Representations of Islamic belief and practice in a South African context
Reflections on the fictional work of Ahmed Essop, Aziz Hassim, Achmat Dangor and Rayda Jacobs
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20156174 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jack Kearney (University of KwaZulu-Natal, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 1-2 |
| Pages | 138-157 |
| Publication date | 2006-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Literary Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0256-4718 • E-ISSN: 1753-5387 |
| Publisher | Unisa Press (PUBLISHER • ZA) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02564710608530394 |
| OpenAlex | W2051726798 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
This study explores the representation of Islam in the fictional work of four South African writers: Ahmed Essop, Aziz Hassim, Achmat Dangor and Rayda Jacobs. After clarifying significant principles of Islam, I follow a threefold basis of enquiry, considering how far these authors, in terms of their fiction, reveal Islamic belief as an empowering force for social justice and compassion; how far they are prompted by feminist views; and how far they feel a need to interrogate Islamic teaching and practice. Given particular attention in my enquiry are: Essop's story, “The Hajji” (1978) and novel, The Visitation (1980); Hassim's novel, The Lotus Eaters (2002); Dangor's novella, “Kafka's Curse” (1998) and novel, Bitter Fruit (2001); and Jacobs's novel, Confessions of a Gambler (2003a) together with her short story collection, Postcards from South Africa (2003b). To begin with I contrast Dangor's more interrogative stance towards the use of violence with Hassim's apparent readiness to countenance it. In the next section what emerges is a reluctance or refusal on the part of prominent male characters to show compassion or forgiveness, although such a response would be profoundly in keeping with the Muslim tradition. Women, on the other hand, exemplify a readiness to engage in various kinds of merciful intervention. Finally, in relation to women's rights, I reveal how male‐centredness is, perhaps surprisingly, not typical of fiction by Muslim writers, although it is the one woman writer in this study who engages in a more searching interrogation of conventional Muslim gender attitudes and assumptions
Compassion · Epistemology · Forgiveness · Interrogation · Interrogative · Islam · Political science · Sociology · Theology · Gender Studies · History · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology · South African History and Culture
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,13 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2018 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |