Tasfiyah: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi’s Theology of Resistance: A Postcolonial Reading of Risale-i Nur

Dhita Ayomi Purwaningtyas — 2025-09-01

This article explores Badiuzzaman Said Nursi's Risale-i Nur as a theological and cultural response to the secularizing project of early Republican Turkey. In a broader postcolonial context, the study examines how Nursi resisted the epistemological and spiritual consequences of Western modernity. The objective is to position Risale-i Nur as a form of decolonial Islamic thought that offers an alternative vision of modernity rooted in Qur'anic metaphysics and ethical spirituality. Using discourse analysis and postcolonial theory—especially Edward Said's Orientalism and Mignolo's epistemic disobedience—this qualitative study interprets Nursi's texts as acts of spiritual resistance. It finds that Nursi's resistance was not political rebellion but an ethical-spiritual struggle that reclaims Islamic knowledge, identity, and reason. Through informal networks (dershanes), educational reform, and ontological reorientation, Risale-i Nur functioned as a counter-hegemonic discourse. The article concludes that Nursi's work represents a constructive Islamic modernity—one that challenges secular paradigms while offering an integrated framework for faith, science, and culture.

Transnational and Local Tariqa: Spread and Political Attitudes

Muhammad Ichsan Rifqi — 2025-08-30

This article aims to examine Sufi orders as both transnational and local movements, focusing on the interactions between local and transnational orders and their strategies in shaping political stances in the countries where their teachings are propagated. The study employs a qualitative method with a library research approach. The findings indicate that the dissemination of Sufi groups occurs through various channels, including proselytization, trade, diaspora migration, and the utilization of digital technology. In determining their political positions, Sufi groups consider three main factors: (1) resistance to colonialism, (2) the protection of Sufi identity when they are a minority, often relying on state support and policies, particularly amid rising Islamic orthodoxy, and (3) responses to threats from radical groups. Initially traditional and individualistic, these orders have transformed into a form of neo-Sufism that balances worldly and spiritual concerns, thereby enabling participation in both local and global politics. The study provides nuanced insights into the adaptability and global role of Sufi orders, highlighting their capacity to navigate diverse socio-cultural contexts, build transnational networks, and contribute to interfaith and sustainable community dialogue. These findings provide valuable insights into the resilience of Sufi movements and their potential contributions to addressing contemporary global challenges.

Implementation of the Islamization of Contemporary Knowledge (IOCK) at the Department of Islamic Economics, University of Darussalam Gontor, Indonesia

Nazia Dinia — 2025-09-01

This study aims to investigate the implementation of the Islamization of Contemporary Knowledge (IOCK) at the University of Darussalam Gontor, with a focus on the Department of Islamic Economics. The research employs qualitative methods, describing, comparing, and analysing the three pivotal aspects of science as outlined by Imre Lakatos and Thomas Kuhn: Hardcore (Worldview), Hypothesis (Paradigm), and a series of theories. The study aims to examine the implementation of these aspects at the BA levels of the Department of Islamic Economics. Undergraduate students are required to take courses on Islamic and Western worldviews and paradigms for seven semesters. Master's-level students take courses on the theory of worldview and IOCK as an Islamic paradigm, write papers and theses on Islamization, and PhD students conduct research on the practice of Islamization by collaborating with lecturers from different departments. The output of the Islamization program includes textbooks, articles for journals, and scientific works, such as seminar articles and field research Findings show that 67% of students perceive the IOCK program as tedious and repetitive, while 48% of lectures without an Islamic studies background struggle to grasp its theoretical concepts. To address these challenges, the study recommends structured inter-Department collaboration and targeted capacity-building programs for lecturers, ensuring that IOCK is taught more dynamically and understood across disciplines. Such measures are expected to increase student engagement and enhance the quality of integrative Islamization research.

Refuting New Atheism: A Critical Response to Richard Dawkins and Its Negative Impacts on Korean Society with Proposed Solutions

Ayman Turk — 2025-09-03

This article critically examines the ideology of New Atheism, with particular focus on the writings and influence of Richard Dawkins. New Atheism, which rose to prominence in the West after the events of September 11, 2001, challenges religious belief through aggressive rationalism and popular science. Richard Dawkins, a key figure, is best known for The God Delusion, which has sparked wide global debate. This study explores the impact of New Atheism on Korean society, highlighting its moral and social implications, including the normalization of incest, bestiality, child exploitation, and abortion. Methodologically, this study applies inductive, critical-analytical, historical, and statistical approaches to refute atheistic claims and to promote Islamic theological responses. The research addresses four central questions: the origins and spread of New Atheism, the arguments used by its proponents, the rational proofs for the existence of God, and effective strategies to mitigate its influence. The study concludes that collaborative efforts among scholars, institutions, and society are vital in countering the spread of atheism and guiding youth toward faith and moral clarity.

Landasan Filosofis Pendidikan Islam dalam Pemikiran Imam Al-Ghazali dan Ibnu Taimiyah

Zubair Qudsi El Hanif Basyir — 2025-09-11

This study compares the educational thinking of Al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah, two prominent figures in Islamic history. It employs a qualitative approach based on literature review (library research) and uses a comparative method to analyze the educational thought of both scholars. Despite their methodological differences, both thinkers share a fundamental objective: attaining eternal happiness in the afterlife through beneficial knowledge and righteous action, with an emphasis on the purification of the heart. Al-Ghazali emphasizes a Sufi-oriented approach, particularly through the concepts of takhalli (self-purification) and tajalli (divine manifestation). In contrast, Ibn Taymiyyah adopts a more rational and scientific framework, focusing on the ‘ilmiyyah approach to prevent intellectual deviations (shubuhāt) and the irādiyyah approach to restrain base desires (shahawāt). Despite differences in methodology, both agreed on the goal of education to shape individuals and societies in harmony with the Qur'an and Sunnah. This study concludes that their ideas complement each other and can be applied in contemporary education to integrate cognitive and affective aspects.

Polemik Transendensi Tuhan Antara Mutakalim dan Salafi Kontemporer dalam Teks Al-‘Aqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah

Nur Shadiq Sandimula — 2025-09-14

Tanzīh is an essential concept in Islamic theology that demonstrates the transcendence of God from any resemblance to all creatures. One of the primary texts of Islamic theology is al-‘Aqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah by Abu Ja'far al-Thahawi, which is acclaimed unanimously by all Sunni Muslims. However, there has been debate among scholars regarding the establishment of the concept of tanzīh, notably between the Mutakallimūn and Contemporary Salafis. This study aims to examine the concept of tanzīh in the text of al-‘Aqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah. The method used in this study is qualitative with descriptive-theological analysis through a content analysis approach. The results of this study indicate that all Sunni groups have unanimously approved the text of al-Thahawi’s creed. However, in claiming legitimate representation to explain the text, there is a debate between the Mutakallimūn and the Salafis, both of whom claim to be Sunni. The central disagreement lies in using terms containing the meaning of contingency (ḥawādith) in linguistic terms regarding the Attributes of God. For the Mutakallimūn, any text by al-Thahawi that demonstrates the sanctification (tanzīh) of God's attributes from the categories of creatures (ḥawādith) is accepted affirmatively with expositions that support the content of the text. Meanwhile, the Salafi school polemically contests these texts because al-Thahawi uses ambiguous and multi-meaning terms (mujmal) that imply a denial of the Attributes of God as explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith.