Islamization of Knowledge and the Educational Philosophy of Al-Attas – A Brief Exposition

Abstract

This article is an effort to bring to the fore the prominent philosophy of education in Islam of Syed Naquib Al-Attas. It traces the need for the Islamization of Knowledge movement as the answer to the woes of the Ummah and outlines the importance of the right education from the Islamic viewpoint. It highlights the need for the Muslim to return to Islam and his fitrah and brings into focus the need for education and the correct approach to it. It goes on to delineate the educational philosophy of Islam given by Al-Attas, and its prominent features, including the Islamization of language, the concepts of adab and ta’dib with the latter denoting education and the former being the inculcation of ta’dib in man. The educational philosophy presented also includes the hierarchy of knowledge, where fard ‘ayn sciences take precedence in status over fard kifayah sciences. It also includes Al-Attas’ emphasis on content over method with respect to education. The article concludes by emphasizing the salience of a sound philosophy of education from the Islamic worldview and propagates the educational philosophy of Al-Attas as such a philosophy and suggests its application in the field of education being the need of the hour.