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Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak, PhD
My interest in philosophy began during my undergraduate years at IAIN Ar-Raniry (now Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh), where I was already deeply drawn to spirituality, literature, poetry, and Islamic Studies. The spark that ignited my love for philosophy came when I first encountered Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s work, ‘The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’.
Seeing my growing interest in the subject, one of my lecturers, Drs. Ramly Maha from the Faculty of Education, was very supportive and encouraging. He eventually became my thesis supervisor, guiding me as I wrote my thesis titled ‘KonsepsiPendidikan Akhlaq Menurut Muhammad Iqbal’ (The Concept of Moral Education According to Muhammad Iqbal).
My love for philosophy did not fade after my undergraduate studies; it only deepened during my Master’s program under the tutelage of Prof. Hasan Langgulung at IIUM. Whether it was coincidence or destiny, only Allah knows, Prof. Langgulung, like Pak Ramly, also recognized my inclination towards philosophy. As an expert in Islamic sciences, philosophy, and psychology, Prof. Langgulung’s lectures were unique in thatthey seamlessly integrated all three disciplines in which he was a master. It was truly a privilege to be his student. Immersed in his lectures, I wrote a thesis under his supervision entitled ‘Human Nature: A Comparative Study between Western and Islamic Psychology’.
Recognizing my potential as a candidate for a PhD, Prof. Langgulung once again became my supervisor for my dissertation. Sadly, while I was writing the second chapter, my beloved teacher and mentor, Prof. Langgulung, passed away due to health complications. To honour his good name, I was determined to continue with the topic I had initially chosen under his guidance. Thank God, my patience and hard work paid off. By the Grace of Allah, I completed my dissertation entitled ‘Contribution of Iqbal’s Dynamic Personality Theory to Islamic Psychology: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud and Selected Mainstream Western Psychology’. After passing the Viva, this research was turned into a book, published under the title ‘Iqbal’s Personality Theory: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud’in 2013.
My Learning Experience at Ar-Raniry and IIUM
In Aceh, at a time when the Internet, social media, and other technology-mediated learning tools had not yet been invented, my education took place in an Islamic institution, and my exposure was primarily to Muslim philosophers from the Golden Age of Islam. The reading materials were limited to what I could find in the university and private libraries of my lecturers. In contrast, when I enrolled in my postgraduate studies at IIUM, the world had entered the digital and cyber realms. This new development granted me the privilege of accessing a much broader repository of knowledge.
Moreover, receiving education from lecturers who possessed the best of both Islamic and Western education was a completely new experience for me. Learning from professors like Prof. Langgulung, Prof. Rosnani, Prof. Sahari, Prof. Nik AhmadHisham, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Raba and others significantly expanded my intellectual horizons. In particular, Prof. Langgulung shared numerous personal experiences from his time studying in Georgia, USA. During one of our classes, he mentioned that in the West, universities are not recognized for their majestic buildings, but for the great minds of their professors.
Pursuing my postgraduate studies at IIUM was one of the best decisions I made in my pursuit of knowledge and education. Throughout my Master’s and PhD journey, I was exposed to the ideas of many Western educators, philosophers, and psychologists, such as John Dewey (1859–1952), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778), Maria Montessori (1870–1952), Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE), Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BCE), Aristotle (384–322 BCE), Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), B. F. Skinner (1904–1990), J. B. Watson (1878–1958), Abraham Maslow (1908–1970), Carl Rogers (1902–1987), and many more.
How Iqbal Changed My Thought Process
Born and educated in the East, from my adolescent years until I became acquainted with the philosophical ideas of Iqbal, my thinking was one-sided. Reading about European colonization of the East and Africa made me focus primarily on the negative aspects of the West.
It was only after reading Iqbal that I began to truly appreciate the positive aspects of Western civilization. According to Iqbal, it is natural for one civilization to learn from the strengths of another, especially from those that came before. Since civilization is a human creation, borrowing beneficial ideas should not be seen as problematic. Iqbal also highlighted that during the Golden Era of Islam, European scholars adopted ideas from early Muslim thinkers and scientists. In modern times, he argued, it is now the turn of the Muslim world to learn from the West, particularly in the fields of science and technology.
To be honest, my first introduction to Western philosophers came through reading Iqbal’s Reconstruction and his poetry. In his works, Iqbal introduces his readers to the ideas of philosophers such as Socrates (469–399 BCE), Plato (428–348 BCE), Nietzsche (1844–1900), Goethe (1749–1832), Hegel (1770–1831), Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855), Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), and many others. It has been claimed by many that Iqbal borrowed some positive ideas from existential philosophers that are agreeable to Islamic teachings.
My Teaching Career at IIUM
Since I was appointed a teaching staff member at the International Islamic University Malaysia, I have had the opportunity to teach a range of courses, many of which are centered around religion, philosophy, and psychology. In particular, courses such as Philosophy of Islamic Education, Sociology of Education, Historical and Psychological Foundations of Malaysian Education, Advanced Psychological Foundations of Islamic Education, and Basic Philosophy and Islamic Worldview reflect the years of experience I have accumulated from both Ar-Raniry and IIUM.
At IIUM, our approach to teaching is based on the integration of knowledge. Students here are well exposed to ideas and theories from both Western and Islamic perspectives. Our approach is not a total rejection of Western ideas. Guided by the Islamic principle of Wasatiyyah (Balanced Moderation), we integrate positive aspects of Western thought that do not contradict our Islamic belief system and philosophy of life.
Most IIUM students are well aware of the prevalent issues facing both the West and the Muslim world. With a student population coming from all over the world, they are trained within an Islamic orientation of thinking. Through this orientation, they prepare themselves to become promoters of peace and coexistence when they return to their countries of origin.
Though it may sound idealistic, our students carry the aspiration for global peace and universal brotherhood—values urgently needed in a world fractured by war, racism, sectarian violence, and religious prejudice.
Concluding Remarks
I still see myself as a student, someone on a continuous journey of learning and spiritual growth. As an academic who has come this far in my quest to understand the world philosophically, psychologically, and spiritually, I hope to inspire in my students a deep love for God, for spirituality, literature, poetry, and philosophy. I believe these subjects speak to the heart and are essential in shaping individuals, helping them grow not only in relation to themselves but also in their interactions with their families, their nations, and the world. If education loses sight of these higher ideals, the modern education system will fail in its true purpose: to help build a world where peace and harmony can truly flourish.
(The views expressed are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak from the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM, and do not necessarily represent the views of Potret Online.)
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