Is Jawi Islamic?

Abstract

The Jawi script has been used to write the Malay language in maritime Southeast Asia since at least the 14th century and up to the present day. It is derived from Perso-Arabic script, and played a major role in the Islamisation of the region by facilitating the transfer of texts and ideas. However, this article demonstrates that Jawi was never an exclusively Islamic script - except, perhaps, at the beginning of the 21st century. Before this time, it was used to set down a wide range of writings, including of course Islamic kitab but also secular romances, multiethnic advertising, and much else besides. This article argues in favour of a more historicised understanding of the Malay manuscript tradition, and against presentist conceptions of religion and culture. It critically examines recent framings of Jawi as inherently Islamic, such as the 2019 controversy about the teaching of Jawi in Malaysian schools, and the assertion by Akademi Jawi Malaysia that "Bahasa Jawi Bahasa Islam," to show that this idea is modern rather than a reflection of the actual Jawi textual tradition. In doing so, the article draws on Riddell's extensive work on the Malay manuscript tradition and on religious tolerance and Islam.