Representations of Religious Values in Modern Arabic Poetry by Egyptian Poets: A Comparative Literary Study with Indonesian Santri Poetry

Abstract

This article examines the representations of religious values in modern Arabic poetry by selected Egyptian poets and conducts a comparative literary analysis with Indonesian santri poetry. Employing a comparative literature approach, the study identifies convergences and divergences in the articulation of Islamic values such as tawakkul, mahabbah, zuhd, and sabr across both literary traditions. Egyptian modern poetry, shaped by the Nahda movement, Arab nationalism, and Sufi mystical currents, expresses religious values through highly symbolic and intertextual language. Indonesian santri poetry, rooted in pesantren traditions and local cultural aesthetics, articulates Islamic values through a distinctly Nusantaran lens integrating Arabic and Javanese-Malay literary conventions. The comparative analysis reveals that despite different cultural and historical contexts, both traditions share a profound commitment to theocentric worldviews, ethical consciousness, and the use of poetic language as a medium for spiritual transformation and moral edification.