Analisis linguistik dan terjemahan istilah peperangan dalam kisah Perang Mu’tah: Rujukan kitab al-Rahiq al-Makhtum

[Linguistic analysis and translation of military terminology in the Battle of Mu’tah: A study of al-Ra?iq al-Makhtum].

Abstract

The narrative of the Battle of Mu'tah in ar-Rahiq al-Makhtum carries classical Arabic military terminology laden with specific semantic, cultural and historical weight. The problem arises when this narrative is transposed into visual form: generic renderings in the target text fail to distinguish the function and physical form of objects and combat tactics intended by the source text. This study aims to (i) analyse the classical Arabic military vocabulary in the Mu'tah narrative, (ii) develop a framework of meaning negotiation for intersemiotic translation, and (iii) formulate visual parameters for selected terms as input to the Cultural Visual Development Model (MPVB-Sirah). The design is a qualitative content analysis comparing three sources concurrently: the Arabic source text, its Malay translation, and entries from Lisan al-'Arab. From 104 identified military terms, four were selected through purposive sampling. The findings show that each term carries distinct physical and kinetic properties: the liwa'is furled and static as an emblem of the mandate of command, whereas the rayah is dynamic and metaphorised as the beating wings of an eagle; makidah harbiyyah demands a visual of deliberate tactical illusion, and istikhbar a visual of active, covert observation. The colour distinction between the two banners is anchored in the reports of al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah. These findings are formulated into eight visual parameters across three categories (kinetic, aesthetic and compositional) mapped from the metafunctions of Systemic Functional Linguistics and the grammar of visual design. The study's principal contribution is an auditable, lexicographically grounded guideline for intersemiotic translation, of practical benefit to translators, comic artists and sirah animation developers.