Recontextualizing israiliyyat in Indonesian digital tafsir: a critical study of Felix Siauw's narratives of Prophets Joseph and Moses

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Zakiyatun, Najwa (2025) Recontextualizing israiliyyat in Indonesian digital tafsir: a critical study of Felix Siauw's narratives of Prophets Joseph and Moses. TAJDID: Jurnal Ilmu Ushuluddin, 24 (2). pp. 644-678. ISSN 2541-5018

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Abstract

This article examines the recontextualization of Isrā’īliyyāt in Felix Siauw’s interpretations of the Qur’anic narratives of the Prophets Joseph and Moses. As a popular religious figure among converts in digital media, Felix Siauw’s discourse constitutes a strategic arena for examining the negotiation of Isrā’īliyyāt within contemporary Indonesian social, cultural, and ideological contexts. This study employs a qualitative approach, integrating netnography and content analysis, to analyze Felix’s strategies of contextualization, patterns of audience interaction with the narratives presented, and the hermeneutical constructions underlying his interpretations. The findings indicate that Isrā’īliyyāt are recontextualized by linking prophetic stories to contemporary socio-political issues and popular cultural references, including global conflicts, critiques of state food governance, transnational Muslim concerns, and popular media narratives. Audience responses demonstrate a spectrum of religious literacy, ranging from passive acceptance to critical engagement through practices of verification, critique, and correction. The construction of meaning in Felix’s interpretation of Isrā’īliyyāt draws on the principles of munāsabah, narrative reconstruction, and cultural analogy. Social, artistic, and educational backgrounds, along with post-HTI Islamist ideological orientations, shape variations in prophetic narratives, positioning Qur’anic stories as ideal models for contemporary life. Academically, this study contributes to the theoretical and methodological development of Isrā’īliyyāt studies in the digital age by highlighting how these narratives are negotiated, adapted, and interpreted within contemporary Indonesian digital religious discourse.