Islamic Realism in Rāʻiy Al-Ghanam of Adam Yahya Al-Fulāni

    Abstract

    Islamic realism is a philosophical approach that emphasises the interpretation of Islamic reality from an Islamic perspective. It is usually portrayed by Nigerian Arabic fiction writers, including Adam Yahya al-Fulāni. Previous studies on Adam Yahya al-Fulāni’s works have focused mainly on rhetoric and stylistic analyses, with scant attention paid to the Islamic themes in his works. This study is hinged on the assumption that religious information are subconscious on novelist’s mind and reflected in his picture of life experience. Thus, the exploration of Islamic themes in Yahya al-Fulāni’s Rāʻiy Al-Ghanam with a view to identifying the reality of Islam. Abdul Qahir Al-Jurjānī’s Theory of Macna al-macna (Meaning of the Meaning), complemented by John Lyons’ Theory of Intention and Extension is adopted as the framework. The interpretive design is employed to explore Islamic themes as portray in Rāciy al-Ghanam which is purposively selected based on its thematic relevance. The article subsequently finds the following questions imperative: what is realism in Al-Fulani’s Ra’iy Al-Ghanam? Does the realism in the novel reflect Islamic themes? How does Al-Fulani’s subconscious religious information in mind connect with his story? In the novel, immortality is depicted as the inability to have an unending existence. Existence is described as the understanding that human life is temporarily bounded by a fixed duration). Spirituality is portrayed as the inner journey through which a person seeks closeness to a sacred Being. Courtship manifests as a period during which two characters in actions aimed at building a romantic relationship. Marriage is portrayed as sacred bond between two characters according to Islamic faith.

    Keywords: Islamic, Realism, Alfulani, Novels, faith

    DOI: 10.36349/yajoall.2026.v10i01.012


    author/ Rufai Sa’eedah Olanike (PhD) & Lanase Hassan Uthman (PhD)

    journal/YAJOALL | Vol. 10, Issue 1 |

    Pages