Conspiracy, scripture, and power: The discursive construction of Jews and Zionism in Hamka’s Tafsir al-Azhar

Muhammad, Muhammad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5582-0872, Asrori, Mohammad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5673-9512, Yaqin, Mohamad Zubad Nurul ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8253-2048 and Ragab, Muhammad (2026) Conspiracy, scripture, and power: The discursive construction of Jews and Zionism in Hamka’s Tafsir al-Azhar. Kalam, 20 (1). pp. 1-24. ISSN 2540-7759

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Abstract

This article examines the discursive construction of Jews and Zionism in Hamka’s Tafsir al-Azhar through the combined approaches of Critical Discourse Analysis and genealogy. Departing from the premise that Qur’anic exegesis is never neutral, the study explores how scriptural interpretation is mediated by relations of power and shaped by specific historical contexts. It argues that representations of Jews and Zionism in Hamka’s tafsir are not solely derived from the Qur’anic text, but are also informed by twentieth-century socio-political dynamics, including colonialism, the Palestine–Israel conflict, and currents of modern Islamic thought. The findings identify three dominant discursive strategies: theological delegitimization, threat framing, and integration into broader narratives of global conspiracy. Through a genealogical perspective, the article demonstrates that such narratives should be understood as historically contingent formations that undergo a process of sacralization, whereby political discourses are transformed into religiously authorized interpretations. In this sense, tafsir functions not merely as a reflection of scripture but as a discursive practice that actively shapes religious perception and social meaning. In the contemporary Indonesian context, the reproduction of these narratives may contribute to the consolidation of exclusivist identities and binary oppositions between “self” and “other.” The article, therefore, underscores the importance of contextual, historically grounded, and reflexive approaches to Qur’anic interpretation in fostering more inclusive and balanced religious discourses.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Jews; Zionism; Qur’anic exegesis; HAMKA; discourse and power
Subjects:	22 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields 22 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 2204 Religion and Religious Studies 22 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 2299 Other Philosophy and Religious Studies
Divisions:	Faculty of Sharia and Law > Department of Al-Quran and Tafseer studies
Depositing User:	Dr. Muhammad, Lc., M.Th.I
Date Deposited:	11 May 2026 10:40

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