Buya Hamka in the Eyes of Malaysian Society: Tracing Thought and Shared Cultural Heritage

Perceptions of Buya Hamka among Malaysian society indicate a strong acknowledgement of his position as an ulama, intellectual, and Malay-Nusantara cultural figure with cross-national influence. These preliminary findings emerged from a respondent, Dr. Mohammad Alinor bin Abdul Kadir, a 56-year-old Malaysian academic with a doctorate (PhD). The respondent stated he first encountered Buya Hamka through formal education and identified him primarily as an ulama. This recognition shows that Hamka’s image in Malaysia remains closely tied to his Islamic scholarly authority. Additionally, the respondent was also aware of Hamka’s work as a writer, politician, and cultural figure, indicating that the understanding of Hamka’s persona is not limited to the single dimension of religious scholar but encompasses the various social and intellectual roles he undertook. A work the respondent had read is ‘Ayahku’, an autobiographical work containing Hamka’s reflections on his father, Haji Rasul. The choice of this work is interesting because it demonstrates that Malaysian society’s access to Hamka is not solely through religious works such as Tafsir Al-Azhar, but also through works containing historical, cultural, and Malay-Muslim identity formation values. This shows that Hamka’s works function as a medium for transmitting cultural values that transcend nation-state borders. In the context of the relevance of his thought, the respondent assessed that Hamka’s works and ideas remain highly relevant for contemporary Malaysian society. This assessment indicates that the issues Hamka addressed, such as Islamic education, morality, character building, and the relationship between religion and social life, are still considered suited to the needs of contemporary society. Thus, Hamka is viewed not only as a historical figure but also as a source of thought that remains current. From a cultural perspective, the value most strongly reflected in Hamka’s works, according to the respondent, is religiosity or Islam. This finding shows that the reception of Hamka in Malaysia largely rests on a shared identity as a Malay-Muslim community. Religiosity in Hamka’s works is seen not merely as a religious expression, but also as a cultural foundation that shapes the Malay community’s worldview. Therefore, Hamka can be understood as a representation of the Islamic-Malay intellectual tradition that developed in the Nusantara region. Furthermore, the respondent assessed that Hamka has had a very significant influence on the development of Islamic thought in Malaysia. This assessment reinforces the assumption that Islamic intellectual networks in Southeast Asia cannot be separated by national boundaries. Hamka’s ideas are accepted and used as a reference by part of Malaysian society due to the shared linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions. Indeed, the respondent deemed Hamka’s works still worthy of serving as reference material for Malaysia’s younger generation. Another interesting aspect is the respondent’s acknowledgement of Hamka’s role in strengthening cultural relations between Indonesia and Malaysia. Hamka is viewed as a figure who contributed to building awareness of the shared Malay cultural roots in both countries. This view is further reinforced by the respondent’s statement that sees Hamka as part of the Nusantara Malay cultural heritage also owned by Malaysia. In other words, the reception of Hamka is not only religious or intellectual, but also related to the construction of a shared cultural identity. Nevertheless, the respondent assessed that current Malaysian society’s introduction to Hamka remains limited. The main challenge faced in reintroducing Hamka’s persona is changing times, particularly the tendency of the younger generation to read classical works less and less. This finding indicates a gap between the importance of Hamka’s position in the Malay-Islamic intellectual treasury and the younger generation’s level of exposure to his thinking. Overall, this data indicates that the reception of Buya Hamka among parts of Malaysian society is highly positive. Hamka is viewed as an influential ulama, Islamic intellectual, writer, and simultaneously a symbol of shared Malay-Nusantara cultural heritage. His works and thoughts are still considered relevant and hold an important contribution to strengthening Indonesia–Malaysia cultural relations. However, the challenge of reader regeneration and changes in knowledge consumption patterns are factors that need attention to ensure Hamka’s intellectual heritage remains known to Malaysian society in the future.