Nūr dan Nār dalam Perspektif Tafsir dan Astrofisika: Studi Tafsir Maudhu‘i Interdisipliner

Abstract

This study examines the concepts of nūr (light) and nār (fire) in the Qur'an through an interdisciplinary tafsīr mawdūʿī (thematic exegesis) approach in limited dialogue with modern astrophysics. Both are treated as Qur'anic concepts with linguistic, exegetical, and cosmological dimensions, analyzed through thematic exegesis, Qur'anic semantics, comparative exegesis (tafsīr muqāran), and Fazlur Rahman's Double Movement theory. While nūr is commonly associated with guidance, clarity, and order, nār is linked to heat, energy, motion, and dynamism. Their relationship as a conceptual pair for understanding the Qur'anic cosmos, however, has received limited systematic attention. This study investigates the lexical and relational meanings of nūr and nār, examines their usage in Qur'anic verses, and analyzes the interpretations of al-Ṭabarī, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Ibn Kathīr, and M. Quraish Shihab. The methods include thematic verse collection, linguistic and relational semantic analysis, comparative exegesis, and the Double Movement framework. The first movement explores the meanings of nūr and nār within the Qur'an, Hadith, Arabic, and the exegetical tradition, while the second places these findings in dialogue with astrophysics through epistemic analogy. Electromagnetic light and plasma are viewed not as ontological equivalents but as scientific horizons for explaining order, transmission, energy, and dynamism. The findings indicate that nūr signifies guidance, intelligibility, and order, whereas nār represents energy, transformation, motion, and cosmic dynamism. Together, they offer a complementary Qur'anic understanding of the cosmos without reducing revelation to physical theory. This study advances interdisciplinary tafsīr mawdūʿī by positioning the Double Movement as a methodological bridge between the Qur'anic text, the cosmological context, and limited dialogue with astrophysics.