Penyelewengan Sastera Menurut Perspektif Islam: Satu Analisis Terhadap Novel Na’ib Izra’il oleh Yusuf Al‐Siba’i

Abstract

In Islam, belief in the existence of angels is one of the pillars of faith. In this regard, Islam explains that the angels are among God’s creatures who always obey and submit to all of Allah’s commands. The angels are included in the group of unseen creation (al-ghaybiyyat), which is considered the ultimate secret of Allah S.W.T.. Therefore, being in the ghaybiyyat’s group, facts about angels should never be ridiculed, even in creative writing. According to Islam, to mock the faith of angel can cause Muslim’s faith to be affected, and as we know that faith is one of the basic principals and fundamentals in Islam. From this point of view, this article will analyse a novel entitled “Na’ib Izra’il†(Deputy of Izra’il) (1947), written by a famous Muslim writer in Egypt named Yusuf al-Siba’i. The novel describes the character of Izra’il who is entrusted by Allah S.W.T. to take human life. It also portrays how Izra’il carried out his responsibility. Based on several Qur’anic verses and prophetic traditions, this article identifies several wrong descriptions of Izra’il in the novel. Hence, being different from what was illustrated by the Qur’an and hadith, the article refutes the description of Izra’il as portrayed by the novel, as it was seen as fraud or forgery of the source of reference. This article, thus, assumes that Na’ib Izra’il is a travesty inflicted by its writer to contaminate the sanctity of Islam.