NJQHS publishes original research articles, critical reviews, and scholarly essays in the following areas:

Primary Focus Areas

• Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafsir): Classical and contemporary methods of Qur'anic interpretation, comparative tafsir studies, thematic exegesis, and methodological approaches to understanding the Qur'an — including the rich tafsir tradition of the Nusantara scholarly heritage.
• Qur'anic Sciences (Ulum al-Qur'an): Studies on the history of the Qur'anic text, variant readings (qira'at), occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), abrogation (naskh), and other foundational disciplines of Qur'anic scholarship.
• Hadith Sciences (Ulum al-Hadith): Critical studies of Hadith methodology, isnad and matn criticism, classification of Hadith (jarh wa ta'dil), history of Hadith transmission, and the development of Hadith literature in classical and contemporary periods.
• Hadith Hermeneutics and Interpretation (Fiqh al-Hadith): Approaches to understanding and contextualizing prophetic traditions, thematic Hadith studies, the relationship between Hadith and contemporary Muslim life, and debates on Hadith authority and authenticity.
• Qur'an and Hadith Interrelation: Integrative studies on how the Qur'an and Hadith illuminate each other, the role of Hadith in Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir bil-ma'thur), and the methodological intersection of Qur'anic and Hadith sciences.
• Linguistic and Literary Studies: Arabic linguistics, rhetoric (balagha), stylistics, intertextuality, narrative analysis, and the literary features of both the Qur'an and prophetic traditions.
• Qur'anic and Hadith Hermeneutics: Theoretical and philosophical approaches to interpretation, hermeneutical theories, reader-response approaches, and contextual readings relevant to contemporary Muslim societies.
• Thematic Studies: Qur'anic and Hadith perspectives on theology, law, ethics, social justice, gender, interfaith relations, economics, politics, and other contemporary issues.
• Historical and Comparative Studies: The Qur'an and Hadith in historical context, reception history, and comparative engagement with other religious texts and traditions.
• Applied Qur'anic and Hadith Studies: The role of the Qur'an and Hadith in education, da'wah, counseling, community development, and contemporary Muslim life — with particular attention to the Nusantara context.

Secondary Interest Areas

• Translation studies: critical analysis of Qur'anic translations and cross-cultural communication of Qur'anic meanings
• Islamic theology and philosophy as informed by the Qur'an and Hadith
• Islamic law (fiqh) and legal theory (usul al-fiqh) with Qur'anic and Hadith foundations
• Living Hadith traditions and their reception in Southeast Asian Muslim communities
• Digital humanities approaches to Qur'anic and Hadith studies