Moderation of the Concept of God in the Qur’an from the Perspective of Abul Kalam Azad: “A Study of Tafsir in Tarjuman al-Qur’an on Surah Al-Fatihah, Verse 5”

Abstract

This writing aims to discuss the theme of creed moderation in the Qur’an from the perspective of Abul Kalam Azad in his interpretation of Surah al-Fatihah-5 in the exegesis known as “The Tarjuman al-Qur’an”. the author employs a qualitative, descriptive analysis sourced from Azad’s exegesis titled “The Tarjuman al-Qur’an”. With his unique background, Azad elucidates the distinctiveness of Islamic creed teachings in the Qur’an compared to those of other religions, thereby asserting Islam as the most perfect religion. In his discussion of the concept of God, Azad asserts that the moderation of Islamic creed is manifested in the concept of the Divine, which avoids falling into the two extreme poles of transcendentalism leading to the nullification of the concept of God, and anthropomorphism, which gets entangled in likening God to creatures. the Qur’an also adopts a moderate stance regarding the names and attributes of God , which, according to the Qur’anic perspective, possess balanced qualities. the balance of Islamic creed is further represented in the declaration of the two testimonies of faith, which entails the commitment of a servant to worship only the One and Only God and simultaneously closes the potential for a prophet to be believed as a representation or embodiment of God. Additionally, the universal outlook on God for all of humanity is also an expression of the moderation of creed in Islam.