Page 907 - Proceedings Collega2023

Linkage 1: advent of Islam and its impact on Malay society

The essence of Islam lies in the teachings of the al-Quran, exploring how the spirit of Islam (A) can
correlate to Malay society (B). Two main connectors arise from this. The first connection (a) focuses on the
advent of Islam and its impact on Malay society. The introduction of Islam has brought significant changes
to Malaysia, particularly for the Malay society. Islamic teachings and guidance play a crucial role in
establishing a closer relationship with Allah SWT. As a result, the Malay society readily embraces anything
related to Islamic values, which serve as guiding principles in their daily lives (Mohd Din et al., 2022). The
presence of Islam has played a predominant role (Harun & Samsudin, 2022; Azmin et al., 2021) in
reshaping the worldview of the Malay society (Mohd Din et al., 2022; Azmin et al., 2021). Previously, they
followed teachings other than Islam, such as Hinduism and Animism. Mohd Din et al. (2022) also supports
the idea that strengthening the ukhuwah (brotherhood) within the Malay society has fostered assimilation
among different social groups, which was not possible during the pre-Islamic era when social statuses were
incompatible. Furthermore, a deep understanding within the Malay society (Harun & Samsudin, 2022;
Ahmad Asri & Mohd Yusoff, 2022; Mohd Din et al., 2022) has contributed to the development of a more
harmonious environment. The new direction of the Malay society, aligned with Islamic values, has led to
the establishment of a social structure that emphasises responsibility, awareness of one's actions, and the
ability to discern between right and wrong (Azmin et al., 2021).

Linkage 2: enrichment of Islamic-compliant carved ornamentation by Malay society

When Malay society fully embraces Islamic values, they will experience a second connection that
directly links them to Islamic-compliant carved ornamentation (C). This second connection (b) involves the
enhancement of Islamic-compliant carved ornamentation by Malay society. As a result, non-Islamic-
influenced carvings (such as those influenced by Hinduism and Animism) transform into Islamic-influenced
wood carvings. The knowledge of Islamic values that Malay society acquires from the impact of Islam plays
a crucial role in reshaping the earlier influences of wood carving (Azmin et al., 2021). Alongside this
connection, other traditional Malay arts, including books, calligraphy, textiles, plaiting, weaving,
metalsmithing, pottery, and more, have also undergone a similar process of relating to Islamic influence
(Mohd Din et al., 2022).

This is a situation where traditional Malay wood carvers must meet three main criteria. Firstly,
they need to have a deep understanding of the environment (Mohd Din et al., 2022) before beginning
their woodwork. Additionally, their creativity (Mohd Din et al., 2022; Al-Qaradhawi, 1999) must be focused
on synthesising the spiritual cognitive of Islamic values, marking the second criterion. They must have a
thorough comprehension of these values in order to generate ideas. The third criterion is that traditional
Malay wood carvers must possess the necessary hand skills (Mohd Din et al., 2022; Al-Qaradhawi, 1999)
to visually interpret Islamic values through wood carving. By adhering to these criteria, they can convey a
unique representation of wood carving motifs that can be appreciated by other wood carvers and
members of Malay society (Ahmad et al., 2022; Ahmad Asri & Mohd Yusoff, 2022). These motifs physically
embody Islamic values within the intricate beauty of wood carving. Each wood carving motif is elaborate
and proportionate, aligning with Malay culture and values without contradicting Islamic teachings.

International Conference on Local Wisdom of the Malay Archipelago (COLLEGA 2023) Page - 894 -