Indonesian scholars` reception of Arkoun`s thought : a case of his method of interpreting the Qur`anic text

Abstract

The study is an attempt to note, identify, and explain the influence of Arkoun's writings on Indonesian Islamic circles. Arkoun, an Algerian emigre in France, is a controversial Muslim scholar who does not only promote new approaches to Islam, but also inspires some Islamic circles to apply his ideas. One of his controversial ideas is that the Qur'an needs to be read in a critical spirit and in a version which omits portions of it. Again, he says that things mentioned in the Qur'an are also to be found in Hebrew, Christian and other scriptures; hence, he promotes the concept of religious pluralism. He accepts the common law and goes to the point of claiming that Shariah law is not peculiar to Islam but borrowed from other religions and cultures. The study also finds that Indonesian scholars and Arkoun have interconnections and, to some extent, show the same concerns, such as taking into account the postmodern experience to explore issues of Islamic thought in general and Qur'anic studies in particular. This study of the reception of Arkoun's views in Indonesian intellectual circles has tried to show why and in what ways they have been accepted. The study concludes that Arkoun's works have given others an opportunity to see Islam in the context of their own Indonesian experience and Western influence.