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Islam Portal v t e

Jawi (Jawi: جاوي‎ Jāwī; Pattani: Yawi; Acehnese: Jawoë) is an Arabic alphabet for writing the Malay language, Acehnese, Banjarese, Minangkabau, Tausug and several other languages in Southeast Asia.

Jawi is one of the two official scripts in Brunei, and is used as an alternate script in Malaysia. Usage wise, it was the standard script for the Malay language but has since been replaced by a Latin alphabet called Rumi, and Jawi has since been relegated to a script used for religious and cultural purposes. Day-to-day usage of Jawi is maintained in more conservative Malay-populated areas such as Pattani in Thailand and Kelantan in Malaysia.^[1].

Introduction[link]

Pages from Stories of Abdullah in the Jawi script.

The Terengganu Inscription Stone, written in year 1303. It is the oldest written artifact with Jawi script on it. The Jawi inscriptions are of local laws influenced by the Shariah and thus one of the earliest proof of Islamic influence in Malaysia.

The Jawi alphabet has existed since around 1300 CE in the Malay Archipelago. Its development is linked with the arrival of Islam, mainly from Persians. It was adapted to suit spoken classical Malay – it is written from right to left and has 6 sounds not found in Arabic: ca pa ga nga va and nya. Many Arabic characters are never used as they are not pronounced in Malay language, and some letters are never joined and some joined obligatorily so.^[2][3]

The Jawi script originated from Arabic literature introduced from Persian contact with the Kingdom of Jambi, also called the Kingdom of Malayu, north of Palembang, Sumatera, Indonesia, where classical Malay- the root language from which modern Indonesian and Malay are both derived.^[4][5][6] It is probable that those who converted to Islam opted to write in the Jawi script, due to its close association with Islamic culture, rather than to use the Javanese script, which was derived from the writing systems used in the Hindu and Buddhist regions of South Asia. The etymology of Jawi imply originated in Java, as some scholars argue.^[7] However, as it is present, but not common in Java, it could be the case that the word Jawi was used as a catch-all term to describe those under Javanese rule or from the vague direction of Java.^[8] It could also be referring to the ancient empire of Javaka, hence the term Jawi, the predecessor to the empires of Majapahit and Srivijaya ^[9] with whom the Arabs traders and missionaries made early contact.

The earliest archeological remains have been found on the Terengganu Inscription Stone (Batu Bersurat Terengganu), dated 1303 A.D. (702H by the Islamic calendar), whereas the earliest use of the Latin script is found near the end of the 19th century. The earliest document so far discovered is the circa 1300–1399 CE romantic poem Syair Bidasari discovered in Sumatra.^[10] The region of Terengganu was known to be under the influence of Srivijaya as late as the 13th century, while the Terengganu Sultanate only dates as far back as the 18th century. This adds extra weight to the argument of Jawi originating in Jambi^[11] by the former Sriwijaya vassal kingdoms of Pasai.^[8][11]

The spread and extent of Jawi script[link]

The script became prominent with the spread of Islam, as the Malays found that the earlier Pallava script was totally unsuited as a vehicle to relay religious concepts. The Malays held the script in high esteem as it is the gateway to understanding Islam and its Holy Book, the Quran. The use of jawi script was a key factor driving the emergence of Malay as the lingua franca of the region, alongside the spread of Islam.^[12] It was widely used in the Sultanate of Malacca, Sultanate of Johor, Sultanate of Brunei, Sultanate of Sulu, Sultanate of Pattani, the Sultanate of Aceh to the Sultanate of Ternate in the east as early as the 15th century. The jawi script was used in royal correspondences, decrees, poems and was widely understood by the merchants in the port of Malacca as the main means of communication. Early legal digests such as the Malacca Code and its derivatives including the Codes of Johor, Kedah and Brunei were written in this script. It is the medium of expression of kings, nobility and the religious scholars. It is the traditional symbol of Malay culture and civilization. Jawi was used not only amongst the ruling class, but also the common people. The Islamisation of the region popularised jawi into a dominant script.^[13]

Royal correspondences for example are written, embellished and ceremoniously delivered. Examples of royal correspondences still in the good condition is the letter between Sultan Abu Hayat of Ternate and King John III of Portugal (1521) ; the letter from Sultan Iskandar Muda of Aceh to King James I of England (1615); the letter from Sultan Abdul Jalil IV of Johor to King Louis XV of France (1719).^[13] Many literary works such as epics, poetry and prose use the Jawi script. It is the pinnacle of the classic Malay civilization. Historical epics such as the Malay Annals, as listed by UNESCO under Memories of the World, are among the countless epics written by the Malay people. The Sufic poems by Hamzah Fansuri and many others contributed to the richness and depth of the Malay civilization.

To the Malays, there has never been any difference between using jawi or rumi. Both are scripts that have been appropriated to represent the Malay language in writing. During the colonial period, jawi still predominated throughout the Malay Archipelago, particularly in the literary and artistic domains, Islamic theology, philosophy and mysticism, commerce and trade, as well as in feudal governance and laws. Over time, with the preponderance of rumi, jawi has become primarily reserved for Malay religious discourse.^[14] Jawi script was the official script for Unfederated Malay States during British protectorate.

Jawi today[link]

“We should not discard or abandon the jawi script even though Malays are generally using the romanised script. This is because the jawi script belongs to us and is part of our heritage.”

— Pendeta Za’ba in the foreword of the book Panduan Membaca dan Menulis Jawi (1957) ^[15]

Indonesia, looking back to its Javanese Majapahit^[16] roots, is less than enthusiastic with regards to the script. Mainly owed to the fact that Indonesia is predominantly Javanese. Nonetheless, the Jawi script does enjoy a regional status in Malay dominated areas in Indonesia such as Riau, Riau archipelago and Aceh.^[17][18] It is still widely used in traditional religious school across Java, however, in the form of Pegon script, a variant of it.

Today, the script is used for religious and Malay cultural administration in Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis and Johor, as well as its influence in Sulu and Marawi in the Philippines. Various efforts were in place to revive the Jawi script in Malaysia and Brunei due to its important role in the Malay and Islamic spheres. Jawi scripts are also seen at the rear of Malaysian ringgit and Brunei dollar banknotes.The Malays in Pattani still use Jawi today for the same reasons.^[12]

Letters[link]

• Letters with no initial and middle forms adopt the isolated form, because they cannot be joined with other letter (ا‎, د‎, ذ‎, ر‎, ز‎, و‎, ۏ‎, ء‎)
• The letter hamzah is only present in isolated form in the Malay language.

Examples[link]

Akin to the Arabic script, Jawi is constructed from right-to-left. Below is an exemplification of the Jawi script extracted from the first and second stanza of the notable Ghazal untuk Rabiah; غاذال اونتوق ربيعة (English: Ghazal for Rabiah).^[20]

Gallery[link]

• 

  Jawi script written in khat (Islamic calligraphy) on the signboard of a royal mausoleum in Kelantan (a state in Malaysia). The signboard reads "Makam Diraja Langgar".

• 

  The frontispiece of a Jawi edition of the Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals.

• 

  Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa in Jawi text.

• 

  The coat of arms or state emblem of Selangor. The jawi script writing expresses the State motto meaning "Under the protection of Allah". Below the motto is the broad belt or sash worn at the waist by warriors in the past.

• 

  A sign in old Melakka (probably, company name), in Chinese characters (which would be Nan fa in Pinyin), transcription (Nam Fatt) and Jawi.

• 

  Coat of arms of the Federation of Malaya (1948-1963). The banner translates in Jawi as "Unity is strength".

See also[link]

• Arabic alphabet
• Malay alphabet

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• H.S. Paterson (& C.O. Blagden), 'An early Malay Inscription from 14th-century Terengganu', Journ. Mal. Br.R.A.S., II, 1924, pp. 258–263.
• R.O. Winstedt, A History of Malaya, revised ed. 1962, p. 40.
• J.G. de Casparis, Indonesian Paleography, 1975, p. 70-71.

External links[link]

• Omniglot article about written Malay
• eJawi.net
• Jawi writing for PC
• softwares and articles related to Jawi
• DOWNLOAD Papan Kekunci Jawi Fonetik (Jawi Phonetic Keyboard)
• Unicode Font for Jawi Writing
• Transliteration of rumi to jawi
• Transliteration of rumi to jawi

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