“I am fully aware that with the development of 20 years, there must be a lot of things that need to be revised. It may be that what I wrote was true 20 years ago but now with the development of science and the situation, there must be revision,” he said.
Prof. Quraish also wanted to make these revisions. But in his opinion, he is no longer capable. “I have to measure myself. So I expect readers who are experts who revise, who write. But I just want the experts. All along there have been wanting this, wanting that, but it's not the experts talking. We don't want who aren't expert revise this tafsir,” he said.
However, Prof. Quraish said that the books he wrote after Tafsir Al-Mishbah clearly complement what is not yet complete in the book of tafsir.
“For example the book 'Islam dan Politik' (Islam & politics), or the even more recent book, 'Islam dan Lingkungan' (Islam and Environment). To supplement what is there (Tafsir Al-Mishbah) or indirectly revise what is there, but not directly revise the interpretation,” he explained
On that occasion, Prof. Quraish also expressed his hope that the Director of the Center for Qur'anic Studies Dr. Muchlis M. Hanafi, along with other experts, would help and participate in revising the Tafsir Al-Mishbah.
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