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A General Theory of the Islamization of the Malay-Indonesian Archipelago
13 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1976
38 people want to read
About the author
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
37 books590 followersSyed 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
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
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 3, 2017
Membaca karya sarjana besar dunia ini, kita akan mendapati konsisten bukan saja pada idea besar yang disusun dan pemikiran penting yang digubahnya, bahkan dari sudut bahasa sendiri pun memperlihatkan sifat konsisten.
Saya membaca buku kecil dalam bentuk PDF ini selepas membaca karya mutakhir monumental Prof Al-Attas, iaitu Historical Fact And Fiction dan buku lain yang menyentuh proses Islamisasi alam Melayu. Idea asas dan pemikiran penting yang mendasari Islamisasi alam Melayu yang dihuraikan oleh Prof Al-Attas tidak pernah berubah.
Membaca buku kecil ini juga, kita akan didedahkan mengapa Hinduisme tidak memberikan impak terhadap peradaban Melayu seperti yang berlaku selepas kedatangan Islam. Begitu juga mengapa bahasa Melayu dipilih dan diangkat statusnya menjadi bahasa utama Islam berbanding bahasa Jawa yang memiliki muatan Hindu-Budhha yang kental.
Juga pembaca akan disedarkan tentang penggunaan istilah missionary activity yang memiliki perbezaan besar dalam konteks penggunaannya dalam sejarah penyebaran Kristian dengan dakwah Islam khususnya dari sudut kewujudan institusi tertentu.
Saya membaca buku kecil dalam bentuk PDF ini selepas membaca karya mutakhir monumental Prof Al-Attas, iaitu Historical Fact And Fiction dan buku lain yang menyentuh proses Islamisasi alam Melayu. Idea asas dan pemikiran penting yang mendasari Islamisasi alam Melayu yang dihuraikan oleh Prof Al-Attas tidak pernah berubah.
Membaca buku kecil ini juga, kita akan didedahkan mengapa Hinduisme tidak memberikan impak terhadap peradaban Melayu seperti yang berlaku selepas kedatangan Islam. Begitu juga mengapa bahasa Melayu dipilih dan diangkat statusnya menjadi bahasa utama Islam berbanding bahasa Jawa yang memiliki muatan Hindu-Budhha yang kental.
Juga pembaca akan disedarkan tentang penggunaan istilah missionary activity yang memiliki perbezaan besar dalam konteks penggunaannya dalam sejarah penyebaran Kristian dengan dakwah Islam khususnya dari sudut kewujudan institusi tertentu.
Displaying 1 of 1 review