*Azrain Arifin

Abstract:

This paper proposes a five-stage screenwriting framework inspired by the Sufi stations of knowledge (maqamat), offering an alternative to Western paradigms such as Aristotle’s three-act structure and Field’s screenplay model. Drawing on Islamic spirituality, the study conceptualises the stations of Sharia, Tariqa, Haqiqa, and Ma’rifa as narrative thresholds: Harmony, Beauty, Feel, Truth, and Love. Through comparative textual analysis, the paper examines how these spiritual states manifest cinematically via mise-en-scène, sound design, visual rhythm, and character development. This hybrid methodology not only contributes to the decolonisation of screenwriting theory but also provides a spiritually resonant structure for narrative design in films. The findings through case studies of contemporary films reveal five stations of artistry in film narrative, interpreted through the lens of Qur’anic aesthetics and Islamic epistemology.

Keywords: Film narrative, screenwriting, Sufism