Faith and practice: Islamic perspectives on Robert Browning

• Main Authors: Anis, Rehnuma, Hasan, Md. Mahmudul
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: IIUM Press 2020
• Subjects: BP170.8 Universality of Islam; BR Christianity; PN0080 Criticism; PR English literature
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/80997/1/Faith%20and%20Practice%20_%20Islamic%20Perspectives%20on%20Robert%20Browning.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/80997/7/80997_Faith%20and%20practice_SCOPUS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/80997/; https://journals.iium.edu.my/intdiscourse/index.php/islam/article/view/1568/914

One of the greatest poets of the Victorian period, Robert Browning is taught universally from school through university levels. Given such magnitude, the multifaceted poet deserves research attention from various perspectives. A fascinating aspect of his poetry is that, in spite of his refusal to be labelled as a Christian, he displays strong faith in God and the afterlife. His poetry is steeped in religious connotations that derive heavily from the Bible. There are striking similarities between many concepts preached by Islam and Christianity. It will be interesting to view his poetry from the perspective of the former. Islam emphasises its own unique concepts and values to help its adherents achieve their vision of success. Browning, though accepting the central ideas of Christianity, deviates from it conceptually. Given this background, this article attempts to evaluate his notion of faith and its practice from Islamic perspectives and discover where the poet’s ideas converge with those of Islam and where they differ.