Tag: literature
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Umar Qazi of Veliyankode: The Poet, Scholar, and Revolutionary of Malabar
Umar Qazi of Veliyankode is a distinguished figure in 19th-century Kerala, revered for his profound contributions to Arabic poetry and Prophetic praise. Renowned for his works, he was also a symbol of resistance during British colonization. Qazi’s poetry blends spiritual devotion with cultural exchange, stylistic elements of both the Arabic and Malayalam tradition, leaving a…
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The Evolution of Prophetic Praise Poetry in Kerala
The golden age of Prophetic poetry, marked by Al-Būṣīrī, greatly influenced the literary landscape in South India, especially through the works of Umar Qazi. Eulogies, rooted in Arabic tradition, served as historical documents and expressed profound devotion to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). This genre transcended boundaries, inspiring both Muslim and Christian poets.
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Panegyric Poetry and the Poetics of Panache: Exploring the Rich Heritage of Mappila Songs
The word Mappila (sometimes pronounced as Moplah) comes from the ancient Dravidian language, meaning “great child” (maha, “great” and pilla, “child”). The Mappilas today are for the most part descendants of foreign traders from the Middle East who visited the southwestern coast of India, known as the Malabar Coast, through Indian Ocean trade routes.
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Islamicate Literature — a Tool to Tackle Islamophobia
Islamophobia is a long standing, deeply entrenched, global issue. Growing bodies of research point to the proliferation of Islamophobia cases across the globe in recent years. It disrupts civil society at many levels, from anti-Muslim policies to heightened tensions and hate crimes, including the increased bullying of Muslim children. One of the core causes of…
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Traversing Tradition Book Recommendations 2021
Commuting to and from work, hours have been freed for us to use at our discretion. A common complaint by those who don’t read is not necessarily that they don’t have time, it’s that they don’t know what to read. For some, it has been so long since they last picked up a book that…
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Islamic Fiction in Malaysia: Q&A with Hilal Asyraf
The story is about a Malay Muslim warrior committed to helping the oppressed but remains nameless because he has never shared his name with others. At that time, the Malay Peninsula is ruled by a powerful Sultan that uses sihr (demonic magic) to stay young, invulnerable and possesses many superpowers. The story will lead readers…
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Faith and Fantasy: Is Islamic Fiction Viable?
A Book Review of The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. One of the factors that has distinguished the literary tradition in the Muslim world from that of the cultural West for much of the past millennium is the modality adopted by popular literature.
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Parallelizing the Past to the Present
A Book Review of My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk. In his book My Name is Red, Orhan Pamuk tells a story of miniaturists in sixteenth century Istanbul that provokes reflection on contemporary events in the world.
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The Devil You Know, Or Thought You Knew
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” -The Usual Suspects