THE EFFECT OF PRINT LITERACY ON THE TRADITION OF WRITING QUR’ANIC EXEGESIS IN WEST JAVA IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

Dadang Darmawan; Muhammad  Solahudin; Nurul Alamin; Muhammad  Iqbal

doi:10.30631/tjd.v24i2.5226

Authors

Dadang Darmawan State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9718-1898
Muhammad Solahudin State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Indonesia
Nurul Alamin State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Indonesia
Muhammad Iqbal Ibn Tofail University Kenitra, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30631/tjd.v24i2.5226

Keywords:

Print Literacy; Sundanese; Qur`anic Exegesis

Abstract

In the early 20th century, various works of Qur'anic exegesis emerged in West Java after a three-century hiatus. The purpose of this study is to find the relationship between the introduction of the printing press to the Sundanese people and the rise of writing Qur'anic exegesis in West Java in the early 20th century. This study uses a qualitative approach with historical methods that include heuristics, criticism, interpretation, and historiography. The primary data consists of exegesis books printed in West Java in the early 20th century. Meanwhile, secondary data was collected through literature studies from various relevant scientific works. The results of the study show that in the mid-19th century, the Dutch East Indies colonial government introduced printing presses to the Sundanese community. This ultimately sparked the enthusiasm of the Sundanese menak (nobility) to write books. This tradition then began to encourage Sundanese ulama (Islamic scholars) to produce their own works in various fields of Islamic studies, including Qur’anic exegesis. The findings show a correlation between the introduction of printing presses and the increase in Qur’anic exegesis works in West Java in the early 20th century. This research contributes to enriching our understanding of the dynamics of Qur’anic exegesis writing in West Java by showing that the productivity of ulama was influenced by the interaction between technological developments, the socio-religious context, and the needs of proselytizing at that time.

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