An ontological and religious study of the literary thoughts of T.S. Eliot and Syed Ali Ashraf /
This qualitative research explores the literary thoughts of T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) and Syed Ali Ashraf (1925-1998) as two poets representing different schools of thought. The study looks at their selected poems from the perspective of ontology and religion, with a focus on their religio-philosophica...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kuala Lumpur :
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia,
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Click here to view 1st 24 pages of the thesis. Members can view fulltext at the specified PCs in the library. |
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| Summary: | This qualitative research explores the literary thoughts of T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) and Syed Ali Ashraf (1925-1998) as two poets representing different schools of thought. The study looks at their selected poems from the perspective of ontology and religion, with a focus on their religio-philosophical concerns pertaining to the existence of God, God's attributes, creation, providence, and principles of human conduct within the larger context of their understanding of the Creator-creature relationship. This study examines the ontological elements as well as religious aspects in the writing of both poets and finds similarities and differences in how they define life and the meaning of existence. Furthermore, it shows how the literary thoughts produced by writers with different religious and cultural backgrounds could add value to the cross-cultural reading of literary texts. By following an Islamic frame of reference conceptualised by Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi and Syed Ali Ashraf, this research endeavours a systematic faith-based philosophic investigation, instead of undertaking an empirical and rational approach. The analysis, in fact, tries to incorporate whatever is permissible by Islamic standards, regardless of it coming from either the writings of Eliot or Ali Ashraf. The study finds that both poets differ in the understanding of the nature of God, Prophets, and the concept of sin, method of salvation, suffering and death. Nevertheless, they share commonalities in their spiritual sensibilities and moral, idealistic visions which make them comparable though not identical. The findings reveal that Eliot's poetic thoughts provide in one sense, readily applicable “Islamic” aspects from which Muslims have a lot to gain. Likewise, Ali Ashraf's literary works make the contemporary Muslim mind and Western thinking accessible. Their ontological poetic arguments emphasise the spiritual identity of man, the reality of the hereafter and the importance of knowledge acquired through revelation to remind modern man of their limitations and need of sincerity towards God. They argue for the necessity of knowing the crucial difference between humanistic ethics and religion, and for restoring the relationship between God, man and universe to establish it as potent civilising spiritual forces. This concludes that their respective visions distil not only the essence of their religio-philosophical thoughts but also convey universal messages that stand above and beyond any particular tradition. Hence, reading both Eliot and Ali Ashraf as poets of faith provides a cross-cultural understanding that causes the reader to reflect on the imbalance between the material and spiritual world. |
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| Item Description: | Abstracts in English and Arabic. "A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Literary Studies." --On title page. |
| Physical Description: | xi, 284 leaves : illustrations ; 30cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 252-271). |