The precarious relationship between Islam and art remains a moot question. The banning of a short story, a novel, a theatrical play, a film, a poem or any other kind of artistic enterprise is an attestation of such a crucial reference. Exploring the relation of Islam and literature, with Indonesian Islam as a background, this thesis will examine the short story Langit Makin Mendung written by Kipankjikusmin. / Langit Makin Mendung, which was published in August 1968 in the magazine Sastra, was condemned by the majority of Indonesian Muslims, for it was considered to be blasphemous, insulting God, the Prophet, the archangels, the 'ulama' and the kiyai (traditional scholars), and it was judged to be in contravention of the Constitution of '45. In terms of the public reaction to Langit Makin Mendung, the critiques concern three aspects: legal, literary and religious views. / Apart from such views, the thesis also examines Islamic teachings on intellectual freedom and on freedom of speech. It will be shown that the political turbulence that occurred during the Old Order regime, especially in the era of the so-called Guided Democracy, and that the Communist movement of the 1960s are foremost among the influences on the milieu in which this short story was written. In addition to the socio-political context, this thesis assesses the theological aspect which focuses on the significant connection of the Islamic Weltanschauung and literature as an indicator of the status on freedom of literary expression in a Muslim society. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

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