Understanding Language Behaviour of Qur’an Memorizers

Abstract

This research’s aims are to discover motivation, meaning of identity and ideology of Qur’an memorizer. In accordance with historical records someone will be called hafidz when they had successfully memorized the whole Qur’an. It is recorded along the Islamic history that there were huge number of prophet companions who werehafidz. Recently, there are a lot of people called as hafidz in Indonesia, specifically in Surabaya and its surrounding smaller cities. This is because majority of the city’s inhabitants are Moslem. Although the number of people called hafidz is still under the number of total Moslem population. This research is dealing with the language behaviour of some people called hafidz. The research is done using ethnographic approach as its core methodology. The method is chosen because the author needs deep information about hafidz’s behaviours, so that the research can truly discover the motivation ofhafidz, identity of hafidz means to them, ideology believed byhafidz, and how hafidz implement it in daily activities. The collected data will be analysed using the theory of social identity developed by Henry Tajfel, along with the ideological theory by Terry Eagelton. The investigation has finally discovered that the essential thing for a Hafidz is implementation and application of Islamic teachings, which been narrated in the Qur’an, in the real lives. The truly implemented teachings in life, which is difficult for many people living within today’s modern and plural society.