Konsep Kepemimpinan dalam Tafsir Tamsyiyatul Muslimin Karya Kh. Ahmad Sanusi: Analisis Qs. An-Nisa': 59 dan Relevansinya Bagi Kepemimpinan Islam di Indonesia

Abstract

The concept of Islamic leadership continues to be debated in both classical and contemporary scholarship, particularly in the Indonesian context where ulama have developed contextual interpretations that respond to local socio-political realities. KH. Ahmad Sanusi (1888-1950), one of the most prolific ulama of the Nusantara tradition, produced a tafsir known as Tamsyiyatul Muslimin that offers a distinctive interpretation of QS. An-Nisa': 59 the Qur'anic verse most frequently cited in discussions of Islamic leadership. This study aims to analyze Sanusi's conception of ulil amri as articulated in Tamsyiyatul Muslimin, examine the ethical-sufistic foundations that underpin his leadership thought, and assess the contemporary relevance of his ideas for Indonesian Islamic leadership. The research employs a qualitative library research method with textual and contextual analysis of Tamsyiyatul Muslimin as the primary source, supplemented by relevant works in tafsir studies, Islamic leadership theory, and the intellectual biography of KH. Ahmad Sanusi. Four major findings emerge. First, Sanusi interpreted ulil amri as encompassing both religious leaders (ulama) and socio-political leaders (umara), with equal emphasis on their moral and scholarly qualifications. Second, his ethical-sufistic (tasawuf akhlaki) orientation positioned leadership as a spiritual amanah requiring tazkiyatun nafs as a prerequisite for just governance. Third, he maintained that obedience to leaders is conditional, suspended when commands contradict divine and prophetic authority, a position that had clear anti-colonial implications in his historical context. Fourth, his emphasis on musyawarah (consultation) as the primary mechanism for conflict resolution reflects a proto-democratic understanding of Islamic governance that remains highly relevant to contemporary Indonesia. The article concludes that Sanusi's leadership concept represents a significant contribution to the tradition of Nusantara tafsir and offers valuable ethical-theological resources for contemporary Islamic leadership discourse in Indonesia.