The Symbolism Of Malay Sufist Poet Ahmad Kamal Abdullah (Kemala)

This article discusses the symbolism of the Malay Sufist poet Ahmad Kamal Abdullah, also known as Kemala. This article aims to reveal the meaning of the symbols used in the selected texts. The article relies on a descriptive and analytical approach, as it begins by selecting texts related to Sufism, as said by Kemala, and then extracting the symbols present in those texts from three anthologies, which are “The Eye,” “The Bridge of Remembrance," and “White Harbor.” The article reached the conclusion that there are several symbols in the texts: women, wine, nature, the universe, animals, colour, the symbol of the religious emblem, and Islamic figures. It was also found that the symbol of Islamic characters is more used than the rest of the symbols, which represents 28%. This indicates that Kemala not only understands the Islamic historical stories but also tries to invite the audience to learn about the famous Islamic figures such as Rabiah al-Adawiyah, Bilal bin Rabah, Balqis, and others who are chosen to showtheir proof of love and pure longing for the Creator Almighty in order to get closer to Him.