The study of English literature from tawhidic perspective

Abstract EN

The prominence of English literature in literary studies has made it an important part of the discourse surrounding Islamisation of Knowledge (IOK).

Because of his involvement in this movement, Syed Ali Ashraf’s (1925-1998) argument that English literature contained “intuitive truths” that transcended religious boundaries has been widely adopted as an approach in the study of literature, which is defined here as a written body of works dealing with artistic expressions, from an Islamic perspective.

This paper argues, however, that his insistence on normative morality and spirituality in English literature as both providing guidance for human behavior and a basis for literary criticism is problematic.

Part of the problem is the widely-held notion that literature, in general, only functions as the medium for the propagation and development of values and cultural refinement.

Syed Naquib al-Attas’s (1931 – present) concept of Islamisation, however, places adabiyyÉt or literature in its proper relation to adab or proper bahaviour and etiquette that locates Allah at the highest place in the order of existence.

Following Al-Attas, the author argues that the study of English literature should then be conducted through a comparative approach of both English and Islamic literatures that privileges not only the Islamic understanding of values but also leads to the acknowledgement and worship of Allah.