THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND ISLAM IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN MALAY COMMUNITY

Abstract

The Malays in Southeast Asia follow Islam. Islam originated in the Middle
East but developed strongly in Southeast Asia. The development of Islam in
Southeast Asia has received special support from the Malay language. In
addition to its function as a means of communication for the Malay community,
the Malay language has become an effective tool for propagating and
popularizing Islam in Southeast Asia, making this region possess the largest
number of Muslims in the world. In contrast, Islam has expanded the influence
of the Malay language and contributed to the enrichment of Malay vocabulary.
This article discusses the relationship between the Malay language and Islam in
Southeast Asia, contributing to clarifying the relationship between language
and culture that has been of interest to many linguists and culturalists.