Quranic Ethics of Inclusive Interaction toward Persons with Disabilities

Abstract

This study examines the inclusive ethics constructed by the Quran toward persons with disabilities, with particular focus on the thematic exegesis of Surah 'Abasa (80:1-10) and Surah An-Nur (24:61). Grounded in the theoretical framework of the Social Model of Disability and inclusive Quranic hermeneutics, this research critically interrogates the prevailing ableism embedded in classical and contemporary tafsir traditions, arguing that such traditions have often reduced these Quranic passages to personal moral anecdotes or legal dispensations rather than recognizing their structural critique of social exclusion. Using a qualitative library research design with a thematic (maudhu'iy) approach to Quranic exegesis, this study analyzes both the asbab al-nuzul and key semantic dynamics of the two anchor verses, comparing interpretations of classical exegetes including Al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, and Ibn 'Ashur with modern ones including Quraish Shihab and Wahbah al-Zuhaili. The findings reveal four foundational pillars of Quranic inclusive ethics: the affirmation of universal human dignity (karamah insaniyyah) as a basis for equal spiritual and social rights; the deconstruction of physical-based social hierarchy through the critique of man istaghna in Surah 'Abasa; the normalization of social participation through the removal of haraj in Surah An-Nur; and the shift from a charity-based toward a rights-based paradigm in religious and social interaction. These pillars carry significant practical implications for transforming community attitudes toward persons with disabilities, particularly in Indonesian Muslim contexts where religious text interpretation carries strong normative authority. The study argues that the Quran does not merely accommodate disability but actively dismantles the disabling social structures that produce exclusion.