Konsep Ketuhanan: Kajian Terhadap Pemikiran Syeikh Ibn ‘Ajibah dalam Tafsir al-Bahr al-Madid fi Tafsir al-Quran al- Majid

The Concept of Divinity: A Study of the Thought of Shaykh Ibn ʿAjibah in Tafsir al-Bahr al-Madid fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Majid

Abstract

The concept of divinity is a central issue in Islamic creed (ʿaqīdah). Muslim scholars and intellectuals unanimously agree that tawḥīd (the oneness of God) is the fundamental principle of Islamic belief. However, they differ in their approaches to explaining it. Shaykh Ibn ʿAjibah is among the scholars who extensively discussed the concept of divinity in his exegetical work, Al-Bahr al-Madid fi Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Majid. This study reveals Shaykh Ibn ʿAjibah’s views and approach on several important matters related to the concept of divinity in Islam. Among these are the issues of tawḥīd, the Divine Acts (Afʿāl), Attributes (Ṣifāt), and Essence (Dhāt) of Allah, the concept of Divine Manifestation (Tajallī), the Beatific Vision (Ru’yah), the concepts of Mushāhadah and Aʿyān, as well as the notions of Ḥulūl and Ittiḥād. The study finds that Shaykh Ibn ʿAjibah possesses his own distinctive views and methodology in explaining these matters. His perspectives and approach are clearly influenced by the Sufi doctrines he upheld.