Thoughts on English Islamic Literature in Singapore's Context

Why then, do we not see a proportionate output of Islamic creative and fictional works in English, as we observe with other forms of writings? What is the importance and relevance of such works today? With Singapore's context in mind, how should we define the concept of Islamic Literature? What should be the objectives and parameters for this genre of literature? This article would not claim to be comprehensive, but rather an attempt to initiate discourse and discussion on how we can improve the ecosystem of Islamic Literature.

The discourse on Islamic Literature, regarding its definition, importance and manifestation, can be considered as a mature discourse that goes back to the fifties with the emergence of Muslim-majority states and nations in the post-colonial period. The discourse took place throughout the Muslim world. From the Middle East and South Asia, Syed Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi (who was very much influenced by Muhammad Iqbal), Muhammad Qutub, Najib Kilani, Imad Al-Din Khalil, and Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan Al-Buti, wrote extensively on the role and concept of Islamic Literature, albeit in the context of their own societies. Though the discourse took place slightly later in the Nusantara region, it was nevertheless a lively discourse with intellectuals from Malaysia and Indonesia such as Shahnon Ahmad, Hashim Awang, Othman Kelantan, Kuntowijoyo, M. Fudoli Zaini, and Abdul Hadi W.M., actively engaging in the discourse through their writings. In Singapore, we had figures such as Suratman Markasan and Masuri SN who penned their ideas and thoughts on this concept.

These intellectuals defined Islamic Literature differently, and certainly each writer would have their own preference. I, for one, resonate strongly with the understanding of Indonesian intellectual, Kuntowijoyo, and Malaysian intellectual, Shahnon Ahmad. Kuntowijoyo in the discourse of Islamic Literature during the seventies, advocated for what he termed as Sastera Profetik, or Prophetic Literature. He defined Prophetic Literature with three elements; 1) Humanisation, 2) Liberation, 3) Transcendence¹. Shahnon Ahmad, on the other hand, held a more theological view of Islamic Literature, in which it is essentially another form of worship to obtain the pleasure of God. He held the view that literature is a process of creation and writing that revolves around belief in Allah, evoking a high level of devotion by the writer to delve into the concept of Islamic Creed and translating it with wisdom to readers, in line with their abilities as a writer².

In the discourse of Islamic Literature, much has also been said regarding its need and importance for Muslim societies, specifically as a mode of religious advocacy (dakwah) that protects Muslims from contents that are of harmful and negative influence. For example, the prominent Syrian scholar, Muhammad Sai'd Ramadan Al-Buti, in his essay titled 'Islamic Literature: Retrospection and Vision', argued that Islamic Literature should be utilised as a psychological tool to inspire and educate the masses, especially youths, regarding what is right and wrong. In the essay, he addressed the existence of works that consist of contents that may intellectually and ideologically harm readers and called for better quality and higher quantity of Islamic Literary works that are emotional and sentimental in nature. It is telling that though the essay was written in 1968, he criticised those who disagreed with the usage of sentimental concepts such as 'love', 'beauty', and 'heart', saying that Islamic aesthetics should not be defined by 'turbans, robes, long beads³.

Hence was the discourse of Islamic Literature, which revolved around its conceptualisation while simultaneously advocating its usage as a tool and catalyst for goodness within Muslim societies. From the writings of the intellectuals mentioned above, one will conclude that there is no dearth of materials and writings that can inspire current and future generations of writers who wish to produce good works of Islamic Literature. The aforementioned writers have presented their own different understanding and philosophies of Islamic Literature, and though they were formed based on the realities of their time, they are nevertheless of much value and should ideally be familiarised by future writers. In the context of this article, I would say that there is a need for any Singaporean Muslim writer who wishes to produce Islamic literary works to form their own unique understanding and philosophy so as to achieve clarity and purpose in their works. This can only be achieved by studying the writings of past intellectuals.

With Muhammad Sa'd Ramadan's Muslim-centric definition, Kuntowijoyo's concept of Prophetic Literature, and Shahnon Ahmad's understanding of literature as a form of worship (ibadah), therein lies a few important elements that I believe should be factored in by present and future English Islamic Literature writers in the context of Singapore. First would be the primary audience and readers that they are addressing through their works. In other words, though the artistry and aesthetics can be inclusive of and sensitive towards various traditions, the essence of Islamic Literature should be a work primarily written for the local Muslim community, addressing its problems, advocating for relevant reforms, instilling hope and courage. Such an aim should not be deemed as exclusive, as it does not necessarily mean that such literary works would only be relevant and understandable for Muslims. But rather, the objective of the work is to primarily resonate with the local Muslim community, with the purpose of advocating for morals and values rooted in Islamic tradition, which would be inherently universal. I believe this should be of priority, as works that are both localised and Islamic are in short supply as compared to the contrary.

However, with the local Muslim community in mind, the understanding of its context, dynamics, and demographics, is crucial as well. This brings me to my second point, which is the need for writers to adopt a socio-historical approach to identify the trends and challenges facing the community so as to enlighten and resonate with the current generation of readers. In today's case, the understanding that Islamic Literature is synonymous with Malay Literature is misplaced, sidelining the experiences of minority Muslims, including converts. The diversity of the Muslim community should ideally be represented and acknowledged in Islamic Literature, taking into account the various ethnicities and identities within the community. In this regard, Islamic Literature writers should also embrace the unique plurality and cosmopolitanism that surrounds the Muslim community in Singapore, which should present an array of current relevant themes, depending on the focus of the writer.

Nevertheless, while I advocate a strong and firm grasp of Islamic Literature discourse, I must acknowledge from both observation as a literary advocate and personal experience as an author, that producing novels in current context encompasses several challenges. To elaborate substantially requires more space and a specific article of its own, though I will share some. The first point that I would raise, in the context of publishing English Islamic Literature works in Singapore, would be the challenge of finding suitable publishers that are able to give the necessary support in editing, printing, marketing, and publishing. This challenge is of course related to economic factors, where the financial incentives of publishing Islamic Literature works is considerably lower as compared to other genres of literature. In this regard, I do believe that the resources and capabilities exist within the Muslim community, though it remains to be seen how such a business model can be sustainable.

On the other hand, we would also have to acknowledge the challenge that comes from producing creative Islamic literary works itself. Sustainability is also dependent on whether there will be a consistent supply of such works, which as we can observe in recent years, has been quite low in quantity. This, however, as aforementioned, does not necessarily translate into lack of demand. Nevertheless, here I would propose the need to mobilise and pump in resources to first develop a supply of English Islamic Literature. A case in hand that we can learn from is regarding the number of Malay novels written by Singapore writers over the decades. A simple online search will show us the following statistics: 1965 – 1970 (20 novels); 1971 – 1980 (29 novels); 1981 – 1990 (12 novels); 1991 – 2000 (18 novels); 2001 – 2010 (77 novels); 2011 – 2015 (14 novels). The jump in numbers between 1991-2000 and 2001-2010, from 18 to 77 novels can be explained with writing competitions organised by ASAS'50, which were then published by Pustaka Nasional. Here, we see that organisational support is crucial, especially in local context. It is possible that such efforts can be replicated.

In his monumental work, Islamic Literature Discourse in Malaysia and Indonesia, Mohd Faizal Musa observed the different factors that allowed Islamic Literature to flourish in the two countries. The main one being that in Islamic Literature in Malaysia was very much supported by the state as compared to in Indonesia, where the grassroots institutions such as pesantrens played a significant role in advocating Islamic Literature. He outlined the benefits of both efforts⁴. In the context of Singapore, much can be learnt from the two cases in how we can uplift Islamic Literature discourse and improve its output. Acknowledging our local context, the basis of any initiative must come first from the ground, i.e. the asatizah fraternity, literary advocates, etc, though I would say the task should primarily fall upon the religious fraternity. As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, titled Literature and Singapore's Islamic Fraternity,'⁵ the mission to elevate the quality and quantity of the fraternity's output is possible due to the existing strong literary tradition that exists within. What is needed currently is to direct resources and discourse towards developing potential writers and nurturing current ones.

Here, organisations and institutions – be it existing or potential new ones – must be willing to step forward in advocating Islamic Literature discourse and encourage creative writing. I cannot help but to think of the upcoming Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) as a possible institution that can spearhead such an effort. While these are still early days, I hope that the institution will focus on nurturing the Islamic Arts and developing a tradition of Islamic literature rooted in Singapore's context. For example, it is plausible for the institution to have a Writer-In-Residence to encourage and inspire the students and the fraternity. For this to happen, there must be widespread realisation and consciousness towards the importance and relevance of Islamic Literature, both in English and Malay. The Indonesian scholar and intellectual, Sahal Mahfudh, wrote that Islamic advocacy has a symbiotic relationship with arts and culture, in which through its utilisation, it may elevate a community's awareness towards the importance of religiosity in a way that does not cause social unrest, but rather strengthen social development⁶. It is my hope and wish that there will be writers in the upcoming generations who are committed to publishing works of Islamic Literature.

Ahmad Ubaidillah Mohd Khair is currently a Research Analyst at the Centre of Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA). He holds an Islamic Jurisprudence degree from Yarmouk University, Jordan. His research interests are literature discourse and sociology of religion. He has also written for other platforms such Muslim.sg, Wasat Online, and Berita Mediacorp.