The Progress of Islamization of Knowledge

The idea for Islamization of knowledge had started in the 1970-s and start spreading among Muslim intellectuals and activists around 1980-s. It was a shift in identity for Muslims especially after the rise of Muslim states such as Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia and decolonization by British, Dutch and French Empires in Asia and Africa continent. It is also an evidence of the increasing young and upcoming Muslims studied in the West and start going back to their home countries to help develop it, especially in the education sector. They don’t want to copy exactly what the schools and universities in the West because they see that values in the West is contradictory with Islamic values.

One of the first proponents of Islamization of Knowledge is Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, who presented paper on Islamization and Desecularization at Makkah Educational Conference 1977. Islamization was defines by al-Attas as the liberation of man first from from magical, mythological, animistic, national-cultural tradition, and then from secular control over his reason and his language. Al-Attas emphasize heavily on language especially the Arabic language because it was the language that the Holy Quran was revealed to human through Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. He said that language, thought and reason are closely interconnected and are indeed independent in projecting to man his worldview or vision of reality. 

Another proponent of Islamization of knowledge is Ismail Raji’ al-Faruqi. He sees that the most important aspect in Islamization is Tawheed which is the basic and unifying principle of Islam. Through Tawheed, a Muslims man views the reality, truth, the world, space and time, human history and destiny. Allah as the Creator of Nature and knowledge, gives man His knowledge which is absolute and universal. Several fundamental principles of Islamizing modern knowledge are the Unity of Allah, the Unity of Creation, the Unity of Knowledge, the Unity of Life and the Unity of Humanity.

An Iranian scholar, Seyyed Hussein Nasr also touches on the issue of Islamization of knowledge. He talks about scientia sacra, which is science as knowledge must not be devoid from the sacred. It is the application of metaphysical principles to the macrocosm as well as microcosm, the natural as well as human world. Knowledge is sacred and is from God, and can only be understood through revelation and intellectual reasoning. 

Muhammad Kamal Hassan in 2014 talks about Islamicisation of Human Knowledge. It was to provide an alternative to the secular knowledge and modern civilization. The secular environment in education had created a bias toward any religion or faith. To Islamicize knowledge, a critical analysis should be done on the concept of Tawheed and ethics in Islam. The word Islamicize means that it was to conform and being in harmony with religion instead of being understood as converting people to Islam. It was also can be construed as a larger concept that anything could be connected to Islam and complies with the teaching and principles of Islam.

The method of Islamization practiced by al-Attas is that first, we must separate all Western elements (Desecularization) in the current existing knowledge that had been learns by Muslims for decades. Secondly, the knowledge then infused with Islamic elements and key concepts were redefined according to Islamic worldview. Several concept in our knowledge that had been corrupted by Western such as the nature of man (insan), religion (din), knowledge (‘ilm and ma’rifah), wisdom (hikmah), justice (‘adl), right action (adab) and university (kuliyyah).

One of the institutions created by al-Attas to further the project of Islamization of Knowledge is International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC). Al-Attas was not only the first director and chair of Al-Ghazali, he also regularly teaches at the main hall especially on the religion of Islam. His understanding of the world is different from others, where he sees that this world is not a dichotomy against the religion of Islam and the hereafter. The world is merely a stage and preparation for eternal life later. The universe is like a book and needed to be read. But only looking at words is not enough, we need to understand the meaning behind it. This is the same with all the creation that we see in this world. Every creation has purpose and meaning. This kind of teaching elevates the understanding of Islam teaches in this institute. It goes beyond the usual studies on fiqh and tafsir.

Al-Faruqi methods also involves learning both the Western and Islamic tradition. But for al-Faruqi, Muslim scholars that learned the knowledge needed to be detecting the Islamic legacy in each discipline. This method opens for discovery of Islamic scholars contribution in the past to the rise of enlightenment in the West. Meanwhile, the Islamic tradition itself needed to be re-examined their shortcomings. Some aspect of the knowledge needed to be updated in accordance to the reality of the world today. In the future, a Muslim that was trained in both the West and Islamic tradition,  understands their criticism will create a new discipline that have strong Islamic values in it.

Al-Faruqi also created International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) with prominent scholars such as Taha Jabir al-Alwani and Ahmad Totonji. They have more practical method by becoming a network of Muslim scholars around the world that agree to disseminate the Islamize knowledge to Muslim ummah. IIIT published a lot of intellectual books and textbook for students to be used in the university. This books is not only used by Islamic studies students, but it was also widely used by students is sciences courses. This is because they wanted lecturers and students to infuse the Islamic values in any knowledge they teach and learned. 

The efforts of IIIT members such as Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman and Anwar Ibrahim help formed International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 1983. This university is unique in a sense that the Islamic studies course was taken as a double major course with Human Sciences. This is an attempt to develop new scholars that has strong Islamic tradition and understanding of the modern sciences. This duality provide students with a wide scope of knowledge and mastery in contemporary tool.

Nasr also writes about the importance of mastering the Western thought and try to understand their philosophical contradiction. There is no problem with the knowledge itself, but their philosophical roots. Only by mastering the sciences, the West will heed the Muslim voice and we can start infusing the Islamic values. The scholars also need to have strong spiritual and Islamic worldview. This is to prevent the Muslims themselves to become too involved in the Western tradition and deviated from Islamic teachings. 

Nasr also have the same idea with al-Attas which is that language plays main role in knowledge dissemination. He regrets that most Muslim countries was colonized in their mind through using the European language and abandoning the native language that had strong Islamic roots. The usage of this native language is also important in learning about modern sciences to free Muslim from relying to Western technologies. This is why Muslims in the earlier centuries rigorously translate all Greek intellectual works to Arabic because they understand the effect of language to the mind of Muslims.

The biggest criticism of Islamization of knowledge is that certain scholars argue that the body of knowledge itself is not wrong, but it becomes wrong when it is misused. So it was the question of ethics. The word Islamization itself could distance non-Muslims, and can be seen as denying them to the knowledge itself. This is why some scholars argue that the most important things to is to integrate both knowledge of the West, Islamic and other Eastern traditions so that the knowledge itself will become more inclusive and globalize.

References

Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, Revitalizing Higher Education in the Muslim World, 2007.

Febri Priyoyudanto, Model of Islamization of Knowledge; Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Ismael Raji al-Faruqi, And Fazlur Rahman, 2013.

Mohd Asham Ahmad, How Islam was Taught at ISTAC, 2016.

Muhammad Shawal bin Abdul Rashid, Islamization of Human Knowledge: A Critical Analysis, 2014.

Yahaya Musa Yusuf, Seyyed Hussein Nasr on Islamisation of Knowledge.

Master - The Roles of Seafarers and Traders in Spreading Islam to Southeast Asia

Sekarang sedang mengambil Master di ISTAC-IIUM. Sambil-sambil itu buat ujian sedikit tentang keupayaan menulis dan mengutip pandangan daripada buku-buku. Walaupun begitu tajuk ini bukanlah tajuk tetap. Sekadar mencuba.

Introduction

Southeast Asia had been the region that links between China and India. This region was known as the place to trade goods between east and west. Since this region is primarily an archipelago, the most important jobs were a seafarers. These seafarers can be among the locals itself like the Malays, Javanese or Bugis; or it can be Arabs, Chinese or Indian who come and settle down in Southeast Asia.

Islam had spread to Southeast Asia through Arabs and Indian seafarers. Their roles are very significant because they present themselves first and foremost as traders towards local rulers before teaching Islam to the common people. Islam do not come to Southeast Asia by imperial expansion just like what happen in Persia and Egypt back in the times of the Umayyad.

This uniqueness of the way Islam was spread helped shape the Muslims in Southeast Asia today. The religion and the local culture had integrated and even the local folk story had been told in line with Islamic figures and principles.

Statement of the Problem

The study will looks on how the seafarers and traders influence the local rulers and common people to accept Islam. The study also try to configure on what kind of teaching was employed by the first Muslims in Southeast Asia to disseminate Islam in a peaceful way without resorting to war. We also look onto the differences between the Arabs, Indian and Chinese seafarers in dealings with local rulers in the earlier day of Islam in Southeast Asia.

Significance

The study will help us to understand the process and stages of Islamizing the local people in Southeast Asia. We also sees the unique position of Southeast Asia between East and West in the past and how it is still the factor in determining the policy and people’s culture in this region.

Literature Review

Trade had emerged as major forces in the Muslim world, replacing the religious and intellectual forces. This happens after the 12^th century especially after Mongol conquest of Baghdad. This compels Muslim scholars to start focusing the spread of Islam toward places out from Mongol influence. From the network of trade, Islamisation also flourish among sub-Saharan region and Malays archipelago. Traders also have a lot to gain in commercial by converting to Islam. (Osman Bakar)

While Mongol conquest had destroyed several cities and kingdoms, new system emerged to manage the huge empire that was conquered. The tribal rivalry in Central Asia was consolidated. The rule of law was fiercely protected to allow safety in trade and commercial. The Mongols allowed tolerance on religious matters, and eventually some of them embracing Islam. One of the kingdoms after the breaking up of Mongol Empire, the Timurid rule by Timurlane, which controls much of the Central Asia, Afghanistan and Persia and construct his capital in Samarkand (now in Uzebekistan). He was so ambitious and start spending money to build palaces and mosques and buy trading goods from China such as silks, diamond and ceramics. But Timurlane eventually stopped trading with China and this gives the ‘bullion famines’ effect where China produced more than they can sell. The global money supplies ran short and it effected the Malays archipelago traders where they have to create new currency out of tin. (Peter Frankopan)

Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Phillipines has a prominent Muslim populations especially among Sunnis. Not only that, it has also very specific type which is the theology (kalam) was following Ash’arite, the fiqh was As-Shafii’ madhhab and Sufism according to Imam Ghazali. This formation was strengthened from 17^th century onwards because a lot of Malay scholars obtained their education in Mecca and Medina. While Malaysia and Brunei have declared Islam as official religion, Indonesia who has the largest Muslim population in the world never declared Islam as official religion. The state recognize the existence of religion under the auspices of Pancasila which has the first pillar as belief in One Supreme God. (Azyumardi Azra)

The Indian Ocean civilization which contained countries on East Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India and Southeast Asia was and currently still the meeting point of several civilization. This civilization can be either Islam, Persia, India, China or even the West especially after the Portuguese expedition onto Indian Ocean. This area also contains the rarely discussed impression of Islam and the role of trade and global energy politics that shaped it. The Islam in this region has very old framework, with their own traditions and characteristics, but still struggle in finding their identity in the 21^st century. The Malacca Strait had been labeled as the heart of maritime Asia where now it is an important route to transport oil and gas from Arabian Peninsula to China and Japan. (Robert D. Kaplan)

The idea of Islamic golden age had been existing in the Islamic mind for a long time. It was referring to the time of Prophet Muhamamad and the khalifah ar-rashidun and the society surrounding the city state of Medina. But it was regarded as unattainable when the Islamic land was expanded, but it was continued to become a model to the latter Muslim society. The differences of how religion and politics practiced in different region had not created a prefect monolith of Islam that some people thought Islam should be especially the extremists who force other Muslim to become exactly like Muslims in Medina in the times of prophet. There is similarity in Islamic vocabulary, but it was employed to serve specific objective in specific settings. The experience of Islam in South and Southeast Asia become more complex because it was contributed by influx of Sufism and syncretism that allowed religion their own identity different from ruling kingdom of dynasty. Mughal emperors himself had been positioned as a a near deities to the Hindus. This shows that Muslims ruling class was not necessary putting the religion of Islam as driving force especially for dissemination. This was done by scholars or education institute. (Mohammed Ayoob)

There are three different identities that can be identified among Muslim in Indonesia. First is Santri who referred to Muslims that performed the requirement for Muslims such as performing Solat and paying Zakat. It can also be referred as Orthodox. There is also an Abangan, who only a Muslims on name but hope to be ‘real’ Muslims in the future expecially if they learn Islam wholefully. The third one is called is Priyayi, who is the descendants of the aristocrats since the time of Hindu-Buddha before Islam came to Java. There have very mystical view of the world and puts them as a better class than other Javanese people. They also have good relationship with the Dutch in the time of colonization because they was educated in the Western education and given administrative works under colonial government. (Greg Barton)

Sunan Kalijaga is one of the scholars who spread Islam while integrating it with Javanese culture, apart from Syekh Siti Jenar. Sunan Kalijaga original name was Raden Syahid before he was appointed as one of the Wali Songo, which is a council of Islamic scholars that influential in the dissemination of Islam in Javanese island. The name Kali means river in Javanese. Sunan Kalijaga replacing Syeikh Subakir who went back to Persia. Sunan Kalijaga had learned from several scholars such as Sunan Bonang at Kadipaten Tuban (now East Java), Sunan Ampel and Sunan Giri. He also goes travelling to learn and teaching Islam at Pasai, Pattani and Malay Peninsula. He was known as Syekh Sa’id and Syekh Malaya because of his role in teaching Islam in this region. He was also quoted in Hikayat Pattani as traditional healer to the King’s skin disease. (Achmad Chodjim)

The voyage of Portuguese lead by Vasco Da Gama by encircling African Cape of Hope towards Indian Ocean was to find a new trade network to the east. He found that this ocean was trading world on its own among the Muslim communities and merchants from East Africa to Indonesian archipelago. Part of this network was the pilgrimage route in Red Sea with the port at Jeddah. The arrival of Portuguese triggered the Ottoman to destroy the enemy fleet from disrupting the safety of commercial network in Indian Ocean that was for so long control by Muslims. Under Sultan Selim I and Sultan Mehmet II, attention was given to develop the sailors in seamanship, navigation and map-making. Vasco Da Gama in 1502 sank a Mamluk sultan pilgrim ship, and this also triggered the Mamluk to oppose the Portuguese. Because of the lack of resources and efficient navies of the Mamluk, they collaborate with the Ottoman to build a Red Sea fleet. The Mamluks failed to defeat the Portuguese and they eventually captured Goa and Malacca. The Ottomans continue to challenge Portuguese by attacking Goa in 1538 with 100 ships and 20,000 men, but still unsuccessful. (Ziauddin Sardar)

Bibliography

1. Osman Bakar (2003) “Traditional Malay thought and globalization”. In Asmah Haji Omar (ed) The Genius of Malay Civilization. UPSI, Perak.

2. Frankopan, Peter. (2015) The Silk Roads: A New History of the World. Bloomsbury, London.

3. Azyumardi Azra (2005) “Islamic thought: Theory, Concepts, and doctrines in the context of Southeast Asian Islam”. In K.S. Nathan and Mohammad Hashim Kamali (ed) Islam in Southeast Asia. ISEAS, Singapore.

4. Kaplan, Robert D. (2010) Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and The Future of American Power. Random House, New York.

5. Mohamed Ayoob (2008) The Many Faces of Political Islam. NUS, Singapore.

6. Barton, Greg (2016). Dari Pesantren Ke Istana. IBDE, Selangor.

7. Achmad Chodjim (2013). Sunan Kalijaga: Mistik dan Makrifat. Serambi, Jakarta.

8. Sardar, Ziauddin (2014). Mecca: The Sacred City. Bloomsbury, London.