Semantic Network of Kufr in the Qur’an and Its Reception in Sundanese Tafsir Kemenag

Abstract

Kufr is one of the most frequent and central terms in the Qur’anic ethical system. However, studies of its semantic field in Indonesian scholarship rarely examine how the term is represented in regional-language translations. As a result, a gap remains between Qur’anic semantic studies and the rich tradition of Nusantara tafsir studies. This study addresses that gap by mapping the basic meaning, thematic distribution, and semantic relations of kufr in the Qur’an using Toshihiko Izutsu’s theory of basic and relational meaning. It then evaluates how far Tafsir Sunda Kemenag preserves this semantic network in its Sundanese translation. The study employs a qualitative library research design, analyzing all 236 occurrences of the root kafara in 54 surahs, classical Arabic dictionaries, pre-Islamic poetry, and syntagmatic-paradigmatic relations. The findings are compared with the lexical choices in Tafsir Sunda Kemenag using the framework of formal and dynamic translation equivalence. The results show that the basic meaning of kufr as “concealment” (al-taghtiyah) is generally preserved, particularly in its eschatological dimension. However, the Sundanese translation fragments this semantic unity by using at least eight different lexical equivalents, including kupur, kapir, and ingkar, without a consistent translation principle. This weakens the morphological relationship between the negative derivations (kafara, al-kāfir) and the positive derivation (yukaffiru). Overall, the translation successfully conveys the moral seriousness of kufr, but only partially preserves its semantic unity and theological universality. These findings suggest the need for more consistent translation principles and more comprehensive explanatory footnotes in future revisions.