Quranic Social Reconciliation in Multicultural Societies: A Thematic Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33511/alfanar.v9n2.128-146Keywords:
Social reconciliation, thematic exegesis, tabayyun, multicultural societyAbstract
Social conflicts in multicultural societies require an ethical framework that integrates information accuracy, justice, and the restoration of social relationships. In this context, the Quran offers normative principles that remain relevant for conflict management and the strengthening of social cohesion. This article aims to formulate a Quranic paradigm of social reconciliation by examining the interrelationship between information verification, conflict resolution, justice, and coexistence in multicultural societies. The article is written using a qualitative content analysis approach through thematic (mawdui) exegesis, enriched by a limited comparative reading of Jāmi‘ al-Bayan by al-Ṭabari, Tafsir Al-Mishbah by M. Quraish Shihab, and Tafsir Al-Azhar by Hamka. The findings reveal four interrelated dimensions of Quranic social reconciliation: tabayyun as information verification to prevent social harm, islah as the responsible restoration of relationships, justice as the normative principle guiding reconciliation processes, and ta‘aruf and benevolence as the foundation for sustainable coexistence. The thematic synthesis demonstrates that social reconciliation in the Quran constitutes an ethical framework linking information verification, relationship restoration, justice, and coexistence. These findings offer a conceptual foundation for strengthening social cohesion and managing conflict in multicultural societies.
References
Alwi, H. M., Robikah, S., & Parninsih, I. (2020). Gerakan Membumikan Tafsir Al-Qur’an Di Indonesia: Studi M. Quraish Shihab atas Tafsir Al-Misbah. Jurnal At-Tibyan Jurnal Ilmu Alquran Dan Tafsir, 5(1), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.32505/tibyan.v5i1.1320
Andrighetto, L., Halabi, S., Kosic, A., Petrović, N., Prelić, N., Pecini, C., & Nadler, A. (2024). Institutional acknowledgement of the chosen trauma in the background of its denial: A field experiment across conflicting groups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(5), 1037–1049. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3050
Armita, P. (2025). Digital Da’wah and Quranic Interpretation: Opportunities, Distortions, and Ethics in the Spread of Interpretations on Social Media. International Journal of Islamic Thought and Humanities, 4(1), 154–164. https://doi.org/10.54298/ijith.v4i1.421
Bilven, B., Nyúl, B., & Kende, A. (2022). Exclusive victimhood, higher ethnic and lower national identities predict less support for reconciliation among native and Chinese Indonesians through mutual prejudice. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 91, 262–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2022.10.011
Boin, J., Rupar, M., Graf, S., Neji, S., Spiegler, O., & Swart, H. (2021). The generalization of intergroup contact effects: Emerging research, policy relevance, and future directions. Journal of Social Issues, 77(1), 105–131. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12419
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Čehajić-Clancy, S., & Halperin, E. (2024). Advancing research and practice of psychological intergroup interventions. Nature Reviews Psychology, 3(9), 574–588. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-024-00330-z
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Mixed methods procedures. In Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Aproaches.
Dasrizal, D., Rambe, K. F., Sihombing, C. D., Khalid, E., & Safitri, D. A. (2025). Distortion of Quranic Interpretation on Social Media: An Analysis of the Spread of Misleading Meanings. Journal of Quranic Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 65–82. https://joqer.intischolar.id/index.php/joqer/article/view/8
Desky, H., Asiah, N., & Savitri, A. (2025). A Model of Sharia Educational Management: Advancing Sustainable Islamic Financial Inclusion. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM), 13(05), 8995–9001. https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsrm/v13i05.em08
Driessen, M. D. (2025). Interreligious Dialogue, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: A Review †. Religions, 16(2), 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020150
Ecker, U. K. H., Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Schmid, P., Fazio, L. K., Brashier, N., Kendeou, P., Vraga, E. K., & Amazeen, M. A. (2022). The psychological drivers of misinformation belief and its resistance to correction. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(1), 13–29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-00006-y
Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Asril, Z., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Febriani, A., & Oktavia, G. (2026). Tartil Method: A Solution for Cultivating High-Achieving Students in Quranic Learning. Khalifa: Journal of Islamic Education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.24036/kjie.v10i1.474
Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Ediz, M. H., Efendi, E., Ridha, A., Febriani, A., & Oktavia, G. (2026). Tartil Method as an Effective Pedagogical Approach for Enhancing Students’ Interest in Quranic Learning. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research of Higher Education (IJMURHICA, 9(1), 253–267. https://doi.org/10.24036/ijmurhica.v9i1.637
Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Hamzah, M. I., Syafril, S., Febriani, A., Oktavia, G., & Satrial, A. (2026). Quran Teachers’ Skills as Pedagogical Foundations: Conceptual and Practical Insights into Nine Competencies. Muaddib: Journal of Islamic Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 22–38. https://doi.org/10.67055/xt598c43
Engkizar, E., Jaafar, A., Masuwd, M. A., Rahman, I., Datres, D., Taufan, M., Akmal, F., Dasrizal, D., Oktavia, G., Yusrial, Y., & Febriani, A. (2025). Challenges and Steps in Living Quran and Hadith Research: An Introduction. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research of Higher Education (IJMURHICA, 8(3), 426–435. https://doi.org/10.24036/ijmurhica.v8i3.396
Fonseca, L., & Jovchelovitch, S. (2024). The long hard road of reconciliation: Prefiguring cultures of peace through the transformation of representations of former combatants and identities of urban youth in Colombia. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2967
Galtung, J. (1990). Cultural Violence. Journal of Peace Research, 27(3), 291–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343390027003005
Hamka. (1985). Tafsir Al-Azhar. Pustaka Panjimas.
Hamka. (2003). Tafsir Al-Azhar (Tafsir Al-Qur’an (Vol. 02). Pustaka Nasional PTE LTD.
Hidayat, H. (2020). Simbolisasi Warna dalam Al-Quran. Maghza: Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur’an Dan Tafsir, 5(1), 36–50. https://doi.org/10.24090/maghza.v5i1.3638
Index, G. P., & Gpi, T. (2012). Institute for Economics and Peace Fact Sheet. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382874
Irfan, R. (2023). Konsep Perdamaian dalam QS. Al-Hujurat Ayat 9-10 (Analisis Tafsir Al-Misbah Karya M. Quraish Shihab). Al-Kauniyah, 4(2), 40–51. https://doi.org/10.56874/alkauniyah.v4i2.1593
Karić, T., Van Assche, J., & Swart, H. (2024). ‘It always seems impossible, until it is done’: Perspectives on reconciliation and its underlying processes in post-conflict societies. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(5), 1015–1021. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3066
Kasheem, M., Yahya, N., Shalghoum, N., Masuwd, M., Alriteemi, A., Abdullah, M., Alsaeh, F., & Alrumayh, S. (2025). Artificial Intelligence in Academic Research: Adoption, Opportunities, and Barriers among Faculty in Libya Higher Education. Multidisciplinary Journal of Thought and Research, 1(3), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.67055/hz4b7314
Mac Ginty, R. (2021). Everyday Peace: How So-called Ordinary People Can Disrupt Violent Conflict. In Everyday Peace: How So-called Ordinary People Can Disrupt Violent Conflict. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197563397.001.0001
Miles, H. & S. (2015). Qualitative Data A Methods Sourcebook. In Etika Jurnalisme Pada Koran Kuning : Sebuah Studi Mengenai Koran Lampu Hijau (4th ed., Vol. 16, Issue 2). Sage Publications.
Miller, R., & Brewer, J. (2015). Naturalistic Inquiry. In The A-Z of Social Research. Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412986281.n232
Mitchell, D. (2023). Rescuing reconciliation: finding its role in peace research and practice. Third World Quarterly, 44(8), 1737–1753. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2023.2205120
Mokrani, A. (2022). Toward an Islamic Theology of Nonviolence: In Dialogue with René Girard By Adnane Mokrani. In Journal of Islamic Studies (Vol. 35, Issue 2). Michigan State University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/etad060
Munawaroh, L. (2024). Konstruk Dan Kontesktualisasi Nilai-Nilai Rekonsiliasi Dalam Al-Qur’an. In Al-Manar: Jurnal Kajian Alquran dan Hadis (Vol. 10, Issue 2). Jurnal Kajian Al-Quran dan Hadits. https://almanar.uinkhas.ac.id/index.php/al-manar/article/view/125
Ohtsubo, Y., Himichi, T., Inamasu, K., Kohama, S., Mifune, N., & Tago, A. (2024). Do reconciliation events serve as a conciliatory signal? European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(5), 1111–1126. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3028
Paluck, E. L., Porat, R., Clark, C. S., & Green, D. P. (2021). Prejudice Reduction: Progress and Challenges. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 533–560. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-071620-030619
Porter, E., & Wood, T. J. (2024). Factual corrections: Concerns and current evidence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 55, 101715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101715
Prike, T., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2023). Effective correction of misinformation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 54, 101712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101712
Rahman, F. (1982). Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition - Fazlur Rahman - Google Buku. In The University of Chicago Press. University of Chicago Press.
Richmond, O. P. (2022). Draft - Do Not Cite. The Grand Design: The Evolution of the International Peace Architecture. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190850449.001.0001
Rincón-Unigarro, C., Joel-Bustos, A., Pérez-Farfán, K., Velosa-Campos, A., & López-López, W. (2024). Can redistributive policies promote reconciliation beyond its scope? The impact of inequality reduction programs on peacebuilding in Colombia. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(5), 1065–1079. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3042
Rouf, A., & Mohd Yusoff, M. Y. @ Z. (2013). Tafsir Al-Azhar dan Tasawuf Menurut Hamka. Journal of Usuluddin, 38, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.22452/usuluddin.vol38.1
Saeed, A. (2005). Interpreting the Qur’an: Towards a contemporary approach. In Interpreting the Qur’an: Towards a Contemporary Approach. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203016770
Sahin, A. (2018). Critical issues in islamic education studies: Rethinking islamic and western liberal secular values of education. Religions, 9(11), 335. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9110335
Shihab, M. Q. (2007). Wawasan Al - Quran: Tafsir Tematik Atas Pelbagai Persoalan Umat. Mizan.
Shihab, M. Q. (2012). Tafsîr al-Mishbâh̲: pesan, kesan, dan keserasian al-Qur’an. Surah al-Fâtihah, Surah al-Baqarah. Lentera Hati.
Syarif, S., Herlambang, S., & Naffati, A. K. (2022). Fiqh and Sufistic Tafsir of the Quranic Verses on Interreligious Interaction in Indonesia. Al-Hayat: Journal of Islamic Education, 6(2), 515. https://doi.org/10.35723/ajie.v6i2.451
Thuwaiba, T., & Salaeh, I. M. Y. (2025). Challenges in Quranic Memorization for Learners with Disabilities. Journal of Theory and Research Memorization Quran, 1(2), 104–117. https://doi.org/10.67055/d925ng61
Uluğ, Ö. M., Bilali, R., Karasu, M., & Malo, L. (2021). Obstacles to reconciliation and forgiveness among victim groups of unacknowledged past trauma and genocide. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(2), 313–325. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2740
UNESCO. (2023). Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Right. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/recommendation-education-peace-and-human-rights-international-understanding-cooperation-fundamental
Van Assche, J., Swart, H., Schmid, K., Dhont, K., Ramiah, A. Al, Christ, O., Kauff, M., Rothmann, S., Savelkoul, M., Tausch, N., Wölfer, R., Zahreddine, S., Saleem, M., & Hewstone, M. (2023). Intergroup Contact Is Reliably Associated With Reduced Prejudice, Even in the Face of Group Threat and Discrimination. American Psychologist, 78(6), 761–774. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001144
Velez, G., & Idrobo, F. (2024). From forgiveness and reconciliation to social capital and psychosocial well-being: An evaluation of a multisite intervention in Colombia. European Journal of Social Psychology, 54(5), 1050–1064. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3033
Yu, W., Payton, B., Sun, M., Jia, W., & Huang, G. (2023). Toward an integrated framework for misinformation and correction sharing: A systematic review across domains. New Media and Society, 25(8), 2241–2267. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221116569











