International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature ISSN 2200-3592 (Print), ISSN 2200-3452 (Online) Vol. 3 No. 2; March 2014 Copyright © Australian International Academic Centre, Australia Reading Robinson Crusoe from the lens of Islamic Utopianism Morteza Yousofi (Corresponding author) School of Language Studies and Linguistics, National University of Malaysia (UKM) 43600 Bangi, Selangor Tel: +60126687502 E-mail: mortezayusofi@yahoo.com Ruzy Suliza Hashim School of Language Studies and Linguistics, National University of Malaysia (UKM) 43600 Bangi, Selangor Tel: +60389216481 E-mail: ruzy@ukm.my Mohd Faizal Musa Institute of the Malay World And Civilisation (ATMA) 43600 Bangi, Selangor Tel: +603 8921 5280 E-mail: mfaizalmusa@ukm.my Received: 01-11-2013 Accepted: 23-12-2013 Published: 01-03-2014 doi:10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.3n.2p.187 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.3n.2p.187 Abstract The need for perfection is an innate feeling in all human beings and a broader sense of it would be people's craving to make a utopian society. Utopianism is rooted in religions like Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. It is also discussed in many Western works trying to depict an ideal society like Plato's The Republic and More's Utopia. The utopian features raised by them are illustrated in many literary works and utopian fictions as is the case with Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. This paper attempts to analyze some common Western utopian features presented in Robinson Crusoe and compare them with Islamic traditions which describe the golden era of the Messiah of Islam. By referring to two utopian features of economic prosperity and spirituality, the essay concludes that the discipline of comparative literature provides an opportunity to compare literary works with discussions on Islamic studies and although Robinson Crusoe is set in a Christian context, it has some features in common with the Islamic Utopia. Keywords: utopian fiction, Robinson Crusoe, theology, Islamic literature, comparative literature, messiah, utopia, Islamic messianism 1. Introduction In this paper, we compare the novel, Robinson Crusoe, with the discipline of theology. Such an undertaking falls within the paradigm of Comparative Literature. To undiscerning scholars, the term “comparative literature” may denote the idea of choosing a piece of literary work of one geographical boundary and comparing it with another work of literature from other geographical demarcation which are similar in one way or another. However, the scope of comparative literature is broader than making a comparison within the field of literature alone. Henry H.H Remak, a prominent scholar in the field of comparative literature, believes that comparative literature should not be misunderstood as a discipline that compares literature of nations only but it is also a discipline that allows us to compare literature with other fields in humanities (Stallknecht & Frenz, 2012). Remak’s view was supported by The Greene Report in 1975 as a group of scholars under American Comparative Literature Association stressed that: “Comparative Literature movement wanted to explore the relationships of literature with the other arts and humanities: with philosophy, history, history of ideas, linguistics, music, art and folklore among others” (Bernheimer, 1995, p. 28). The above discussion provides an avenue for comparatists to compare religion with literature which is the thrust of this essay where we shall compare the idea of Islamic utopia with Robinson Crusoe. The idea that every human being aspires to gain a better life and eagerly tries to reach perfection is an undeniable fact. Indeed, the issue of reaching perfection is an innate fact which is instilled in every human being. The great efforts of scholars and scientists who devote their whole life for inventing new tools or discovering new ways of making human life easier are examples of this claim. The painstaking efforts of businessmen and those who are more inclined to prosper financially are another example of people who move towards perfection and a better future. The difference lies in the fact that every single person may have a different concept of the idea of perfection in mind. Mujtaba Musawi Lari acknowledges the same idea in his book Ethics and Spiritual Growth: Every human being that is born in this world, regardless of its individual or social circumstances, aspires to its own perfection in accordance with its innate nature and its inborn intellect. It puts up with all kinds of sufferings and hardships for its hope of a brighter future. Its starting point is deficiency and its movement is directed towards perfection. It grows and develops with every step forward on the path of perfection. Man's