An Analysis of the Method and Style of Interpretation of Kiai Shaleh Darat in Tafsir Faidh ar-Rahman through Fazlur Rahman’s Socio-Historical Hermeneutic Approach.

Abstract

This study examines Tafsir Faidh ar-Rahman fi Tarjamah Tafsir Kalam Malik ad-Dayyan by Kiai Shaleh Darat as one of the most significant references in the tradition of Qur’anic exegesis in the Indonesian Archipelago (Nusantara). Employing a qualitative methodology grounded in library research, this study integrates philological analysis of Pegon manuscripts and lithographic prints with Fazlur Rahman’s socio-historical hermeneutical framework to analyze the dynamic relationship between the text and its colonial 19th-century context. The findings reveal that Faidh ar-Rahman functions not merely as a religious commentary, but also as a vehicle for grassroots Islamic education, a reinforcement of Javanese cultural identity, and a form of epistemic resistance against colonial domination and Arabic-elitist linguistic hierarchy. The study further shows that this tafsir played a major role in democratizing Qur’anic access for the wider community, producing influential Muslim scholars, and shaping the intellectual landscape of noble and educated circles, including R.A. Kartini. Thus, Shaleh Darat’s exegesis occupies a central position in the development of local Nusantara tafsir studies and reflects a living dialectic between the sacred text, Javanese cultural expression, and the socio-political realities of colonial rule.