Contemporary Issues in Balaghah Instruction at Malaysian Public Universities for the Period 2020-2025

Balaghah instruction at Malaysian public universities has increasingly encountered challenges in maintaining its relevance within contemporary higher education contexts. Many students demonstrate limited ability to conceptualise and apply Balaghah beyond its traditional theoretical framework, resulting in surface-level understanding and reduced academic engagement. Although prior studies on Balaghah pedagogy are extensive, much of the existing literature concentrates on instructional techniques in isolation, offering limited examination of the deeper structural and epistemological foundations that shape the discipline. This gap necessitates a more critical and conceptually grounded investigation. Accordingly, this study employs a critical literature review and conceptual analysis to examine the underlying issues affecting Balaghah instruction at IPTA during the period 2020–2025. The analysis identifies three dominant themes: First, a static curriculum insufficiently aligned with contemporary digital and linguistic environments; secondly, pedagogical practices that remain predominantly centred on classical texts, with limited emphasis on interaction and contextual application; and thirdly, levels of lecturer preparedness that have yet to fully correspond with the demands of digital and multimodal literacy. The findings indicate a clear need for a comprehensive reconfiguration of both curriculum design and pedagogical approaches in Balaghah instruction. Such reform is essential to ensure that Balaghah continues to function as a relevant and analytically meaningful discipline within modern higher education.

Balaghah; Higher Education; Arabic Language

1. Abdullah, M. S., & Zainuddin, S. (2020). Penggunaan media sosial dalam pengajaran balaghah: [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Aida, I. N., Maulana, A., & Rosid, A. (2025). Integrating Qur’anic verses in teaching Arabic rhetoric (balaghah): A classroom action research approach. Abjadia, 10(2), 250–360. https://doi.org/10.18860/abj.v10i2.32788 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Analisis potensi dan cabaran di IPTA Malaysia. Jurnal Bahasa Arab, 7(1), 45-60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Al-Harithy, K. (2021). Preserving the classical framework: A critical defense of traditional Balaghah curriculum in Arab universities. Journal of Arabic Language Studies, 12(3), 201-218. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Al-Kilani, A. (2019). Towards a modern Balaghah curriculum: Bridging the gap between classical theory and contemporary application. International Journal of Arabic Linguistics, 5(2), 89-104. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Fahmi, M. Z., Ihsan, M., Handayani, R., Simbolon, P., Rahayu, F., Hanafi, M., & Ariza, F. N. (2025). Memahami pesan al-qur’an lebih dalam: aplikasi retorika balaghah untuk peningkatan literasi keagamaan masyarakat sebuah pendekatan konseptual. Development, 4(1), 228–239. https://doi.org/10.46773/djce.v4i1.2109 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Fathanah, F., & Bana, R. A. F. (2025). Kesulitan belajar balaghah menggunakan kitab ma’ani kelas xi sma it miftahul ali lendang pengkores. Secondary, 5(3), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.51878/secondary.v5i3.6801 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Grigoryeva, I. V., Tumanova, A. B., & Zharylgapov, Zh. Zh. (2021). Conceptual analysis: principles and approaches in teaching. Ķaraġandy Universitetiniṇ Habaršysy. Filologiâ Seriâsy. https://doi.org/10.31489/2021ph4/133-138 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Hasan, F. (2023). Perceptions of Arabic language students on Balaghah instruction and its relevance in the digital age. Malaysian Journal of Language and Communication, 10(1), 123-140. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Ismail, R. (2019). Integrasi ilmu Nahu dan Balaghah dalam pengajaran bahasa Arab: Satu tinjauan kritis. Jurnal Pengajian Bahasa Arab, 2(1), 30-45. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Mahmudah, M., Maghfiroh, L., Hanifansyah, N., & Syakur, S. A. (2025). Enhancing Arabic Rhetoric Education through Mind Mapping: A Focus on Bayan & Badi’. Lughawiyyat, 8(1), 32–55. https://doi.org/10.38073/lughawiyyat.v8i1.2208 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Mohamad, S. (2022). Pedagogi interaktif dalam pengajaran Balaghah: Analisis keberkesanan penggunaan aplikasi multimedia. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, 8(2), 77-92. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Mustafa, Z. (2021). Transformasi digital dalam pendidikan bahasa Arab: Cabaran dan peluang untuk Balaghah. Proceeding of the International Conference on Arabic Language and Literature, 4, 115-128. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Omar, H. (2020). Relevansi Balaghah dalam analisis wacana kontemporari: Perspektif pelajar bahasa Arab. Jurnal Komunikasi Kontemporari, 9(1), 60-75. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Rahman, A., Ali, S., & Daud, M. (2022). Teacher preparedness for digital pedagogy in Arabic language education: A case study of Malaysian universities. Asian Journal of University Education, 18(4), 189-204. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Sidek, M. (2020). Dilema kurikulum Balaghah di IPTA: Antara tradisi dan modenisasi. Jurnal Pengajian Islam Kontemporari, 11(3), 1-15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Wahid, N. (2023). Balaghah dan literasi media: Menganalisis potensi ilmu retorik dalam memahami kandungan digital. Prosiding Kolokium Linguistik dan Bahasa Arab, 6, 45-58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Yusof, S. (2019). Cabaran pensyarah Balaghah dalam menghadapi generasi Z: Isu pedagogi dan penerimaan pelajar. Jurnal Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran, 15(2), 20-35. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Data Integration in Malaysian Syariah Courts: A Study of Challenges and Solutions
• The Concept of Family Well-Being from the Perspectives of Islam, Western Thought and Malaysia Madani
• Leveraging AI Tools for Islamic Scholarship: Podcast and eBook Innovations in Teaching the Sunni Intellectual Tradition
• Cryptocurrency and Shariah: Analyzing the Implications of Islamic Jurisprudence on Bitcoin and its Ethical Framework
• Islamic Credit Card and its Value-Based Proposition: A Perspective from Maqasid Al-Shariah