Arabic Stylistics in Maulid Syaraf al-Anam: A Philological Study of the Manuscripts of the National Library of Indonesia (Khastara)

Abstract

Manuscripts preserved in national collections often remain underexplored despite carrying rich literary and linguistic heritage. This study examines the stylistic features of Classical Arabic embedded in Maulid Syaraf al-Anam, a manuscript housed in the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia (Khastara Collection). The primary objective is to uncover the aesthetic and rhetorical dimensions of the text through a philological lens, situating the manuscript within the broader tradition of Arabic devotional literature (madaih nabawiyyah) that flourished across the Malay-Indonesian archipelago. This research employs a philological method combined with Arabic stylistic analysis (uslubiyyah), beginning with codicological description of the manuscript's physical condition, followed by textual editing and critical annotation, and culminating in stylistic examination covering lexical choice (al-mukhtarat al-mu‘jamiyyah), figurative language (al-suwar al-bayaniyyah), and rhythmic-musical patterns (al-musiqa al-dakhiliyyah wa al-kharijiyyah). The manuscript reveals a deliberate and sophisticated deployment of Arabic literary devices, including tajnis, tibaq, and layered metaphorical structures that elevate the devotional content beyond mere religious eulogy into the realm of high literary art. Furthermore, the text demonstrates the dynamic interaction between Middle Eastern literary traditions and local Islamic intellectual culture in the archipelago. The findings indicate that the manuscript not only functioned as a medium of spiritual devotion but also as a vehicle for transmitting refined Arabic literary aesthetics within pesantren and traditional Islamic communities. This study contributes to contemporary scholarship on Arabic manuscript studies, Islamic philology, and the preservation of literary heritage in Southeast Asia, while emphasizing the importance of integrating philological and stylistic approaches in the study of Islamic manuscripts