QURANICA - International Journal of Quranic Research

Contribution of Wan Ainuddin Hilmi Abdullah In The Field of Tarannum Al-Quran in Malaysia

Anuar bin Hasin — 2025-06-30

Malaysia is well-known as the first country in the world to host the International Quran Recitation Assembly (MTQA). The impact of organizing MTQA has resulted in the emergence of many renowned male and female Quran reciters on the global stage. Ustaz Wan Ainuddin Hilmi was one of the successful qaris who achieved the title of MTQA Champion in 2016. Throughout his life, he was recognized as a qari with high-quality recitation skills and was frequently invited to perform recitations both domestically and internationally. This study aims to uncover the contributions of Wan Ainuddin Hilmi in the field of Quranic art (Tarannum al-Quran) in Malaysia by examining his background in the field of Quranic art, as well as his achievements in Quranic recitation. Additionally, his contributions and roles in the development of other areas, such as the science of tajwid, are also explored in this study. Information was collected through semi-structured interviews and library research. The study found that Ustaz Wan Ainuddin Hilmi deeply immersed himself in the art of Quranic recitation, learning from numerous prominent qari figures from both within and outside the country. Furthermore, he won the title of MTQA National Quran Recitation Champion three times during his lifetime. Throughout his life, he was also actively involved in accepting invitations to Quranic gatherings both domestically and internationally. He also authored several books on the science of tajwid. However, the Muslim community lost this valuable gem when he passed away due to a heart attack on October 19, 2021.

HAMKA and Contemporary Da'wah Approach in the Interpretation of Verses Related to the Prophetic Biography

Mohd Arubi Ismail — 2025-06-30

This article examines the da’wah approach of Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah (HAMKA) in the context of the contemporary world through his interpretation of Quranic verses related to the Sirah of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. The focus of this study is on HAMKA’s interpretation of the verses related to the Beginning of the Revelation, the Migration to Medina, the Battle of Badr al-Kubra, the Battle of Uhud, the Conquest of Mecca and the Battle of Tabuk. Through the method of content analysis of HAMKA’s commentary on the verses related to those events, the study found that HAMKA, through Tafsir al-Azhar, demonstrated his wisdom in linking the events and the lessons of Prophetic Biography within the context of the contemporary reality. HAMKA not only provided textual explanations, but he also highlighted practical aspects related to modern da’wah as a response to contemporary issues faced by Muslims. The study results show that HAMKA’s approach to da’wah focuses on the formation of the preacher’s personality, the fundamentals of Islamic faith, Islamic ethics values, Islamic politics values, nationalism issues, jurisprudence rulings and their application in contemporary times. His approach also encompasses responses to various social issues. This study concludes that HAMKA successfully made the Prophetic Biography a relevant and significant reference source in contemporary preaching. This article contributes to a broader understanding of the relevance of the Sirah of Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H in addressing contemporary challenges in da’wah.

The Development of the Educational Game “Jejak Anbiya’”: A Pedagogical Approach to Teaching ‘Aqidah to Children through the Qur’anic Stories of the Prophets

Mohd Khairul Naim bin Che Nordin — 2025-06-30

This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the Jejak Anbiya’ board game as a medium for teaching Islamic creed (ʿaqīdah) to children, based on the narrative of the prophets’ stories in the Qur’an. In an effort to offer a more interactive and holistic alternative to Islamic education, the game is designed based on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, incorporating a game-based learning approach. The game consists of 63 steps, supported by various types of cards designed to deliver questions, worship tasks, and missions inspired by the stories of 25 prophets and messengers. The research methodology involves a design and development approach, followed by an evaluation phase through quasi-experimental methods, including pre- and post-tests, observation, and student reflection. The effectiveness test, involving 10 pupils, showed significant improvements in the cognitive domain (knowledge and understanding), affective domain (interest and positive attitudes towards religious learning), and psychomotor domain (social skills and confidence in expressing learned content). These findings demonstrate that Jejak Anbiya’ has strong potential as an effective teaching aid in delivering ʿaqīdah content and Islamic values in an engaging, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate way for children. This study recommends further exploration of game-based Islamic educational innovations as a contemporary pedagogical strategy rooted in the Qur’an and suitable for today’s digital generation.

Seriousness and Its Manifestations in Light of the Maqāṣid of Surah Al-Saff: A Thematic and Analytical Study

Ameen Ahmed Abdullah Qasem Al-Nahari — 2025-06-30

This research investigates the manifestations of jidiyyah (seriousness) in Maqāṣid Sūrat al-Ṣaff through an objective, analytical approach. It seeks to demonstrate that seriousness is a Qurʾānic value essential for shaping both individual character and collective action, thereby supporting contemporary Islamic renewal. The study formulates its problem around the inadequate internalisation of this value among Muslims; a deficiency reflected in the gap between words and deeds and in the limited efficacy of daʿwah activities. An analytical-thematic method is applied to trace lexical items and contextual indicators within the sūrah, while exegetical analysis elucidates their semantic layers; descriptive analysis then connects these findings to historical and present-day applications of seriousness. The results identify four central manifestations of seriousness: (1) congruence between speech and action as the touchstone of credibility; (2) cohesion of the “single rank” (ṣaff) as a principle of collective discipline; (3) reliance on dialogue and persuasion to overcome obstacles and reinforce steadfastness; and (4) collaborative labour grounded in the formation of supportive helpers, which strengthens daʿwah synergy. The study also outlines six educational mechanisms that cultivate seriousness, including faith-building, self-struggle, righteous companionship and reliance on the divine promise. It concludes that Sūrat al-Ṣaff offers a comprehensive practical programme capable of counteracting contemporary weakness and lethargy, and that seriousness, as presented in the sūrah, constitutes not merely an ethical virtue but a prerequisite for preserving the Islamic mission and realising the community’s civilisational mandate.

Navigating the Labyrinth: Malaysian Students’ Struggles and Insights in Mastering Variant Readings of the Quran

Samer Najeh Abdullah Samarh — 2025-06-30

This research aims to identify the primary challenges faced by students in the Quranic Studies departments at Malaysian universities, particularly those specializing in variant readings of the Quran, known as Qirāʾāt. It aims to meticulously develop theoretical, practical, and logical strategies to address these obstacles, thereby facilitating academic success and navigating through the various stages of their educational pursuits with greater efficacy and efficiency. The descriptive-analytical approach is utilized to achieve the research study objectives. A questionnaire is specifically developed for the obstacles and challenges to learning and teaching Qirāʾāt Sabʿ (seven canonical modes of recitation) among students in Malaysian universities. A research sample of (99) students including (48) males and (51) females at the level of bachelor’s degree program of Qirāʾāt from different university years in five Malaysian universities is randomly selected. A 72-item questionnaire used as a research instrument is also prepared and divided into five domains. This study findings indicate weakness and randomness among students concerning memorizing and revising the Holy Qur’an, as well as in memorizing some fundamental texts in Qirāʾāt, such as the Ṭayyibat al-Nashr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-ʿAshr. Concerning the Arabic language and its practice, the results show weakness among students in using the Arabic language and its applications. However, the results show no statistically significant differences in independent variables such as the student’s gender or study’s place. The research results will help the students of the Qirāʾāt program to identify the most important obstacles and challenges in learning and teaching qirāʾāt sabʿ and find the most significant treatment methods to overcome these difficulties and obstacles. This research study is also valuable in making appropriate decisions and developing teaching methods in institutes and universities interested in teaching the Qirāʾāt, so that proper instructions that limit these difficulties are developed in advance.

Multi-Dimensional NLP Analysis of the Quran: Structure, Semantics, and Emotion across Qirāʾāt

Asmaa Bengueddach — 2025-06-30

This study investigates the Quranic text through a multi-dimensional Natural Language Processing (NLP) framework that integrates structural, semantic, and emotional analysis. Drawing on both Arabic and translated corpora, we apply a combination of traditional statistical techniques (e.g., TF-IDF) and transformer-based models (e.g., AraBERT) to examine thematic distributions, linguistic variation, and affective tone across Surahs. Our analysis incorporates tokenization, frequency analysis, part-of-speech tagging, and emotion classification, supported by visualizations such as bar charts and word clouds. Part-of-speech tagging refers to labeling each word in the Quranic text with its grammatical role (e.g., noun, verb, adjective), which helps clarify the structure and meaning of verses. Results reveal distinct structural and emotional profiles between Meccan and Medinan Surahs, with shorter chapters exhibiting denser emotional content, and longer ones displaying greater thematic diversity. The inclusion of Qirāʾāt perspectives further highlights meaningful canonical variation often overlooked in computational studies. This work contributes to the emerging field of Quranic computational linguistics by offering an integrative approach that bridges traditional exegesis with modern NLP and lays the groundwork for future applications in tafsir automation, recitation analysis, and discourse modeling.

The Satire–Hyperbole Nexus in Qur’anic Interpretation and Translation: Ideological Implications and Strategic Approaches

Shehda R.S. Abuisaac — 2025-06-30

At the crossroads of satire and hyperbole, this study delves into the interpretation and translation of Qur’anic discourse, unveiling the complex typologies and communicative functions of speech acts shaped by this potent rhetorical fusion. It engages with the extensive body of interpretative frameworks surrounding hyperbolic and satiric speech acts, exploring the complexities inherent in translating these figurative expressions into English. The data are methodologically analyzed through Sperber and Wilson’s (1986) Relevance Theory, and Nida’s (2003) Theory of Equivalence, employing a qualitative approach to facilitate a rigorous and interpretive analysis of the subject matter. The findings of this study underscore that the figurative language of the Qur’an—specifically the confluence of satire and hyperbole—poses peculiar translational challenges due to both interlingual and intralingual divergences between Arabic and English. Conventional one-to-one or literal translation methodologies prove inadequate in capturing the full semantic and pragmatic nuance. Consequently, alternative translational model, mainly, a syntactic, pragma-cognitive model that unites Relevance Theory with post-modifier adjectival strategies, empowering translators to penetrate the text’s deeper semantic layers and faithfully transmit its rhetorical brilliance.

The Possibility of Rapprochement and Peaceful Coexistence between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam in Light of the Qur'an: A Case Study of Legislative Sources

Youcef Bensala — 2025-06-30

Given the fact that there are disparities in legislative sources, practices, environments, and views, religious diversity is unavoidable. The issue is whether the distinctions between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, particularly in light of the Qur'anic principles, promote understanding and peaceful coexistence or whether they inflame fanaticism and extremism. This is qualitative research. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sources from which Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims derive their religious and secular teachings, with a specific focus on the Qur'an as a fundamental legislative source in Islam. Documentary, descriptive, and inductive analysis methods were employed for data collection and examination. Having analyzed the documented facts from the primary legislative sources of the three religions, which are Vida, three baskets َ & Quran, this study demonstrates the possibility of rapprochement and peaceful coexistence between these religions, as their legislative sources discourage extremism and religiously motivated conflicts. The findings further reveal that these religions not only promote safety and respect for other beliefs but also uphold the integrity of humanity and religious principles. Moreover, the study shows that all three religions denounce and condemn acts of killing, injustice, aggression, and corruption that threaten rapprochement and peaceful coexistence among their adherents. Therefore, this study recommends that if the findings are fully implemented, contemporary society will experience significant religious, economic, political, social, and moral development.