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PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL
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PREFACE
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate. Every praise be to
Him, to Whom all praise is due! And blessings and peace be upon the
compassionate Prophet, and upon his Family and his Companions and upon all his
true Followers after them!
I began writing this book in the month of May, 1993 and finished it on Sunday
afternoon, 28 June 1998, in the midst of carrying out numerous duties at the
International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC). Among these
was assisting its Founder-Director Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas in
the organization of courses, recruiting academic staff, recruiting and advising
students, planning and organizing the Saturday Night Lecture series, acquiring
materials for the library, as well as participating in various seminars and
discourses in the country and abroad. The initial phase of this work was
published as a long article entitled, An Outline of the Educational Philosophy
and Methodology of al-Attas in Islami Arastimalar, the Journal of Islamic
Research (Ankara) vol. 7 number 1 Winter 1993-1994. This article contained a
concurrent Turkish translation by Yasin Ceylan, then an Associate Professor at
the Department of Philosophy, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara.
My knowledge of Professor al-Attas as a man an scholar was very limited prior to
my involvement with ISTAC in early 1988. My first meeting with him was in 1982
when I was still a graduate student working with the late Professor Fazlur
Rahman at the University of Chicago. Al-Attas came to Hyde Park while he was
completing one of his major works, namely, A Commentary on the Hujjat al-Siddiq
of Nur al-Din al-Raniri, one of his tasks as the First Holder of the Tun Abdul
Razak Distinguished Chair of Southeast Asian Studies at Ohio University
(Athens). He invited me for interesting and provocative night discussions at his
temporary residence in Hyde Park and requested me to contact him in Malaysia
after I completed my Ph.D. At that time he was contemplating forming an
intellectual circle that would discuss and write on Islamic intellectual and
cultural matters and their relationship to the problems of contemporary Muslims.
I returned to Malaysia in 1986, taught briefly at the Faculty of Islamic Studies
at the National University of Malaysia, and shortly thereafter, on the
invitation of Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, who was then Minister of Education, I was
seconded to the Policy Unit, Education Planning and Research Division (EPRD) of
the Ministry of Education Malaysia.
When Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity then as Minister of Education appointed
al-Attas to found and head the International Institute of Islamic Thought and
Civilization in December 1987, al-Attas invited me to join and help him.
Realizing that this offer was one of the best that a young scholar could ever
have, and remembering also what the late Fazlur Rahman had mentioned of
al-Attas, and after consulting and obtaining the consent of Mr. Anwar, I agreed,
and joined ISTAC in March 1988.
Working with al-Attas, whom I gratefully regard as a genuine teacher and friend,
has been the most fulfilling, exciting and challenging part of my life thus far.
The prominence of al-Attas and the unique nature of work at ISTAC have enabled
me to meet and deal with a selection of serious students, scholars, activists
and some politicians of various levels and excellence from all over the world. I
began to understand more intimately, through haqq al-yaqin, so to speak, some of
the real reasons why the religious, educational, and other socio-cultural
institutions of the Muslims are in their present state of predicament, as well
as to find good opportunities presently available to overcome their longstanding
problems. The loss of adab, a condition that al-Attas had observed more than two
decades ago, is still prevailing, and sadly, has not shown any sign of retreat.
Adab as articulated in a new definition by al-Attas is not restricted in its
meaning and application as understood generally in Muslim intellectual and
literary history, but encompasses all aspects of human endeavour. The loss of
discipline of mind, of the right knowledge and requisite action that would us
Muslims to deal with matters, persons, and things in their right and proper
manner are affecting us at all levels. Our problem is not merely the lack of
sufficient financial, material, spiritual and intellectual resources, but more
importantly, of being unwilling to put each one of our available resources in
its right and proper place.
Similarly, many of our dealings with and handling of foreign ideas and
institutions are a reflection of the loss of adab, of not recognizing and taking
the right action with respect to each of them such that each can be perfectly
assimilated within our Islamic view of Reality and Truth (by carrying out the
process of Islamization) and optimally utilized to benefit individuals and
society. Hence al-Attas? consistent call for the inculcation of the right
adab?towards all matters including the self, God, society and the environment?as
the basic constituent of Islamic education at all levels is especially poignant.
The influential role of the higher education in the progress and development of
any society and nation is already too obvious to justify, yet ironically, most
educational reforms in Muslim societies concentrate on the lower levels of the
educational ladder. It is in this context that we realize that al-Attas?
philosophy of education and its practice, especially at ISTAC, provides a
relevant and worthy example of an Islamic institution of higher learning. Once
the coherent philosophy and concrete practice at the higher educational level
are realized, then the reforms at the lower levels can be effectively carried
out. This is because the staff and products of the higher level of education
will be able to provide the necessary and required resources?whether teachers,
textbooks, or social leaders in the various fields?not only at the formal and
lower levels of education, but also and of equal importance, at the informal and
non-formal levels.
Many people deserve to be officially acknowledged for their contribution to the
successful publication of this work. Firstly, I am deeply grateful to Professor
al-Attas for his trust and confidence in me. Furthermore, his careful
explanation of the right and proper meanings of key terms and concepts of Islam
that are either forgotten, ignored, or misunderstood and his application of
these terms and concepts to new contexts; his consistent practice of his
cherished ideas as well as his devotion to excellence, have all inspired me to
work on this project. Despite his being occupied with many important matters, he
willingly gave his time to read through the manuscript and offer many important
suggestions. I will always cherish his genuine councel and frienship.
I wish also to record my appreciation to Haji Mat Ali Mat Daud, the unassuming
and tireless Registrar of ISTAC, and devoted assistant to Professor al-Attas for
more than two decades, for his kind support of our work at ISTAC; to my dear
wife Dr. Ratnawati Mohd Asraf who never failed to encourage me when the enormity
of the task sometimes slowed me down and who offered useful suggestions on some
points; to Dr. Muhammad Zainiy Uthman, our Senior Research Fellow who always
assisted me solving my computer problems. My thanks goes also to five of the
dedicated and able research fellows of ISTAC?Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad and Mohd Sani
Badron for their support and help in typing in the corrections in the final
stages of the preparation of this manuscript as well as for the preparation of
the bibliography. My appreciation also goes to Megawati Moris who, together with
Mohd Sani, prepared the index and to Adi Setia who prepared the list of
abbreviations. Special thanks goes to Mohd Zaidi Ismail who gave numerous
critical comments on all the chapters. Gratitude is due also to Sharifah Shifa
al-Attas, the general editor of ISTAC and her staff for their commitment to
ensure that this manuscript is properly published. My daughters Ilhaam, Asma,
Murni and Sofiya too deserve my sincere gratitude for their understanding,
beyond their years, of their father?s struggles. May God accept this effort as
?amal-jariah, and may He forgive any error or shortcoming in this manuscript,
for which I admit sole responsibility.
Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud
Subang Jaya
29 June 1998
Note:
Professor Wan is a pioneer member of ISTAC, having been with the Institute since
1988. Now Deputy Director and Professor at ISTAC, he is entrusted with both
academic and student affairs. He received his B.Sc. (Biology) and M.Sc.Ed.
(Curriculum and Instruction) from Northen Illinois University. He obtained his
Ph.D. (Near Eastern Languages and Civilization) in 1988 from the University of
Chicago under the supervision of Fazlur Rahman. Professor Wan has taught at the
National University of Malaysia (UKM), and has worked at the Educational
Planning and Research Division, Ministry of Education Malaysia. Three of his
books are The Concept of Knowledge in Islam: Implications for Education in a
Developing Country (1989), The Beacon on the Crest of a Hill: A Brief History
and Philosophy of The International Institute of Islamic Thought and
Civilization (1991), and An Exposition of Knowledge Culture (1991)
These important books may be acquired from ISTAC at 205A Jalan Damansara,
Damansara Heights, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-2544444 Fax : 03-2548343 Email : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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