Motivation and interest in reading Qur’anic exegesis: A sociological perspective

This paper explores how personal motivation and interest shapes domain specific reading of Qur’anic exegesis. It presents a conceptual model of engagement with reading Qur’anic exegesis. The findings show that readers’ motivation together with their personal interests shape their reading pattern. Their intrinsic motivation is to know the interpretation of Qur’anic verses, while the extrinsic motivation is to relate the meaning of the verses with society and real life. Their interest in reading social exegeses indicate that they are active readers. Therefore, their engagement is understood in terms of applying Qur’anic principles in real life. Exegeses’ readers characterized their interest as being based on a desire to promote social development, social welfare, and social reconstruction. The findings provide insights regarding maintaining a long-term engagement with Qur’anic exegesis and may prove useful for Qur’anic commentators and researchers.