HAMKA’s Concept of Islamic Literature

Abstract

HAMKA (Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah), the renowned Indonesian preacher, is considered one of the most influential Islamic figures in the Malay Archipelago. He was a divine, encyclopedic scholar who mastered several sciences and knowledge, such as tafsir, Islamic jurisprudence, history, politics, sociology, and literature. In the field of literature, he produced beautiful and wonderful novels and short stories that were widely accepted by readers, classic and modern, and critics and scholars also paid great attention to them. His literary trend was an Islamic trend, and anyone who follows his literary productions can clearly notice this. However, he did not devote a separate book on the theoretical aspect of literature, but we find him discussing a lot in his books and writings about literature and matters related to it. Based on that, this research aims to shed light on the concept of Islamic literature according to Hamka by collecting and studying his opinions scattered throughout his many and varied books and writings, which are represented in defining literature, its goals, sources, characteristics, types, fields, and other matters related to literature. The research adopts a content analysis approach by analyzing his views related to literature in general and Islamic literature in particular, contained in his various books and writings. The importance of the research comes from paying attention to Hamka’s theoretical literature, which has little interest among literary critics, scholars, and researchers interested in Hamka’s thought. This aspect is very important in understanding Hamka’s literary and critical thought in a deeper and more accurate way, God willing.