Arabic literature occupies a distinctive position in Arabic-language education because it brings together linguistic competence, cultural knowledge, aesthetic appreciation, intellectual development, and engagement with the historical experience of Arabic-speaking societies. However, teaching Arabic literature in non-Arab educational environments may remain dominated by translation, explanation, memorisation, and grammar-oriented exercises, limiting students' opportunities to engage with literary texts as artistic and intellectual works. This study examines the motivations for studying Arabic literature, its educational and humanistic significance, and the pedagogical approaches relevant to non-native Arabic learners, with particular attention to Islamic educational settings in Malaysia. Drawing on a descriptive-analytical reading of classical and modern Arabic literary and pedagogical scholarship, the study synthesises four dimensions: the conceptual foundations of adab, the significance of literary study, the principal motivations and objectives of learning literature, and existing instructional approaches. The analysis indicates that Arabic literature can support language development, aesthetic taste, critical thinking, cultural understanding, moral reflection, and engagement with Islamic intellectual heritage. It also shows that a predominantly direct-instruction model may underuse these functions when literary texts are treated mainly as sources of vocabulary and grammatical structures. For non-Arab learners, the study therefore proposes a contextualised pedagogical framework combining guided close reading, linguistic scaffolding, interactive discussion, comparative activities, reflective response, and appropriate use of digital resources. The framework seeks to preserve the linguistic and cultural value of the classical heritage while making literary learning more accessible, dialogic, and relevant to contemporary learners.
Zaq??, S. M. (2004). ?u??b?t ?if? al-nu??? al-adabiyyah lad? ?ull?b al-?aff al-t?si? al-as?s? f? mu??fa?at Ghazzah min wajhat na?ar al-mu?allim?n wa al-?alabah [Difficulties in memorising literary texts among ninth-grade students in Gaza Governorate from the perspectives of teachers and students] [Unpublished master's thesis]. Islamic University of Gaza.
?a??mah, R. (n.d.). Al-marji? f? ta?l?m al-lughah al-?Arabiyyah li-al-n??iq?na bi-lugh?tin ukhr? [The reference guide for teaching Arabic to speakers of other languages]. Arabic Language Institute, Umm Al-Qura University.
Samak, M. ?. (1979). Fann al-tadr?s li-al-tarbiyah al-lughawiyyah [The art of teaching language education]. Maktabat al-Anjl? al-Mi?riyyah.
Qab?wah, F. (1999). Al-mah?r?t al-lughawiyyah wa ?ur?bat al-lis?n [Linguistic skills and the Arabness of the tongue]. D?r al-Fikr al-Mu???ir.
Ma?l??, S. ?A. (2003). F? al-bal?ghah al-?Arabiyyah wa al-usl?biyy?t al-lis?niyyah: ?f?q jad?dah [In Arabic rhetoric and linguistic stylistics: New horizons]. Kuwait University Press.
Khaf?j?, M. ?A. (1972). Al-?ay?h al-adabiyyah f? ?a?ray al-j?hiliyyah wa ?adr al-isl?m [Literary life in the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods]. D?r al-Zahr??.
Ibn Man??r, M. M. (n.d.). Lis?n al-?Arab [The Arab tongue]. D?r ??dir.
?ayf, S. (n.d.). T?r?kh al-adab al-?Arab?: Al-?a?r al-j?hil? [History of Arabic literature: The pre-Islamic era]. D?r al-Ma??rif.
Al-Zayy?t, A. ?. (n.d.). T?r?kh al-adab al-?Arab? [History of Arabic literature]. D?r al-Ma?rifah.
Al-Saw??il?, M. (2020). Tadr?s al-adab al-?Arab? li-al-n??iq?na bi-ghayrih?: Taj?rib wa muqtara??t [Teaching Arabic literature to non-native speakers: Experiences and proposals]. Journal of Arabic Language Linguistics and Literature, (3), 15–35.
Al-Jund?, A. (n.d.). Kha???i? al-adab al-?Arab? f? muw?jahat na?ariyy?t al-naqd al-adab? al-?ad?th [Characteristics of Arabic literature in the face of modern literary criticism theories]. D?r al-Kit?b al-Lubn?n?.
Al-Jambal???, ?A., & Al-T?nis?, A. (n.d.). Al-u??l al-?ad?thah li-tadr?s al-lughah al-?Arabiyyah wa al-tarbiyah al-d?niyyah [Modern foundations for teaching the Arabic language and religious education] (2nd ed.). D?r Nah?at Mi?r.
Al-F?kh?r?, ?. (1978). T?r?kh al-adab al-?Arab? [History of Arabic literature] (12th ed.). Publications of the Paulist Press.
Al-?Askar?, A. H. (n.d.). Al-?in??atayn: Al-kit?bah wa al-shi?r [The two crafts: Writing and poetry].
A?mad, M. ?A. (1979). ?uruq tadr?s al-lughah al-?Arabiyyah [Methods of teaching the Arabic language] (6th ed.). Maktabat al-Nah?ah al-Mi?riyyah.
Awad, R. I. A., Othman, M. I. H., Tahawi, A. M. A., & Abdou, M. E. M. (2026). Teaching and Studying Arabic Literature: Motivations, Significance, and Instructional Methods (A Field Study in Al-Mahmoud Library, Kedah, Malaysia, as a Model). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(9), 1017-1028.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
