Transcripts of Gender, Intimacy, and Islam in Southeast Asia: The “Outrageous” Texts of Raja Ali Haji and Khatijah Terung

It is generally perceived that Malays—who are predominantly Muslims—are comparable with the notion of politeness, aligned moral axioms, and behave in ways copiously guided by religion. Casual sex other forms sexual “deviance” typically attributed to foreign influences, most popularly, Westernisation. New social trends among this community, such as emphasis on male dominance, changing prescriptions about functions expectations sex, receptiveness towards body emotion, exposure education, openness discourse often “immoral” West. Yet, behaviours depicted writings notable Malay religious literary personages reveal surprising insights into Malay-Muslim milieu 19th-century Riau. A variety practices relations expressed through these writings. This article adopts a historical-sociological framework examine “artisan tools” textual materials Kitab Pengetahuan Bahasa (Book Linguistic Knowledge) Raja Ali Haji Perhimpunan Gunawan bagi Laki-Laki dan Perempuan (A Compendium Charms for Men Women) Khatijah Terung. The “outrageous” depictions texts discussed analysed, part debunk idea “sexual revolution” or licentiousness” emanating from an external culture.