Decolonizing Tafsir: A Critical Reassessment of Orientalist Methodologies in Contemporary Qur’anic Studies

Abstract

In the evolving landscape of global scholarship, the discourse surrounding tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis) has been shaped significantly by Western academic frameworks, often rooted in Orientalist traditions. These methods, while contributing to textual analysis, frequently marginalize indigenous interpretive traditions and epistemologies from the Global South. This paper seeks to challenge and reassess those paradigms within the context of a postcolonial digital age, which has democratized access to knowledge and opened new avenues for interpretive plurality. The primary objective of this research is to deconstruct dominant Western methodologies applied to Qur’anic studies and to examine the rise of decolonial narratives, particularly from Muslim-majority societies and postcolonial scholars. This study critically interrogates the epistemic foundations of Orientalist approaches and assesses how digital platforms have catalyzed the resurgence of alternative interpretive frameworks. Employing a qualitative textual method, the research analyzes a wide corpus of contemporary and classical tafsir works, alongside critical Orientalist writings. Findings indicate a growing scholarly movement emphasizing epistemic justice, indigenous hermeneutics, and linguistic-cultural contexts that re-center Qur’anic discourse in Muslim scholarly traditions. This study is significant in amplifying the voices and methodologies of the Global South, reshaping the academic conversation around Qur’anic interpretation. It aims to contribute to the decolonial turn in Islamic studies, offering both a critique and an alternative epistemological horizon.