Acknowledgments

This book is a revised version of my Ph.D. thesis, submitted to the Orientalisches Seminar at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in 2019. I wish to thank the many people without whom the completion of my doctoral dissertation, and later this book, would not have been possible.

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Johanna Pink, for her full and kind support throughout my Ph.D. As well as guiding my research with her insightful advice and through our many discussions, Prof. Pink has also trained me to be an academic in a more general sense. I may have completed my Ph.D. the day I nervously sat the final examination in her office back in 2019, but her assistance has extended well beyond that particular moment: she not only guided me through my intellectual journey, but was also a welcoming and generous host to me and my wife while we were in Freiburg.

My journey to Freiburg would not have been possible without the support of Prof. Pink and the DFG (Deutscher Forschungsgemeinschaft). Prof. Pink invited me to Freiburg to work with her as part of the project ‘Ein Nationalstaat als religiöser Akteur: Das Indonesische Religionsministerium (Kementerian Agama) und die Deutungshoheit über den Koran’ with financial support from the DFG from 2016 to 2019, and it was a great privilege to be able to undertake my Ph.D. research through this program. I also extend my gratitude to Dr Moch. Nur Ichwan, who first introduced me to Prof. Pink in 2015, only a couple of weeks after my graduation with a Master’s degree from the Graduate Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. This book is essentially an extension of a small part of his scholarship, and I have benefited a great deal from his research.

I am also indebted to Jun.-Prof. Ruth Bartholomä, who acted as one of the examiners of my thesis, and to Majid Daneshgar, who provided me with valuable discussions and reading materials while I was revising my Ph.D. thesis into its current form, for which I am very grateful. I would also like to thank Prof. Peter Riddell who kindly located a copy of Tarjumān al-mustafīd for me. We had planned to meet in Nuremberg in February 2019 but this proved impossible, however I still hope that one day I can meet Professor Riddell in person.

I also express my gratitude to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, most importantly the Lajnah Pentashihan Mushaf Al-Qur’an (LPMQ), the Puslitbang LKKMNO, and the members of the translation committee, especially Prof. Quraish Shihab, Prof. Muhammad Chirzin, Drs Abdul Gaffar Ruskhan, M.Hum., Dr K.H. Malik Madani, Dr Lilik Ummi Kaltsum, and Pak Junanda P. Syarfuan, who have been helpful and supportive during my research in Jakarta. I am especially grateful in this regard to Dr Muchlis M. Hanafi for allowing me to attend the sessions of the committee, and to Dr Ali Akbar, Dr Reflita, and Zarkasi Afif, MA, who guided me while I was undertaking research at the LPMQ. My encounters with the members of the committee were an enriching experience for me: I learned a great deal from simply being around them, listening to their discussions, and engaging in conversation.

I completed this manuscript while working at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, alongside my normal duties, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rector Prof. Dr phil. Al Makin, the Dean of Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Pemikiran Islam Dr Inayah Rohmaniyah, S.Ag., M.Hum, M.A., and the Head of the Department of Qur’anic Studies Program, Dr Ali Imron, M.S.I. for their continuous encouragement and support. My regular meetings with them, and with other academic staff in the university, provided me with the motivation to move through the next chapter of my academic life. I am especially thankful to my mentors with whom I have discussed my research: Dr phil. Sahiron Syamsuddin, Ahmad Rafiq, Ph.D., Dr Jajang A. Rohmana, Ervan Nurtawab, Ph.D., Dr Islah Gusmian, Dr Faried F. Saenong, Dr Yusuf Rahman, and Dr phil. Syafiq Hasyim.

In the latter stages of preparing this book, several colleagues read the manuscript and provided me with valuable comments and suggestions. I express my grateful thanks to them: Lien Iffah Naf’atu Fina, Dr phil. Muammar Zayn Qadafy, Dr Ahmad Muttaqin, Dr phil. Imam Ardianto, Dr phil. Zacky Khoirul Umam, Zakia El Muarifa & Ahmadi, Dluha Luthfillah, Afifurrahman Sya’rani, and Asep Nahrul Musaddad. I should also mention the names of others, with whom I discuss all manner of topics, including my book: Dr Abdul Jalil, Dr Hamam Faizin, Said Muhammad, Syamsul Wathani, Burhan Ali, Dr phil. Sita Hidayah, Dr phil. Munirul Ikhwan, Dr Riki Saputra, and Alex Medani. Muhammad Hanafi and Syahrul Wilda helped me greatly with my research in Jakarta. I also thank Helen Blatherwick and Melissa Purkiss for patiently correcting my English during the preparation of this book.

Last but not the least, I acknowledge the support from my family in the completion of my studies. Apa, Ama, Uda, and Nita have always been with me, providing their support, encouragement, prayers, and love. Special thanks are due to my beloved wife, Imroati Karmillah, and my little daughter, Aksara Mutia. The time I spent working towards my Ph.D. was made especially precious to me by the presence of my wife and our discussions about our hopes for our future little Aksara. I sincerely dedicate this book to my family!