Theological Resources of Peacebuilding in the Works of ʿAbd Al-Ḥalīm Maḥmūd, Said Nursi and Hamka

This chapter examines the theological perspectives of the three scholars under study, which may be regarded as theological resources for peacebuilding. Given that all three are leading figures in their respective countries, possess significant religious authority, and engage with almost all aspects of Islamic teachings, this chapter limits its scope to selected theological issues that are most salient in relation to peacebuilding within their works. To present these theological issues in a coherent and systematic manner, three complementary approaches are employed: hermeneutical, intertextual, and thematic exegesis (al-tafsīr al-mawḍūʿī). The first two approaches are drawn from Western scholarship, while the third originates from a discipline developed by contemporary Qurʾānic exegetes. Al-tafsīr al-mawḍūʿī is an exegetical method that addresses a particular issue through the objectives of the Qurʾān (al-maqāṣid al-Qurʾānīya) embedded in a Sūrah or verse (Muslim, 2000: 16). This form of exegesis entails the collection of dispersed verses in the Qurʾān pertaining to a specific theme and their interpretation considering the overarching objectives of the Qurʾān (al-Khalidī, 2012: 34). Thus, the textual analysis undertaken in this study combines two intellectual paradigms: that developed in the West and that rooted in the Islamic scholarly tradition.