Abstract
This study aims to analyze the concept of Ahl al-Kitab and its relationship with polytheism in the Qur'an through a comparative examination of the exegesis of Fakhruddin al-Razi and Muhammad Rashid Rida. The study is motivated by differing scholarly interpretations regarding the scope of Ahl al-Kitab and their theological status, particularly whether they are classified solely as disbelievers or also as polytheists. This research employs a qualitative-comparative method with a library research approach. Primary data are derived from Mafatih al-Ghayb by al-Razi and Tafsir al-Manar by Rashid Rida, while secondary data are obtained from relevant exegetical literature, books, and academic articles. The analysis focuses on interpretive methodologies, the use of textual evidence, the scope of the meaning of Ahl al-Kitab, and its theological implications in relation to the concept of shirk. The findings reveal a fundamental divergence between the two scholars. Al-Razi tends to regard Ahl al-Kitab, particularly Jews and Christians who attribute divinity to entities other than God, as both disbelievers and substantively polytheistic. In contrast, Rashid Rida asserts that Ahl al-Kitab are distinct from polytheists; they are categorized as disbelievers but not as polytheists, as the Qur'an differentiates between these two terms. Furthermore, Rida expands the scope of Ahl al-Kitab to include other religions that are presumed to have originated from divine revelation. This difference reflects a broader divergence in approach between classical exegesis, which is more normative-theological, and modern exegesis, which tends to be more contextual and inclusive.
