The word Nafs has many meanings in the Qur’an. Interpretations could change from time to time. This was due to the different of historical circumstances and sides of the interpreters. This led to differences in methodologies and approaches to interpretation. This study would discuss the interpretation of the nafs in surah ar-Rum verse 21, which has a different meaning from the classical and modern interpreters. In this study, there were two problem formulations, first, what is the meaning of the word nafs in surah Ar-Rum verse 21 between classical and modern interpreters? Second, what are the similarities and differences between classical and modern interpreters?
The benefit of this research is to add intellectual discourse in the field of interpretation of the Qur’an. This study uses a qualitative research type that is to describe the opinions and content of thoughts with descriptions and paragraphs with the library method, namely using document media as the main reference. Then this research is used library research where the sources used come from written documents in the form of journals, previous theses, magazines and papers as well as other written sources. This study uses comparison as an analytical method by identifying the differences and similarities between the interpretations between classical and modern interpreters in interpreting the word nafs in surah ar-Rum verse 21. The several books of interpretation that will be taken in this study are Tafsir ath-Thabari, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, and Tafsir Ibn Abbas as classical commentators, then Tafsir al-Sya’rowi, Tafsir al-Maraghi, and Tafsir al-Misbah for modern interpreters.
The result of this research is that classical interpreters interpret the word nafs with Adam’s rib, while modern interpreters interpret it with the same type. Then some similarities are the same in using the bi al-riwayah method, interpreting the words mawaddah and warrahmah, and interpreting the whole verse. And some differences are different in interpreting the word nafs, understanding the hadith of the creation of women, and using a different approach, bi al-riwayah for classical interpreters and adabi ijtima’I for modern interpreters.