The Progress of the Quranic Scientific Exegesis in South-East Asia

Scientific exegesis has been adapted by religious scholars in this region beginning in the early 20th century, and later developed and is widely accepted by the scholars. The number of scholars who use the exegesis in writing their religious texts particularly in interpreting verses of the Quran have increased throughout the years. Therefore, the objective of this article is to uncover and analyze the progress of the Quranic Scientific Exegesis in South-East Asia through its scholars. This study uses qualitative methodology and library research methods by analyzing various primary and secondary sources. The content analysis method is used to sort and analyze the data with certain characteristics objectively and systematically. The findings of this study clearly show that the prominent scholars in the region such as Shaykh Muhammad Idris Al-Marbawi, Shaykh Muhammad Saʾid ibn Umar, Shaykh Mustafa Abdul Rahman, Shaykh Abdul Hayei Abdul Sukor, Ustaz Zawawi Ahmad, Prof. Hasbi Ash-Shiddieqy, Prof. Buya Hamka, K.H. Bisyri Mustafa, Prof. Achmad Baiquni and Shaykh Ahmad Sonhadji Muhammad, have contributed a lot and played an important role in the development of this the Quranic scientific exegesis. It is also discovered that the government agencies in the region also play a role in supporting the efforts to promote the development of the Quranic scientific exegesis so that it can be accepted and widely used by the Muslim community as a branch of the Quranic interpretation in learning and understanding the Quran.