The Doctrinal Views of S.N. al-Attas and Imam Suprayogo: A Comparative Analysis

The Doctrinal Views of S.N. al-Attas and Imam Suprayogo: A Comparative Analysis

by Aries Musnandar, UIN Maliki Malang

(This abstract has been accepted to the World Congress on Islam at ISTAC-IIUM, August 23-25, 2013)

Abstract (418 words)

This article delineates the Islamic thoughts of Naquib al-attas, a distinguished Malay Professor who is popular with the Islamicisation of science concept and Imam Suprayogo, a Professor of Indonesia who is well known as a rector of the State Islamic University, Malang, with its concept integration between science and Islamic knowledge. Naquib’s Islamicisation science is a response to negative impacts of modern science progress which is not based on Islamic worldview. The purpose of seeking knowledge in Islam is to inculcate goodness in people as people and as individuals. The end of education in Islam is to build a ‘good man’, and not — as in the case Western civilization — to build a ‘good citizen’. Islam, just like any other religion or philosophy, has a worldview that projects its vision of reality and truth, and that shapes the spiritual, legal, ethical and socio-political dimensions of Islam and its ideas and institutions. In Islam, all ethical human actions including skilled knowledge should be based on clear and true intellectual and conceptual understandings, grounded with sincere intentions. According to Naquib all ideas and concepts of human science are derived from the thought of secular intellectuals who have been awed by logical and rational thinking. On the other hand, from Islamic teaching, man has a dual nature; he is both body and soul. He is at once a physical being and spirit. The process of the acquisition of knowledge is not called education unless the knowledge required includes a moral purpose, which is called “adab” — the right action that springs from self-discipline founded upon wisdom. Meanwhile, Imam Suprayogo’s integration between Islamic knowledge and science is based on his thought that there is not dichotomy between science and Islamic knowledge. Therefore, from his view that education concept should be a holistic and purposeful education program are shared between Islamic traditional education such as pesantren, madrasah and Western traditions or calls as modern education until the present. The dichotomy in Indonesia seems to be evenly distributed as a thought in the majority of education institutions (school and university) including Islamic education institution in Indonesia for very long time. The Islamic education concept of Imam Suprayogo therefore poses a shady tree of science in Islamic perspectives. The article then seeks to elucidate a theoretical conception of "Islamic education," that takes into consideration the Islamic Holy Book Al Qur’an and Prophetic statements, along with commonly-held approaches to education in Muslim history.

Keywords: Islamicisation and integration of science, dichotomy, Islamic education concept.