Auditorium Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS: The Graduate School of the State Islamic University (SPs UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 1621st Doctoral Promotion Exam in the Auditorium Room of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta on Thursday, May 8, 2025 with the Kartubi promovendus.

Kartubi is a student of the Doctoral program in Islamic Studies with a Concentration in Islamic Thought. He wrote a dissertation entitled "Discourse on Sufism of the Qur'an (Comparative Study between the Book of Tafsir Tarjumān al-Mustafīd and Marāḥ Labīd)".

This dissertation succeeds in exploring in depth the concept of Sufism as implied in the holy verses of the Qur'an through the lens of two masterpieces of interpretation of the great scholars of the archipelago. This study highlights how Abdul Ra'uf Sinkili, a prominent Sufi figure and scholar from Aceh, and Sheikh Nawawi al-Bantani, a charismatic scholar from Banten, interpreted the verses that became the foundation of Islamic spirituality.

Although the term Sufism is not found explicitly in the Qur'an, this dissertation carefully identifies the core concepts of Sufism such as tazkiyatun nafs (purification of the soul), sincerity, and tawakal hinted at in various verses. Sufi scholars, including Sinkili and Nawawi al-Bantani, used the ishari's interpretation model to explore the deeper inner meanings of these verses. The tafsir works of Tarjumān al-Mustafīd and Marāḥ Labīd are the main focus of this research as a representation of how local wisdom and understanding of Islamic spirituality combine in interpreting the holy book.

The findings of Kartubi's research reveal that the thoughts of these two great scholars of the archipelago related to the interpretation of Sufism verses have the characteristics of akhlaqi Sufism and hadhari Sufism with strong cultural roots. Moral Sufism emphasizes the effort to purify the soul through the imitation of the attributes of Allah (takhalluq bi-akhlāq Allah) through the stages of takhallī (emptying oneself from reprehensible nature), tahallī (filling oneself with praiseworthy qualities), and tajallī (divine manifestation). Meanwhile, Hadhari Sufism plays a role in building the civilization of Muslims in the archipelago through the path of power and purification of religious thought, without causing conflict with the cultural values of the local community.

The research method used in this dissertation is library research by analyzing qualitatively, comparatively, and thetically the books of tafsir Tarjumān al-Mustafīd and Marāḥ Labīd. Textual and semantic approaches are used to examine in depth the concept of Sufism teachings according to the perspective of each mufasir. The results of this study strengthen the views of previous scholars, such as Mamat S. Burhanuddin, Bashori, and Abid Syahni, regarding open-mindedness among students and the role of Tarjumān al-Mustafīd's  tafsir as the first complete tafsir work in the archipelago.

Furthermore, this dissertation is different from Arivvaie Rahman's view that the tafsir written by Abdul Ra'uf Sinkili while serving as mufti in the kingdom of Aceh was not completely free from political nuances. These findings open up a richer discussion space on how social and political contexts can influence the interpretation of Qur'anic verses, especially in the intellectual treasures of Islam in the archipelago.

Kartubi successfully defended his dissertation under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Ahmad Thib Raya, MA and Prof. Dr. Asep Usman Ismail, M.Ag, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Zulkifli, MA, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Thib Raya, MA, Prof. Dr. Asep Usman Ismail, M.Ag, Prof. Dr. Zainun Kamaluddin Fakih, MA, Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA and Dr. Lilik Ummi Kaltsum,  MA.

After paying attention to the writing of the dissertation, the comments of the examiner team and the answers of the examiner, the examiner team determined that Kartubi was declared to have graduated with the title of Very Satisfactory and became the 1621st Doctor in the field of Islamic Studies at the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (JA)