Religious Feudalism: Sacralisation, Fanaticism, Absolutism in Al-Azhar’s Interpretation

Abstract

Religious feudalism is a crucial issue because it has morphed into a mental pathology that has infiltrated modern religious authority, creating blind obedience that is often equated with divine obedience. This phenomenon shows that feudalism no longer survives only as an old political structure, but also as a religious culture that sanctifies human authority and weakens public reasoning. Previous studies tend to limit feudalism to an outdated political structure or identity conflict, thus failing to see the aspect of spiritual slavery that kills the critical reasoning of the people. To fill this gap, this study aims to reveal how Tafsir Al-Azhar deconstructs the sacralisation of manipulative authority and exposes the theological mechanisms that normalise submission to human power. To achieve this goal, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on Hamka’s tafsir text, particularly on verses that highlight power relations, leadership, obedience, and social hierarchy. The study found that Hamka systematically dismantled the three pillars of feudalism: the sacralisation of cult figures, the blind fanaticism of taqlid, and the anti-critical arrogance of the religious elite. These findings confirm that domination now survives through the manipulation of emotional dogma rather than just physical coercion. Hamka’s interpretation shows that true obedience must remain tied to tawhid, justice, knowledge, and moral accountability, not to the absolute authority of leaders or inherited traditions. The contribution of this research lies in offering a paradigm of “liberating monotheism” to restore people’s freedom of thought from the shackles of individual cults. This research suggests the need for Islamic education reform based on critical literacy and democratisation of interpretation in order to prevent the reproduction of a slave mentality in the religious sphere.