HERMENEUTIKA SEBAGAI METODE KRITIK NALAR SISWA: UPAYA MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS DALAM MEMAHAMI AYAT-AYAT KAUNIYAH

Abstract

This section provides an introduction to the paper, which highlights cognitive stagnation in Islamic education resulting from the dominance of bayani reasoning—a textual-dogmatic approach. The primary issue addressed is the low level of students’ critical thinking skills in understanding natural phenomena or kauniyah verses, as reflected in PISA data that places Indonesian students’ science literacy in an alarming position. The significance of this paper lies in the effort to reconstruct the teaching methods of Islamic Religious Education (IRE) so that it does not merely become indoctrination, but rather a dialogical space for intellectual development. The methodology employed is descriptive qualitative research using a library research approach, integrating Hans-Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics and Muhammad Abed al-Jabiri’s critique of reason. The findings of this study indicate that the application of hermeneutical steps—including historical consciousness, pre-understanding, dialogue, and the fusion of horizons—can transform students’ reasoning from a bayani pattern toward a more rational-empirical burhani reasoning. This finding confirms that hermeneutics is not merely a tool for text interpretation but an effective method of critical reasoning to enhance students’ critical thinking in understanding the interconnection between revelation and the reality of the universe.