Poetry as cultural practice moral values and social meaning in Malay pantun and Arabic qasida

Ahmad H.Osman, Rahmah and Mohd Yusof, Nurul Syariah and Yaapar, Md. Salleh and Hamawiya Ali, Adham and Che Amran, Aisyah Aminah (2025) Poetry as cultural practice moral values and social meaning in Malay pantun and Arabic qasida. International Journal of Law, Government and Communication, 10 (42). pp. 308-316. E-ISSN 0128-1763

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Abstract

Traditional poetic forms have long functioned as vital cultural instruments through which societies articulate moral values, regulate social behaviour, and preserve collective memory. In both Malay and Arab cultures, poetry occupies a central position not merely as an aesthetic expression but as a socially embedded practice that mediates communal relationships and ethical norms. This study offers a comparative analytical examination of pantun in Malay literature and qasida in Arabic literature, focusing on their social and cultural functions within their respective societies. Drawing on qualitative textual analysis and informed by theories of literature as social practice and cultural memory, the study analyses selected pantun and qasida texts to identify patterns of moral instruction, social communication, and identity formation. The findings reveal that despite substantial differences in form, length, and stylistic convention, pantun and qasida perform analogous social roles as vehicles of ethical guidance, communal cohesion, and cultural continuity. While pantun conveys values through metaphorical and indirect expression rooted in Malay ideals of politeness and harmony, qasida articulates moral and cultural authority through rhetorical elaboration and explicit exhortation grounded in Arab historical and religious consciousness. By situating these poetic traditions within a shared analytical framework, the study contributes to comparative literature and cultural studies by demonstrating how culturally distinct literary forms respond to similar social needs and remain relevant in contemporary contexts.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Pantun; Qasida; comparative literature; Malay literature; Arabic poetry; social function of literature; cultural memory; moral values; traditional poetry
Subjects:	BPL Islamic education BPL Islamic education > BPL27 Aims and objectives of education. Sustainable education BPN Islamic art and architecture P Language and Literature > PI Oriental languages and literatures
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Arabic Language and Literature Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Depositing User:	PROF. DR. RAHMAH BT AHMAD H. OSMAN
Date Deposited:	30 Dec 2025 13:44
Last Modified:	30 Dec 2025 13:44
Queue Number:	2025-12-Q1432
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/126588

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