Islamic Perspectives on Twentieth-Century English literature PDF

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ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE 1 Islamic PERSPECTIVES on TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE MD. MAHMUDUL HASAN International Institute of Islamic Thought International Islamic University Malaysia East and So...

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ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

Islamic PERSPECTIVES on

TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

1

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON

TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

MD. MAHMUDUL HASAN

International Institute of Islamic Thought East and South East Asia Malaysia

International Islamic University Malaysia

iv First Edition, 2017 © The International Institute of Islamic Thought (East and South East Asia) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without any prior written permission of the publisher.

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia

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Md. Mahmudul Hasan Islamic PERSPECTIVES on TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE / MD. MAHMUDUL HASAN. ISBN 978-967-15622-0-8 1. English literature--History and criticism--20th century. 2. English literature--Islamic influences. I. Title. 820.9

The views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

The International Institute of Islamic Thought East and South East Asia 2-93 Jalan Prima SG 3, Prima Sri Gombak, 68300 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia Email: [email protected]

Typesetting and cover design by Suria Suri Printed in Malaysia

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CONTENTS FOREWORD PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

vii ix xiv

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION 1.0

Twentieth-Century English Literature

1 7

CHAPTER 2

JOSEPH CONRAD’S HEART OF DARKNESS AND RUDYARD KIPLING’S “THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN”: AN ISLAMIC READING

25

CHAPTER 3

T. S. ELIOT AND ISLAM 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0

Heavy Drinking and Smoking Eliot’s Anti-Semitism The Difficult Eliot Eliot’s Marital Life Islamic Perspectives on “The Love Song” and The Waste Land Conclusion

37 41 44 50 54 57 64

CHAPTER 4

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON VIRGINIA WOOLF’S CRITIQUE OF VICTORIAN GENDER IDEOLOGY 1.0 2.0

“Professions for Women” and Victorian Gender Ideology Women, Gender and Freedom of Expression

67 71 86

CHAPTER 5

W. H. AUDEN’S “THE SHIELD OF ACHILLES” AND THE ISLAMIC VIEW OF WAR

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ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

CHAPTER 6

DISCOVERING DORIS LESSING: CONVERGENCES BETWEEN ISLAM AND HER THOUGHTS 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0

Lessing, Education and the Islamization of Knowledge The Islamic Conception of Literature and Lessing’s Idea of ‘Committedness’ Racism Women’s Rights The Islamic Lessing

101 104 107 110 114 121

CHAPTER 7

CONCLUSIONS

127

REFERENCES

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FOREWORD International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) East and South East Asia office has the pleasure to publish Md. Mahmudul Hasan’s Islamic Perspectives on Twentieth-Century English Literature. Since the cultural and intellectual challenge that the educated around the world are currently facing largely involves the humanities and social sciences, such an academic work carries immense significance. IIIT gives especial attention to research in areas of the humanities and social sciences, as it believes that looking at them from Islamic perspectives has the panacea for the ills of many social problems and moral crises that have gripped the contemporary world. The need for a new look at the education system is widely felt across academic disciplines and across religious and ideological boundaries. It is important to contextualize education and establish its relevance to the sociocultural and religious backgrounds of the recipients. Such an approach is more pertinent to the discipline of English Literature that has the undercurrent of Western cultural influences. An uncritical reception of this subject and teaching it in a decontextualized manner have the risk of alienating the learners from their local cultural and religious norms. Given the danger of a simplistic understanding of English literary texts, the importance of English literary criticism in the light of Islamic teachings cannot be overemphasized. Islam is not opposed to literary practices. There has been a long Islamic literary tradition right from the era of Prophet Muhammad (SAAS). Many of his companions composed poetry – which was the main literary genre at that time – to spread the message of Islam and to defend the noble character of the Prophet. Hassan bin Thabit (RA) was his poet laureate for whom there was a special pulpit in the masjid of the Prophet from which he recited poetry. Since the time of the Prophet there has been a rich and vibrant literary tradition among Muslims. Moreover, the Qur’an itself is an immaculate piece of literature.

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FOREWORD

However, literature produced by human beings – Muslims or nonMuslims – is not necessarily flawless and may smack of their shortcomings and limitations. So when approaching literature produced by human beings, a critical look is inevitable to separate what is approved by Islam from what is not. Like any other literary tradition, English literature needs to be assessed critically for compatibility checks, especially when taught at a Muslim university. Values and ideas English literary texts carry should be examined in the light of Islamic teachings so that students are protected from untoward cultural influences and are encouraged to embrace what is good in them. Given that English literature is widely taught around the globe, seeing it from Islamic perspectives is hugely important. However, unfortunately, not many works have been written to look at canonical English writers and their texts from Islamic perspectives. Hence, Islamic Perspectives on Twentieth-Century English Literature is an important contribution. We hope that educators and learners of English literature will benefit from this book and that more such works of analysing this literary tradition from Islamic perspectives will be produced.

AbdulHamid A AbuSulayman President Emeritus International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) November 2017

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PREFACE Among the humanities and social sciences, English literature is perhaps the most contentious subject as it carries subtle ideological and cultural impacts and significances. In its introduction as a subject of study in British India and elsewhere, the most prominent consideration was its inherent worth as a carrier of Western values and norms. Under the surface of its seemingly value-neutral tag, English literature promotes ideas, beliefs and philosophies which can potentially influence its learners and practitioners.Therefore, it is important to evaluate critically English literary texts taught especially in Muslim settings and to bring in Islamic perspectives in pedagogical practices. Accordingly, this book will discuss selected twentieth-century English writers and their works and suggest ways of looking at them from the Islamic viewpoint. An academic endeavour to look at a literary tradition from Islamic perspectives may puzzle many, as literature, particularly English literature, is considered value-neutral and perceived to be a subject outside the realm of religious faith. However, a deeper look at both the subjects – literature and religion – will manifest a strong convergence between them.This is especially the case between Islam and literary-aesthetic practices.There is a fascinating connection between Islam and literary productions in the sense that both concern human beings. Literature tells us stories of human life, and the central message of Islam revolves around a set of ethical precepts and values designed to guide human beings to lead a well-ordered and systematic life on earth which will lead to success in the life hereafter. Islam instructs humankind how to achieve success in both worlds. Since literature carries the writer’s understanding of human behaviour, human experience and phenomena, it is advisable, especially for Muslims, to check the compatibility between human knowledge contained in literary works and the revealed knowledge of the primary sources of Islam. This establishes the relevance of religion (Islam) to literature and vindicates the value of an academic exercise like this.

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PREFACE

Even though there is a strong commonality between Islam and literature in terms of the central focus on the welfare of humanity, there is one fundamental difference between them. The message of Islam is based on infallible revelation from God, while the literature produced by human beings is intrinsically characterised by the traits of the author, which could include negative qualities such as frailty and arrogance in addition to other shortcomings and limitations.Therefore, while Muslims can accept the bulk of authentic Islamic teachings, caution is needed to discriminate between what is useful and what is not when evaluating ideas encapsulated in literary works. Hence, it is important for the Muslim practitioners of English literature to analyse ideas and worldviews expressed therein in the light of the flawless divine blueprint of Islamic teachings. On the basis of this important moral and philosophical framework, in this work, I will assess some important twentieth-century English writers and their ideas from Islamic perspectives. Such an approach to English literature is vital for establishing its relevance to Muslim societies and is in line with postcolonial perspectives on the subject. Since the demise of classical, post-Enlightenment European colonialism, many former colonised countries have sought to re-examine their positions in the ‘postcolonial’ era. They have begun to reassert their national-cultural identity which is endangered by the continuing colonialist legacy and overarching dominance of Western ideas as well as artistic and intellectual products. As part of their resistance efforts, they seek to withstand seemingly perpetual and permeating Eurocentric, colonialist epistemic domination. In order to revitalise their indigenous knowledge, traditions and values, they have focused on decolonising the education system. In the movement of the decolonisation or indigenisation of education, the most contentious subjects are those belonging to the social sciences and humanities, as these are considered value-laden, highly subjective and reflective of the origin of their production (colonialist Europe). In this sense, such literature is part of the wider project of cultural and cognitive imperialism. Eurocentric knowledge is now highly contested, or at least subject to a variety of political and cultural debates, and open to scholarly and pedagogical scrutiny. As discussed earlier, among the social sciences and humanities currently taught at universities around the world, English

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

literature is perhaps the most culturally charged subject and is saturated with Western values and norms which are eventually entrenched in the consciousness of many of its practitioners. It carries Western values in an almost imperceptible manner and thus helps establish a subtle form of cultural domination of the West as well as the mental colonisation of the intelligentsia in the East. Hence, scholars from postcolonial societies seek to contest the cultural-educational domination of the West by approaching subjects like English literature critically. In the discourses of the decolonisation or indigenisation of education, it is now firmly established that “older, conventional, Eurocentric approaches” to knowledge “are no longer of relevance” in non-Western societies (Kasiram, 2009: 647). The need for decolonising or indigenizing education is felt in almost all non-Western societies as well as among indigenous communities in countries like Australia, Canada, and the USA. Marie Battiste in Decolonising Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit argues that the kind of education Aboriginal children in Canada receive does not “mirror” or reflect their sociocultural realities, as a result of which they experience “a fragmented existence” (Battiste, 2013: 24). She argues that students of indigenous background who are exposed to Western education experience a culture shock, as they encounter a knowledge system which has little relevance to their real-life situations.This is also very much the case with Muslim students whose worlds and experiences are underrepresented in English literature and lack congruence with the world of English writers. As a mark of defiance to the continuous assault by dominant (neo-)colonialist Western culture, and as part of an attempt to resist the academic imperialism of English, there is an education reform movement in many non-Western countries and indigenous societies which seeks to root the pursuit of education in native cultural values. It is in this spirit that, in the context of the African continent, some revealing questions are now being asked, such as: “when are African feet ever going to divorce European shoes?” and also, “is the West still in charge of the cannons of African scholarship?” (Chitumba, 2013: 1275). Such an awareness among the ‘former’ colonised to highlight their educational and cultural differences and to ascertain their indigenous, distinct cultural identity is reflected in their approach to knowledge, especially with regard to the humanities and social sciences. In

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PREFACE

order to contest the uncritical transplantation of “western curricula, labels and methods” which are culturally and psychologically unfit for a given society, postcolonial scholars intend to transform “education in such a way that it will be representative of all the education realities” and the “specificities of conditions” in a non-Western country (Viljoen, 1998: 14). It is now common knowledge that the introduction of English literature in the colonies was part of an imperial strategy and colonial education policy. Edward Said rightly regards imperialism as “an educational movement” (Said, 1993: 269), as colonial education policy was designed to culturally influence the consciousness of indigenous peoples and thus to alienate them from local religio-cultural traditions. Thus, English studies were introduced in the colonies chiefly to sustain imperial hegemony, to universalise Western ideas, and to trigger a form of self-loathing mimicry of Western models among the colonised. In pre-WWI Britain, English literature was not taught at universities, as it was considered suitable only for “second- or third-rate minds” and “only as a pastime for lesser minds” (Eaglestone, 2009: 10 & 12). Most ironically, the subject was first introduced not in Britain but British India in 1835, mainly to perpetuate intellectual, cultural, linguistic, and mental colonisation of the natives and thus to facilitate the exploitation of colonised lands, peoples and resources. In addition to the colonialist context of the introduction of English literature and its rootedness in Western/(neo-)European values and cultural assumptions, the subject has many other features which need to be critically analysed in research and pedagogical practices, especially when taught at universities in non-Western countries. Importantly, the conventional, impressionable teaching and learning of English literature in the formerly colonised countries contributes to constructing an alienated identity of the postcolonial, postmodern national elites. Therefore, an uncritical reception of English literature and approaching it to adopt and promote the Western way of life can be regarded as an enduring trait of colonial surrogacy of British culture. Hence, de-contextualising and failing to distinguish between the good and the evil in English literary texts may contribute to the proliferation of alien views and ways of life in non-Western societies including Muslim-majority countries.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES ON TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE

What I discuss in this book offers some of my personal reflections on English literature. Since I first encountered the subject, I have repeatedly been confronted by questions of its relevance and usefulness to my circumstances. At the same time, I am fully aware of the value of this subject, and of the benefits, it can provide to its learners and practitioners only if it is approached correctly. Imparting an uncritical reception of the knowledge of English literature to non-English learners can cause them to be culturally deracinated, morally bankrupt and religiously sceptical secularists. Conversely, reading the subject contextually and with a sense of discrimination can enhance learners’ cultural understanding as well as sociocultural competence, as it can help them conceptualise the world as presented in English texts through the prism of their social and religious experiences. In view of that, this book represents a humble attempt on my part to go a few steps outside the conventional mode of criticism of English literature. It is intended to suggest an alternative (Islamic) way of looking at English writers and their works, especially considering the cultural realities of Muslim settings. This research will be particularly useful for the teachers and students of English literature, especially those at universities in Muslim countries. It will be a useful reference material for those who teach and study twentiethcentury English literature, as they will find the concrete relevance of Islam to the issues discussed in the selected works of the major authors of this literary period. I have shown this by looking at Joseph Conrad (1857 – 1924), Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936), Virginia Woolf (1882 – 1941), T. S. Eliot (1888 – 1965),W. H. Auden (1907 – 1973) and Doris Lessing (1919 – 2013) from Islamic perspectives. It is perhaps worth mentioning in this regard that, twentieth-century English literature is an ideological battleground which enormously influences readers of English literature including those from Muslim backgrounds.Therefore, addressing this literary tradition from Islamic perspectives may bring much good for Muslims studying English literature around the world.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Some sections in this book are extracted from a research project on the Islamization of twentieth-century English literature (Project ID: EDW B13060-0945) which was funded by the Research Management Centre (RMC) of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). After completing the RMC research project, I continued developing this work under the IIITIIUM Text-book writing project. I am grateful to both IIUM and International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). An earlier version of “Chapter Six: Discovering Doris Lessing: Convergences between Islam and Her Thoughts” was published in The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (33.2 [2006]: 25-49). I thank Jay Willoughby for copy editing the piece. Nurul ‘Ain binti Abdullah read and commented on an incomplete manuscript of this book. I highly appreciate her readiness to read my works-in-progress and her ability to appraise and produce constructive comments. I am indebted to Shafiq Flynn for copy editing the entire manuscript. I thank Dato’Wira Haji Jamil bin Haji Osman, Mohammad A. Quayum and Shahran Kasim for facilitating the publication of this book. I am grateful to Suria Suri for typesetting and producing a good cover design of the book. Ulfah and Ayesha contribute to my research work by keeping me cheerful and by helping me to keep goi...