A Cultural Analysis of Religious, Heroic, and Social Values in Ten Poems of Abdullah ibn Rawahah during the Early Islamic Period
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63822/p45a1p04Keywords:
Abdullah ibn Rawahah, Early Islamic Poetry, Cultural Approach, Islamic Literature, Heroism, Religious ValuesAbstract
This study examines the religious, heroic, and social values reflected in ten selected poems of Abdullah ibn Rawahah, one of the most prominent poets and companions of Prophet Muhammad SAW during the early Islamic period. The poems analyzed include verses concerning faith in Allah, praise of the Prophet Muhammad, the Battle of Mu'tah, courage, jihad, truth, steadfastness, and martyrdom. Employing a cultural approach and a qualitative descriptive method, this research investigates how these poems represent the cultural identity and worldview of the early Muslim community. The findings reveal that Abdullah ibn Rawahah’s poetry emphasizes four dominant cultural values: religious devotion, heroism, social solidarity, and Islamic identity. His poems portray unwavering faith in Allah, loyalty to the Prophet, courage in facing death, and commitment to defending Islamic teachings. Furthermore, the poems demonstrate the transformation of Arabic literary traditions from tribal-centered expressions into literary instruments that promoted religious and moral values. The influence of Qur’anic teachings is also evident in the themes and language of the poems. This study concludes that Abdullah ibn Rawahah’s poetry played a significant role in shaping the cultural consciousness of early Islamic society and served as an effective medium for transmitting religious, ethical, and social values.
References
Allen, R. (2000). An introduction to Arabic literature. Cambridge University Press. https://archive.org/details/introductiontoar0000alle
Badawi, M. M. (1992). A critical introduction to modern Arabic poetry. Cambridge University Press. https://id.scribd.com/document/350821665/A-Critical-Introduction-to-Modern-Arabic-Poetry
Brockelmann, C. (1996). History of the Arabic written tradition (J. Lameer, Trans.). Brill. https://www.ghazali.org/articles/GAL-S1-pp771-785.pdf
Donner, F. M. (2010). Muhammad and the believers: At the origins of Islam. Harvard University Press. https://almuslih.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Donner-F-Muhammad-and-the-Believers-min.pdf
Guillaume, A. (2004). The life of Muhammad: A translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah. Oxford University Press. https://www.justislam.co.uk/images/Ibn%20Ishaq%20-%20Sirat%20Rasul%20Allah.pdf
Hitti, P. K. (2002). History of the Arabs (10th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=9twFPOygpQAC&lpg=PR4&hl=id&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q&f=false
Hourani, A. (1991). A history of the Arab peoples. Harvard University Press. https://archive.org/details/historyofarabpeo0000hour_m3g5
Nicholson, R. A. (1969). A literary history of the Arabs. Cambridge University Press. https://dn790002.ca.archive.org/0/items/cu31924083936561/cu31924083936561.pdf
Rahman, F. (1979). Islam. University of Chicago Press. https://archive.org/details/islam0000rahm_s0w9
Sells, M. A. (1999). Approaching the Qur'an: The early revelations. White Cloud Press. https://sites.la.utexas.edu/mhc/files/2009/10/sells-approaching_the_quran.pdf
Stetkevych, S. (2002). The Poetics of Islamic Legitimacy. The Poetics of Islamic Legitimacy: Myth, Gender and Ceremony in the Classical Arabic Ode. https://doi.org/10.2979/2656.0
Von Grunebaum, G. E. (1953). Medieval Islam: A study in cultural orientation. University of Chicago Press. https://ia801500.us.archive.org/12/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.529083/2015.529083.medieval-islam.pdf
Watt, W. M. (1973). The formative period of Islamic thought. Edinburgh University Press. https://ia801402.us.archive.org/30/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.137377/2015.137377.The-Formative-Period-Of-Islamic-Thought.pdf
Watt, W. M. (1974). Muhammad at Medina. Oxford University Press. https://almuslih.org/wp-content/uploads/Library/Watt,%20W%20M%20-%20Muhammad%20at%20Medina.pdf
Williams, R. (1983). Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society (Rev. ed.). Oxford University Press. https://urbanpolicy.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Williams_19831976_Keywords.pdf
Baiza, Y. (2018). Islamic Education and Development of Educational Traditions and Institutions. In: Daun
H., Arjmand, R. (eds) Handbook of Islamic Education. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64683-1_7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Regi Iswara Putra, R. Myrna Nur Sakinah (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
