Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

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born

September 05, 1931 in Bogor, Indonesia

gender

male

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Philosophy, History

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Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, born September 5, 1931 in Bogor, Java, is a prominent contemporary Muslim thinker. He is one of the few contemporary scholars who is thoroughly rooted in the traditional Islamic sciences and who is equally competent in theology, philosophy, metaphysics, history, and literature. His thought is integrated, multifaceted and creative. Al-Attas’ philosophy and methodology of education have one goal: Islamization of the mind, body and soul and its effects on the personal and collective life on Muslims as well as others, including the spiritual and physical non-human environment. He is the author of twenty-seven authoritative works on various aspects of Islamic thought and civilization, particularly on Sufism, cosmol...moreSyed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, born September 5, 1931 in Bogor, Java, is a prominent contemporary Muslim thinker. He is one of the few contemporary scholars who is thoroughly rooted in the traditional Islamic sciences and who is equally competent in theology, philosophy, metaphysics, history, and literature. His thought is integrated, multifaceted and creative. Al-Attas’ philosophy and methodology of education have one goal: Islamization of the mind, body and soul and its effects on the personal and collective life on Muslims as well as others, including the spiritual and physical non-human environment. He is the author of twenty-seven authoritative works on various aspects of Islamic thought and civilization, particularly on Sufism, cosmology, metaphysics, philosophy and Malay language and literature.

Al-Attas was born into a family with a history of illustrious ancestors, saints, and scholars. He received a thorough education in Islamic sciences, Malay language, literature and culture. His formal primary education began at age 5 in Johor, Malaysia, but during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia, he went to school in Java, in Madrasah Al-`Urwatu’l-wuthqa, studying in Arabic. After World War II in 1946 he returned to Johor to complete his secondary education. He was exposed to Malay literature, history, religion, and western classics in English, and in a cultured social atmosphere developed a keen aesthetic sensitivity. This nurtured in al-Attas an exquisite style and precise vocabulary that were unique to his Malay writings and language. After al-Attas finished secondary school in 1951, he entered the Malay Regiment as cadet officer no. 6675. There he was selected to study at Eton Hall, Chester, Wales and later at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England (952 -55). This gave him insight into the spirit and style of British society. During this time he was drawn to the metaphysics of the Sufis, especially works of Jami, which he found in the library of the Academy. He traveled widely, drawn especially to Spain and North Africa where Islamic heritage had a profound influence on him. Al-Attas felt the need to study, and voluntarily resigned from the King’s Commission to serve in the Royal Malay Regiment, in order to pursue studies at the University of Malaya in Singapore 1957-59. While undergraduate at University of Malay, he wrote Rangkaian Ruba`iyat, a literary work, and Some Aspects of Sufism as Understood and Practised among the Malays. He was awarded the Canada Council Fellowship for three years of study at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Montreal. He received the M.A. degree with distinction in Islamic philosophy in 1962, with his thesis “Raniri and the Wujudiyyah of 17th Century Acheh” . Al-Attas went on to the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London where he worked with Professor A. J. Arberry of Cambridge and Dr. Martin Lings. His doctoral thesis (1962) was a two-volume work on the mysticism of Hamzah Fansuri.

In 1965, Dr. al-Attas returned to Malaysia and became Head of the Division of Literature in the Department of Malay Studies at the University of Malay, Kuala Lumpur. He was Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1968-70. Thereafter he moved to the new National University of Malaysia, as Head of the Department of Malay Language and Literature and then Dean of the Faculty of Arts. He strongly advocated the use of Malay as the language of instruction at the university level and proposed an integrated method of studying Malay language, literature and culture so that the role and influence of Islam and its relationship with other languages and cultures would be studied with clarity. He founded and directed the Institute of Malay Language, Literature, and Culture (IBKKM) at the National University of Malaysia in 1973 to carry out his vision.

In 1987, with al-Attas as founder and director, the International Institute of Islamic Thought a(less)

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Books by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

Average rating: 4.20 · 102 ratings · 24 reviews · 14 distinct works

	Islam and Secularism 4.29 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 1978 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Risalah Untuk Kaum Muslimin 4.80 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2001	My rating:
	The Concept of Education in Islam: A Framework for an Islamic Philosophy of Education 4.40 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 1977 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Islam dalam Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu 4.10 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 1972 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Tinjauan Ringkas Peri Ilmu dan Pandangan Alam 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2007	My rating:
	Islam dan Filsafat Sains 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1995	My rating:
	The Mysticism of Hamzah Fansuri 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1970	My rating:
	Historical Fact And Fiction 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2011	My rating:
	Ma'na Kebahagiaan Dan Pengalamannya Dalam Islam 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2002	My rating:
	Islam The Concept of Religion and the Foundation of Ethics And Morality 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1976	My rating:

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Quotes by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

“Today I meet with Dr. Syamsuddin Arif. He said Prof. al-Attas says, "I don't read much but I think a lot”
― Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

13 people liked it

“Ibarat manusia tanpa keperibadian, universiti moden tidak mempunyai pusat yang sangat penting dan tetap, tidak ada prinsip-prinsip utama yang tetap, yang menjelaskan tujuan akhirnya. Ia tetap menganggap dirinya memikirkan hal-hal universal dan bahkan menyatakan memiliki fakulti dan jurusan sebagaimana layaknya tubuh suatu organ - tetapi ia tidak memiliki otak, jangan akal (intellect) dan jiwa, kecuali oleh dalam suatu fungsi pengurusan murni untuk pemeliharaan dan perkembangan jasmani. Perkembangannya tidak dibimbing oleh suatu prinsip yang akhir dan tujuan yang jelas, kecuali oleh prinsip nisbi yang mendorong mengejar ilmu tanpa henti dan tujuan yang jelas.”
― Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Islam and Secularism

tags: ilmu , universiti

6 people liked it

“Definisi epistemologis yang paling tepat untuk ilmu, dengan Allah Subhanallahu wa Ta'ala sebagai sumbernya, ialah tibanya (husul) makna (ma'na) sesuatu benda atau objek ilmu ke dalam jiwa. Dengan memandang jiwa sebagai penafsir maka ilmu adalah tibanya (wusul) diri (jiwa) kepada makna sesuatu hal atau suatu objek ilmu.”
― Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Islam and Secularism

tags: ilmu

5 people liked it

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