Islamization of Knowledge According to Syed Muhammad Naquib Al Attas

Sugeng Priyadi, Student of Ushuluddin Faculty,in Darussalam University

A.    Introduction

As we see now, that that western civilization has influence to every side of human life and groups of society. The western civilization has influence many things, although in culture, philosophy, history, economy, politics, fashion and other things. And also the eastern society or Islam, which more or less has influence by product of western civilization.

And especially about science and knowledge that we discuss it now, we will find that the western civilization had entered both of them. But if we see more deeply, cause science is aproduct, it also colored by it’s producent, the western civilization. One part from the western culture that influence science is the modern phylosophy as a guide of science. And from the western philosophy has born many of science, cause philosophy is “ Mother of science”. However, the western philosophy is based from a special worldview  from western, secularism worldview, that refuse role of God as the creature of nature, which arranged systematically in philosophy thought.[1]

The Islamic society now is trapped in the middle of western civilization and morality source from Islam, that cause to choose a right path. Then, the Islamic society now is seen to take a dualism attitude, among the Islamic tradition and western values.The dualism worldview is a reason from the decline of Islamic Society.

In the clash condition among western civilization and Islamic civilization, the idea of islamization showed. Islamization mean a character and identity Islam as a worldview[2] that include an integral view to concept of knowledge( Epistemology) and concept of God ( Theology ). More,Islam as a religion has fundamental view about God, human life, world, and other. Then Islam is religion and civilization at once.( Al Islam din wa addaulah ).

Actually, an idea or concept of Islamization of knowledge showed when the first conference about Islamic education established in Makkah, 1977. The conference that established with King Abdul Aziz University had discussed more than 150 papers, and formulated a recommendation to arrange a system of Islamic Education, that established by Islamic society among the world. One of recommended idea is about Islamization of knowledge by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al Attas, in his paper “Preliminary Thought on the nature of knowledge and the definition and the Aims of Education.”

  

B.     Biography from Syed Muhammad Naquib Al Attas

Syed Muhammad Naquib al Attas

His name is Syed Muhammad Naquib ibn Ali Abdullah ibn Muhsin Al Attas.He was born in Bogor ( West Java ) at 5 th of September 1931. Based on the family tree, Al Attas is 37 th of generation from prophet Muhammad, from ethnic Alawi, from Hadramaut. He was born in religious and intellectual family.

He was study in elementary school of NgeeHeng ( 1936-1941). After his coming back to Java, he continue his studies in madrasah Al Urwatul Wutsqa, at Sukabumi ( 1941-1945).

Then he gone to Johor for continue his study in Bukit Zahroh school, then in English College. After, he was choosen to join the military training in Eton Hall, Inggris. During his study in English, he can to research and study about life pattern, worldview, and culture of western society, especially in London.

He was continue his S1 study in Malaya University ( 1957-1959). Then, the Canada Government give him scholarship to study in Instute of Islamic Studies, beginning from 1960, cause his high appreciation from his book that he writeduring his study in University “ Some aspects of Shufism as a Understood and Practiced Among The Malays”. Then, he continue his study S3 in ‘ School of Oriental and African Studies, London University.

After his coming back Malaysia, Al Attas become chief of literature class in Melayu research faculty, Malaya University. He also follow to establish National University of Malaysia ( UKM )at 1970. Al Attas also founding an Institute  of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) and become its head of university.

Al Attas is an active intellectual and productive in most of major.Beside his position in university, its seems from his books that he was written. Wan mohd Daud notice that Al Attas had written 26 books, in English and melayu language, and more than 400 papers. Some of his books are : Rangkaian Rubaiyat,  Some aspects of sufism as understood and practiced among the malays, Raniri and the wujudiyah of 17th century aceh, The concept of Education in Islam, Islam and secularism, dan prolegomena to the metaphysics of Islam, an exposition of the fundamentalism elements of the worldview of Islam.[3]

C.    Background from  Islamization

Al Attas idea about Islamization of knowledge caused knowledge based on unneutral, until the knowledge become value free. He see that knowledge not a value free, but laden value. Knowledge and value with spreading into world society, including Islamic society, is colored by western culture and civilization. Everything that had spreaded and formulated is colored by western culgture and civilization. The present knowledge is apparent knowledge, with composite by the real. Then, the human will know as a the real with unconscious. Al Attas see that western civilization is unsuitable to be consumed before selected

Al Attas see, that western knowledge has bringed the confusion and sceptism. The western has determined knowledge in doubt phase to scientific phase in method. The western civilization see sceptism as a medium to reach the real. More, the western knowledge also bringed a chaos for three kingdom, human, plants, and mine.[4]

Actually, Islam has many contribution in western civilization in knowledge, and learn national spirit, even Greek philosophy is claimed as its source. But with a hard effort from muslim scholar in middle age, the Greek tradition can be developed. More, that knowledge had applied to evolve human welfare, after a research and experiment. The western take over that knowledge from Islam, with a change to be relevantly with western civilization, so become a dualism in worldview. Al Attas see that dualism is unsuitable, cause the different in ideas, values, culture, faith and theology

The truth in western civilization is not based on faith and revelation, but based on the culture tradition supported by philosophy premise based on speculation and contemplation. Specially about world, with centered by human, as a physical and spiritual creature. The philosophy contemplation not produced the faith as  come from revelation and practiced in Islamic word. Then, the knowledge and values that based on worldview is depend on observation and change

The worlview in Al Attas sight is the vision of reality and truth. In Islam, reality and truth is not only in matter and human involvement in history, politics, and culture as in western concept in world. But, reality and truth in islam mean with metaphysics teaching on appear and unappear things. The Islamic worlview is based on revelation, with wupported by mind and intuition. The essence religion, like a faith and its experience, worship doctrine, and theology is exist from the first revelation and explained to prophet.[5]

Then, there are big different in western worldview with Islamic values. It caused, that western based everything on dichotomy, and Islam on Tauhid. Then Al Attas try to build the concept of Islamization, with against a selularism western civilization

D.    Concept of Islamization

Islamization is Al Attas thought is emancipation process. Even human have physical and spiritual at once, but emancipation here is more toward to spiritual, cause such as this human, all of he do with meaningfull and awareness. Islamization according to Al Attas as emancipation and liberation, he see that spiritual emancipation influence on its physical body, and this procces cause a harmony and peace in them self as original nature.

Al Attas see Islamization has two means, first is mind islamization from external influence and Islamization from internal influence. The first mean as emancipation from magic, mythological, animism, national-cultural and secularism. And the second mean as a spiritual human emancipation from obedient to physical wish, with sometime harm it self. So Islamization not only a evolution process, but the return procces to original nature

E.     Strides to Islamization

Al Attas see, before learning about knowledge, islamization of language has to performed before. He see Islamization of language is toward with Al Quran when first revealed to Arabic society. Because language, logical, and mind is relevant one with other, then Islamization of language will cause Islamization of mind and logical.

Further, Al Attas see that Islamic term is unite all societies among muslims, not only cause similarity religion, but rathet these terms can not be translated to their languages. Then, the Islamic terms can not to be translated and understand with other understanding.

Processaly, the idea’s Al Attas about Islamization has some steps, those are :

1.      To Reject elements and main concepts that form the western and culture civilization. Those elements are :

1.      Mind as a guidance for human life

2.      Dualism character in reality and truth

3.      To clarify the secularism wordview

4.      To assist the doctrin of humanism

5.      To make a drama and tragedy as a main element in original nature and human existence

2.      To put Islamic elements with its main concept into every relevant field of knowledge.The Islamic main concept are : Concept of religion, concept of humanity, concept of epistemology, concept of wisdom, concept of justice, concept of right action, and concept of universality.

The main purpose of Islamization is to protect the Islamic society and knowledge which had been contamined with westernization wave, and to develop the real knowledge and science which build the muslims individual and mind, so will increase his faith toward Allah.

The main object of Islamization according to Al Attas, not an object outside the mind, but the object inside human mind and soul.[6]

F.     Closing

The concept of Islamization with performed by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al Attas become a solution to agaist westernization wave which influence in every  field of human life, including in eastern society or Islamic society. And this can not be accepted, because everything that come from western, also come from its tradition and  historical event too. However, the western civilization based on secularism worldview, when Islam has a many human concepts that had been perfect.

More, in the middle of knowledge development, then, the concept Al Attas in Islamization of knowledge become a solution or proposal to Islamization the knowledge which had been contamined with western civilization, more to against the westernization wave in knowledge and science

Reference

Syamsuddin, achmad Maimun, Integrasi Multidimensi Agama dan Sains analisis sains islam al Attas dan mehdi golshani, Penerbit IRCisod, jogjakarta, 2012.

Al Attas, Syed Muhammad Naquib, Islam and secularism, Art Printing Works Sdn.Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, 1993.

   Sifa, Alex Nanang Agus, Islamisasi ilmu pengetahuan ( Tinjauan atas pemikira Syed M. Naquib Al Attas dan Ismail R. Al faruqy, Jurnal Kalimah, Volume 1,nomor 10, Gontor, 2012.

Arif Syamsuddin, Orientalis dan Diabolisme Pemikiran, Gema Insani Press, Jakarta, 2008.

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[1]  Ach. Maimun Syamsuddin, Integrasi Multidimensi Agama dan Sains, analisis sains islam al Attas dan Mehdi Golshani, page 27, penerbit IRCisoid

[2] The definition of Islamic worldview can to see deeply in paper Dr. Hamid Fahmi Zarkasyi M.A, M.Phil “ worldview sebagai asas Epistemologi Islam” dalam Islamia, Thn II no 5, April-June 2005, page 11-12

[3] Op.cit, page 115

[4] Al Attas, Islam and secularism, ISTAC, page 176

[5] Adnin Armas, wasternisasi dan Ilmu, jurnal Islamia, Second year, number 6, july-september, 2005, page 14.

[6] Alex Nanang Agus Syifa, Islamisasi Ilmu Pengetahuan ( Tinjauan Atas Pemikiran M. Naquib Al Atas dan Ismail R. Al-Faruqy, Jurnal Kalimah, volume 10, no 1, page 98