In Search of Truth: On Intellectualism in Anwar Ridhwan’s Penyeberang Sempadan

This article takes exception to the view commonly held by scholars and literary critics alike that Anwar Ridhwan’s fifth novel Penyeberang Sempadan is replete with intellectual discourses, at the same time it showcases Islamic spiritual philosophy. This view begs further exploration into the question of the novel’s intellectualism. This article addresses the moot issue of intellectualism and Islamic philosophy the novel purportedly displays. To this end, the article utilises Persuratan Baru (henceforth PB) as its analytical framework. PB is chosen because of its fundamental emphasis on knowledge and intellectualism as seen and understood within the Islamic worldview. Concomitant with this, PB in its conception of a narrative makes a clear distinction between knowledge and the story. In addition, PB’s philosophical emphasis on taklif is acknowledged as heir to the Malay-Islamic literary tradition of the region, thereby reinforcing its relevance and immediacy. With PB as its theoretical framework the article successfully makes clear that the so called ‘philosophy’, ‘ideas’, ‘discourse’, and ‘thought’ the novel displays are no more than manifestations of a story and the manipulation of narrative elements in story-making. In addition, Penyeberang Sempadan shows a decided penchant for Muslim characters who are weak as well as ignorant about Islam, thereby strengthening further the argument that the narrative is not an intellectual novel about Islam.