The Fad And Fraud of Islamization of Knowledge

 The Fad and Fraud of Islamization of Knowledge

 

Excerpt #30 from my book:  Qur’an, Hadith, and Hikayat:  Exercises In Critical Thinking.

Nov 16, 2025

 

The current fad of the “Islamization of Knowledge” is just that. More pernicious is the arrogant assumption that religious knowledge is superior to its so-called secular counterpart, a recent bida’ah (adulteration) of the faith. That singular conceit wreaks great harm on Muslims and Islamic intellectual development.

 

         As Reza Nasr writes, “The Islamization project has ... been shaped more in the spirit of a political discourse than a level-headed academic undertaking, and more often than not, has been championed by self-styled thinkers who are not specialists in the fields they seek to

revolutionize.”

 

         I share Reza Nasr’s reservation on the concept of Islamization as well as its main advocates, the likes of such luminaries as Syed Naquib Al-Attas. I have tremendous regards for him as an intellectual and sociologist, but when he strayed far away as with his ill-advised Islamization of the natural sciences, I find that hard to fathom. The Syed obtained his PhD in sociology from Britain and his school years were in Malaysia. As such his understanding of the natural sciences is elementary (Form V or Year 11), unlike doctoral candidates in America where they would have to take college-level courses in the sciences and mathematics.

 

         Revisiting open discourse, ancient scholars like the Prophet’s contemporaries were not at all constrained in their criticisms of each other or the man himself. So encyclopedic and breathtaking were the contributions of those ancient scholars that later Muslims decided that there could not possibly be anything new to add. All pious Muslims had to do was to obey the dictates and wisdom of those ancient luminaries.

 

         Thus began the so-called “Closure of the Gate of Ijtihad” (rational discourse), with the focus now shifting to blind obedience or how faithfully we could emulate our illustrious predecessors.

This era of taqlid or strict obedience maintains its tight grip on the ummah right up to this day.

 

         Other factors contributed to this extreme taqlid in contrast to the earlier vigorous tajdid. Every scholar would, with his novel interpretations, start his (always male) own new movement, further

splintering the ummah. If this were to continue, then the ummah would be burdened with endless schisms, weakening the faith. 

 

         Earlier there was the dire prediction of the Prophet that his followers would be split into

73 sects, and that only one would be on the true path, the others misguided and headed for Hellfire. Thus they were busy killing each other and creating hell for themselves and others right here on temporal earth so they could enter Heaven, as they saw it. 

         

         Taqlid (blind obedience) leaves little room for differences, and differences are inherent with human nature. When those develop, as inevitably they would, they lead to an irreversible split. Like a building foundation, make it too rigid and it would not withstand stresses and collapse with the first minor earthquake.

 

         The first and irreversible split of the faithful occurred soon after the Prophet’s death over his successor between those who believed in the prophetic wisdom that “the best among you shall lead” versus those who would have a member of the Prophet’s family having a special divine dispensation. He (again always a male heir) was believed to enjoy or be in the penumbra of the Prophet’s special

blessings from Allah. That signal difference gave rise to the Sunnis who believed in “the best among you” versus the Shiites who believe that the successor should be the Prophet’s male descendent. 

 

         The minority subsect of Shiism, the Ismailis, claim their leader, the Aga Khan, is a direct descendant of the Prophet, s.a.w. The Ismailis are also the most illustrious group of Muslims. They best reflect the inner core of our faith by emphasizing and thus excelling in education, emancipating their women, and building schools as well as hospitals. They stress the giving of zakat, not how many times you perform Tahajjud prayers or undertake the Hajj and Umrah. 

 

         The Ismailis are not interested in “Islamizing” anything. Instead they are busy translating the message of the Prophet and the Qur’an into their daily lives. That singular lesson is missed by most Muslims.

 

Next:  Defenders Of Reason In Islam

Hari Kiamat Sebagai Knospe

 Hari Kiamat Sebagai Konsep

Petikan #30 daripada buku saya: Qur’an, Hadith, and Hikayat: Exercises In Critical Thinking. 9 Nov 2025

Umat Islam hari ini mendambakan reformis kita sendiri dan mengidami seorang seperti John Calvin dan Martin Luther kepada kaum Kristian kuno. Itu tidak akan berlaku sehingga kita mula berfikir secara kritikal. Permulaan yang utama ialah menghapuskan berbedzaan yang tidak perlu di antara duniawi dan Akhirat. Lebih bermafaat jika kita fahami Akhirat dan Hari Kiamat sebagai konsep atau metafora. Yakni, jika kita hidup secara ‘berdosa,’ yakinlah bahawa Hari Kiamat serta neraka kita akan tiba dengan cepat masa, seperti dipenjarakan. 

Lihatlah nasib si Najib Razak sekarang. Dia bukan sahaja mengalami nerakanya sendiri bahkan beban itu juga ditanggung oleh keluarganya. Sebaliknya jika kita rajin dan belajar bersungguhan, Syurga kita mungkin datang lebih awal lagi, seperti pada hujong tahun apabila dengan keputusan peperiksaan anda yang cemerlang anda dihadiahkan dengan biasiswa ke luar negeri. 

Jika perniagaan anda memberi perkhidmatan yang cemerlang kepada pelanggan, Hari Kiamat anda akan tiba dalam tempuh yang tidak lama, seperti keuntungan yang lumayan dan perusahan anda berkembang maju. Jika anda tidak rajin dan suka menipu pelanggan, Hari Kiamat dan Neraka anda juga akan tiba lebih cepat lagi, seperti disaman kerana kecuaian dan kerugian dalam perusahan anda.

Sama ada tafsiran saya tentang Islam a la John Calvin benar atau tidak, Allah hu Allam. Walau bagaimanapun tidak dapat dinafikan manfaat yang diperolehi oleh orang Kristian zaman pertengahan dengan mereka menerima ajaran Calvin. Mengikut Max Weber, Calvin melahirkan etika kerja Protestan yang terkenal itu, dan dengannya kebangkitan sistem kapitalisme. Dengan itu majulah masyarakat Kristian.

Dunia Islam juga tidak ketandusan para reformisnya a la John Calvin, malah mereka timbul jauh lebih awal lagi. Ibn ‘Ata Allah Al-Iskandari dalam Kitab al-Hikam Ibnu Athaillah menulis: “Jika anda ingin mengetahui kedudukan anda di sisi-Nya, lihatlah keadaan yang Dia letakkan anda sekarang.” (Hikam No: 73.) Itulah hikmah yang Calvin fahami dengan mendalam. Hikmah Ibn ‘Ata Allah satu lagi, “Harapan seiring dengan amalan; jika tidak, ia hanyalah angan-angan.” (No: 78). Maksudnya, du’a (doa) sahaja hanyalah angan-angan.

Ibn ‘Ata Allah Al-Iskandari dilahirkan lebih 250 tahun sebelum Calvin. Namun apabila kita mengkaji kitab Islam purba, kita berpuas hati dengan hanya mengulang perkataan hikmah mereka tetapi kurang merenung dan jauh lebih penerapannya kepada cabaran semasa. Itu memerlukan otak yang boleh dan ingin berfikir dengan mendalam. Pengulangan merepat tanpa berhabisan atau pun menghafizkan sahaja tidak akan mencukupi.

Renungkan tiada satu pun universiti tempatan mempunyai Jabatan Falsafah. Kita sendiri pun tidak mengenali tokoh yang lampau. Ahmad Tajuddin Rasdi, seorang Profesor Senibina di sebuah universiti swasta negara, terkilan atas keadaan yang menyedihkan ini. Graduan Malaysia semuanya menuju ke arah apa yang beliau sifatkan sebagai “kejahilan terdidik.”

Kita patut berasa malu dengan keadaan itu. Khazanah karya intelektual Islam kaya dan boleh menyemarakkan api rasa ingin tahu dan pemikiran kritikal dalam kalangan orang yang beriman, dan mengekalkannya menyala untuk masa yang lama. Kajian ringkas sejarah Islam mendedahkan bahawa pada beberapa abad pertamanya, tempoh yang dirujuk sebagai Zaman Keemasan Islam, agama kita dicirikan oleh satu tema yang berulang, yakni menyoal dan menyopal semula mereka yang berkuasa dan berilmu.

Malah Nabi Muhammad, s.a.w., sendiri juga tidak dikecualikan. Beliau ditanya sering kali untuk membuktikan kenabiannya dan menegaskan bahawa wahyu yang diterimanya bukanlah sekadar puisi atau cakap endah. Baginda tidak mencuba melebehi Nabi Musa, s.a.w., dengan menyertai peraduan “tongkat menjadi ular,” atau Nabi Isa, s.a.w., dalam keupayaan berjalan di atas air.

Banyak kesan yang kurang baik akibat perdebatan hebat yang berlaku pada awal kurun Islam. Ramai yang membawa maut. Satu lagi kejadian yang mencerminkan kejadian yang amat disedehi. Yakni hanya seorang sahaja Rashiddun, Abu Bakar, yang meninggal dunia dalam secara aman. Yang ketiga lain semuanya dalam keadaan yang mencurigakan jika tidak dibunuh dengan secara terang.

Para penganut Islam awal berusaha untuk menjadikan ajaran Nabi bimbingan untuk cara hidup mereka seharian. Apabila Islam berkembang merentasi benua, bahasa, dan budaya serta sistem politik, orang yang beriman terpaksa bergelut bukan sahaja dengan apa yang telah dikhutbahkan oleh Nabi tetapi juga memisahkan keuniversalan iman yang agung ini daripada kekhususan budaya Badawi padang pasirnya.

Oleh itu penekanan patut beralih kepada tajdid–usaha yang berterusan untuk pembaharuan iman, atau lebih tepat lagi, untuk mencari pemahaman segar untuk membimbing umat Islam dengan lebih baik dan sempurna dalam kehidupan seharian mereka, sama ada si pengembara di padang pasir Arab yang gersang atau penduduk tetap di pulau tropika yang bercuaca lembap di Asia Tenggara. 

Hadis mengatakan bahawa pada setiap abad Allah akan menghantar pemimpin baru untuk membersihkan dan menyucikan iman kita daripada semua penambahan yang telah terkumpul.

Umat Islam awal amat segar dan subur dalam ulasan mereka dan perkembangan fikiran intelektual mereka. Al Kindi dari Abad ke-9, dianggap sebagai ahli falsafah Muslim yang pertama dan ulong, banyak menulis risalah. Beliau dan yang lain bermula dengan menterjemahkan karya ahli falsafah Yunani dan kemudian membuat sumbangan ulong mereka sendiri.

Cerdik pandai kemudian seperti Ibn Rashid dan Ibn Sini membuat sumbangan penting mereka bukan sahaja dalam pengetahuan teologi Islam tetapi lebih lagi dalam bidang sains, sama ada fizikal mahupun biologi. Ulama purba tidak membezakan antara pengetahuan agama dan secular, atau akhirat dan duniawan. Bagi mereka, semua pengetahuan akhirnya datang daripada Allah melalui usaha manusia. Samada Dia memilih untuk menyampaikan konsep sifar kepada seorang Hindu, fahaman tentang graviti kepada seorang Kristian, atau rahsia virus polio kepada seorang Yahudi bukanlah untuk kita mempersoalkan tetapi untuk menerima dan mendapat manfaat daripada penemuan tersebut. 

Renungkan bahawa umat Islam kuno tidak teragak untuk belajar daripada orang Yunani, yakni mereka yang ateis (yakni tidak percaya langsung kepada Tuhan) dan mereka yang mempercayai berbagai tuhan (politeistik). Sebaliknya kita umat Islam hari ini menolak pencapaian dari Barat mensifatkan itu sebagai bayangan sehaja yang berhasil daripada minda yang tidak mengakui ketuhanan.

Seterusnya: Pembaziran Usaha Mengislamkan Ilmu

The Day of Judgement As A Concept

 The Day of Judgment As A Concept

 

Excerpt #30 from my book:  Qur’an, Hadith, and Hikayat:  Exercises In Critical Thinking.

Nov 9, 2025

 

Muslims today yearn for our own reformers, our John Calvins and Martin Luthers. It will not happen until we begin to think critically. A good start would be to eliminate this uncalled for dichotomy between the temporal and Hereafter. It would be more helpful to accept the Hereafter and The Day of Judgement as concepts or metaphorically. Thus, if we were to lead a “bad” (sinful) life, our Day of Judgement would come soon enough; likewise, our Hell, as being jailed. Study hard and be diligent and your Day of Judgement could come as early as year’s end with your spectacular examination results and being rewarded with a prestigious scholarship.

 

         If you are in business and give good service to your clients and customers, your Day of Judgment would come soon enough – your lucrative practice or thriving business. If you are not diligent and cheat on your customers, your Day of Judgement and Hell too would come

sooner than you expected, as your being sued for negligence.

 

         Whether my interpretation of Islam a la John Calvin is true or not, Allah hu Allam (only Allah knows). There is no denying however, of the benefits to medieval Christians from their adopting Calvin’s views. As per Max Weber, Calvin gave rise to the famed protestant work ethics and the rise of capitalism.

 

         The Muslim world too was not without its own reformers a la Calvin, and much earlier too. Ibn ‘Ata Allah Al-Iskandari in his Al-Hikam–Sufi Aphorisms (The Book Of Wisdoms) wrote:  “If you want to know your standing with Him, look at the state He has put you in now.” (Aphorism No: 73.) That is Calvin’s wisdom put succinctly. Another, “Hope goes hand in hand with deeds; otherwise it is just wishful thinking.” (No:78). Meaning, du’a (supplications) alone is but wishful thinking. 

 

         Ibn ‘Ata Allah Al-Iskandari was born 250 years before Calvin. Yet when we study ancient Islam, we are content with merely reciting their words of wisdom but little pondering and much less application to contemporary challenges. That would require considerable thought. Mere regurgitation, even if endless, would not do it. 

 

         It is significant–and no surprise–that not a single Malaysian university has a dedicated Department of Philosophy. We do not even know our own past luminaries. Ahmad Tajuddin Rasdi, Professor of Architecture at a private Malaysian university, lamented the sorry state of Malaysian graduates, all on the path towards what he termed “educated ignorance.”

 

         That is a great shame. Islam offers such a rich treasure of intellectual works that could ignite the fire of curiosity and critical thinking among the faithful, and keep it burning for a long time. Even the most cursory review of the history of Islam would reveal that in its first few centuries, the period rightly referred to as the Golden Age of Islam, the faith was characterized by one recurring theme–vigorous questioning and re-questioning of authorities.

 

         Even the Prophet was not spared. He was asked, and often, to prove his prophethood and that the revelations he received were not “mere poetry.” Bless him! He did not try to “outdo” Moses by entering into a “stick to snake” contest, or Jesus in being able to walk on water.

 

         There was a price to pay for those earlier vigorous debates; for many, deadly. It is not coincidental and a tragic commentary that only one of the Prophet’s immediate successors, Abu Bakar, died of natural causes; the other three all in suspicious circumstances if not by outright

assassination.

 

         Those early believers strived to make the Prophet’s teachings relevant to their everyday lives. As Islam spread across cultures, geography, language, and polity, the faithful had to grapple not only with what the Prophet had preached but also separating the universalities of this great faith versus its desert Bedouin specifics.

 

         Thus, the emphasis on tajdid–the constant search for and continuous efforts at renewal of the faith, or more correctly to seek a fresh understanding to guide us better in our everyday lives, whether we are wanderers in the arid Arabian desert or the settled dwellers of the humid

tropical isles of Southeast Asia. The hadith, every century Allah would send a new leader to purify and cleanse our faith of all the accumulated accretions, acknowledges this reality. 

 

         Early Muslims were prolific in their commentaries and the efflorescence of their intellectual activities. The 9thCentury Al Kindi, regarded as the first Muslim philosopher, wrote voluminous treatises. He and others began by translating the works of Greek philosophers and then went on to make their own seminal contributions.

 

         Later scholars like Ibn Rashid and Ibn Sini made significant contributions not only in Islamic theological knowledge but more so in the natural sciences, both physical and biological. Those ancient scholars made no differentiation between religious and secular knowledge. To

them, all knowledge ultimately came from Allah through human efforts. That He chose to impart the concept of zero to a Hindu, the insights on gravity to an Englishman, or the secrets of the polio virus to a Jew is not for us to question but to accept and benefit from those discoveries. Consider that those early Muslims did not hesitate to learn from the godless and polytheistic Greeks. By contrast we Muslims today dismiss the significant achievements of the West as but illusory and the products of Godless minds.

 

Next:  The Fad of Islamization of Knowledge

Pengajian Islam Peringkat Siswazah di Malaysia

 Pengajian Islam Peringkat Siswazah di Malaysia

Petikan #29 dari buku saya: Qur’an, Hadith, and Hikayat: Exercises In Critical Thinking. 

5 November 2025

Saya pernah menghadiri satu seminar siswazah Pengajian Islam di sebuah universiti di Malaysia. Kursus itu amat popular dalam kalangan eksekutif, profesional, dan pegawai tinggi kerajaan Melayu. Mereka ghairah ingin meningkatan kelulusan dalam Pengajian Islam untuk melonjakkan kenaikan pangkat. Pensyarahnya ialah seorang sarjana terkemuka dan berkelulusan kedoktoran dari universiti terkemuka di Amerika,

Tidak sampai sepuluh minit sahaja masuk ceramah yang mendayu dan membosankan, beliau menyebut satu kenyataan yang tidak masuk akal kepada saya. Saya terus mengangkat tangan untuk mencelah, tetapi diminta untuk menahan soalan sehingga akhir kerana, kononnya, “Kita begitu banyak bahan yang perlu dibentangkan! Ternyata, di hujung ceramah beliau langsung tidak ada masa untuk menerima soalan apa apa.

Rakan sekuliah saya bersimpati dengan profesor itu. Yakni beliau terlalu banyak bahan untuk disampaikan sehinggakan tiada masa untuk soalan! Itulah hakikat pendidikan siswazah di Malaysia, dan bukan sahaja dalam Pengajian Islam.

Profesor terkemuka itu bertindak seolah beliau memikul beban barangan intelektual yang berat. Semakin cepat beliau dapat melonggokkannya kepada pelajarnya, renganlah bebannya. Selepas itu beliau boleh mendakwa telah menunaikan tanggungjawabnya dan menerima gaji dengan secara halal.

Nyata professor itu bukan seorang pendidik. Sebaliknya dia lebih bertugas sebagai penghantar barang Amazon. “Saya hanya si pembawa atau penyampai, tuan, terima kasih! Sebarang aduan, sila isi borang!” Sepatutnya beliau perlu bertujuan untuk memberi pencerahan di antara pelajarnya. Atau mengikut falsafah Munshi Abdullah, mengsifatkan pelajarnya sebagai parang yang patut diasah, bukan tong kosong untuk di isi. Terkilan sebab itulah cara pendidikan Islam pada semua peringkat dan bukan hanya di Malaysia. Yakni bersifat mengisikan tong kosong.

Mengambil kira berbagai latar belakang (dari segi akademik dan juga profesional) pelajar yang matang itu, kelas itu sepatutnya menjadi satu forum yang hebat untuk si profesor itu mengadakan perbincangan yang rancak.

Bandingkan dia dengan Bruce Lawrence, Profesor Pengajian Islam yang telah bersara dari Duke University. Dia pernah ada seorang pelajar siswazah kejuruteraan dari Pakistan yang mengambil kursus beliau sebagai elektif kemanusiaan. Pelajar itu adalah seorang hafiz. Lawrence terkejut bahawa pelajar itu tidak memahami langsung pun apa yang dihafizkannya sebelum beliau mengambil kursus dari Lawrence. Profesor itu juga belajar banyak daripada pelajar itu, terutamanya mengenai sistem pendidikan di Pakistan. Kelas Lawrence adalah jalan dua hala antara pensyarah dan pelajar. Itu menyegarkan otak, tidak seperti jalan sehala yang membosankan seperti kursus siswazah yang saya alami di Malaysia.

Kembali kepada profesor Melayu itu, dia boleh diibaratkan sebagai sibuk mengisi minyak ke dalam pelita pelajar manakala Lawrence ingin menyalakan apinya.

Teringat saya kepada peristiwa yang di alami oleh Imam Ghazzali dimana karavannya dirompak. Beliau merayu kepada perompak agar tidak mengambil kitab dan jilid yang ada di dalam beg pelana keldai. “Itu semuanya kerjaya sepanjang hayat saya yang tidak terhingga harganya, warisan ulung ku,” Imam ternama itu merayu.

Ketua perompak itu tidak terharu langsung. “Jika ini warisan anda, itu tidak bermakna jika ia boleh di musnahkan oleh seorang perompak,” beliau mencemuh.

Hari ini sumbangan hebat Imam Ghazzali boleh dimuatkan ke dalam satu thumb disc atau disimpan dengan selamat di I-Cloud dan boleh diakses dari mana-mana sahaja. Tidak hairanlah Pengajian Islam di Barat sekarang lebih giat tertumpu kepada pendigitalan (digitizing) risalah-kuno itu dan menggunakan kecerdasan buatan (Artifical Intelligence, AI) untuk menimba hikmahnya.

Terdapat satu lagi kelemahan yang melumpuhkan kebanyakan wacana Islam semasa. Yakni, pebedzaan yang tidak perlu atau diinginni antara masaalah duniawi dan akhirat seolah ia adalah satu perbedzaan yang berasingan. Bersama dengan itu datanglah penghinaan dan penolakan serta merendahkan yang tidak wajar dan merosakkan terhadap ilmu dan kejayaan duniawi. Kononnya, kejayaan yang sebenar serta tulen dan kekal hanya adalah di akhirat.

Penganut Kristian zaman pertengahan juga pernah terperangkap dengan corak pemikiran yang melumpuhkan ini. Kemudian muncul Paderi John Calvin (dan lain lain) pada kurun ke-16 untuk menghilangkan salah tanggapan yang merosakkan ini. Dengan itu Eropah Barat memulakan Renaissance mereka yang diikuti dengan Zaman Pencerahan mereka serta menerima ilmu sains dan sistem kapitalisme.

Bagi Calvin, Tuhan dengan hikmah-Nya akan menunjukkan kepada siapa yang Dia mungkin diberi kurniaan di akhirat. Jika Dia menganugerahkan ganjaran yang melimpah-ruah kepada anda di dunia sementara ini (temporal world), maka itu bererti nasib yang sama akan menanti anda di Akhirat. Maknanya, keadaan anda di duniawi mencerminkan bakal nasib anda di akhirat. 

Dengan itu lahirlah etika kerja (“work ethics”) kaum Calvinis yang terkenal itu, dan dari situ Eropah Barat melonjak keluar dari Zaman Gelap Pertengahan menuju ke Zaman Pencerahan dan kemodenan. Apa yang di maksudkan dengan istilah etika kerja ialah menghormati usaha atau pekerjaan dan tenaga sesorang. Dengan itu semua makhluk Allah berkerja keras dan berusaha agar mereka berjaya dan dengan itu dilihat sebagai golongan yang diredai oleh Tuhan. Teologi yang berpegang kepada perinsip “si miskin akan mewarisi Bumi Allah ini” (The poor shall inherit the Earth), varian dari Mathew 5:5 yang lazim sebelum ini, kini dilihat dari sudut pandangan yang amat berbeza sama sekali dan jauh kurang disenangi.

Seterusnya:  Hari Qiamat Sebagai Konsep

Islamic Studies At The Graduate level In Malaysia

 Islamic Studies at The Graduate Level in Malaysia

Excerpt #29 from my book:  Qur’an, Hadith, and Hikayat:  Exercises In Critical Thinking.

Nov 2, 2025

 

I once attended a graduate seminar on Islam at a Malaysian university. That course was popular with upcoming Malay executives, professionals, and top civil servants eager to burnish their Islamic credentials, thus enhancing their prospects for promotions.

 

         Ten minutes into his droning lecture, the professor, a distinguished scholar with a doctorate from an elite American university, said something ridiculous. I raised my hand to interrupt but was told to keep my questions till the end as “We have so much material to cover!” At the end it was exactly that. He had no time for questions.

 

         My fellow students sympathized with the professor. He had so much material to impart that he had no time for questions! That is Malaysian education at the graduate level and not unique to Islamic Studies.

 

         That distinguished professor acted as if he had a heavy load of intellectual goods. The sooner he could unload them onto his students, the faster that would lighten him. Then he could claim to have discharged his duties and earned his paycheck as halal.

 

         He was less an educator, more an Amazon delivery man. I am just the carrier, sir, thank you! Any complaints, file a form! He should instead have been on a mission or crusade – to carry and pass on the torch of enlightenment on Islam and ignited the sparks in his students, not damper them. Therein lies much of the problem with Islamic education at all levels and not just in Malaysia. Considering the varied backgrounds of the mature students (academically and professionally), that would have been a splendid forum for that professor to have had a lively discussion.

 

         Bruce Lawrence, retired Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke, once had a graduate engineering student from Pakistan who took the course for his humanities electives. The student was a hafiz (one who had memorized the Qur’an). Lawrence was stunned that the student had understood nothing of the Qur’an until he took Lawrence’s course. The professor too learned much from his student, especially about Pakistani education. Lawrence’s class was an invigorating two-way street, unlike the monotonous one-way traffic at that Malaysian graduate course.

 

         Back to that Malay professor, he was consumed with putting fuel in his students’ lamp pot; Lawrence, with igniting the flame.

 

         There is the famous story of Imam Ghazzali whose caravan was robbed. He pleaded to the bandits not to take away the volumes in the donkeys’ saddlebags. “Those are my precious lifetime work, my only legacy,” pleaded the legendary Imam. 

 

         The bandits’ leader was unimpressed. “It cannot be much of a legacy if it could all be destroyed by a mere bandit,” he scoffed.

 

         Today, Imam Ghazzali’s encyclopedic contributions could fit on a thumb disc or be put safely in I-Cloud and be readily retrieved from anywhere. Indeed, modern Islamic studies at least in the West is focused on digitizing those massive treatises and using AI to extract their wisdom. 

 

         There is yet another crippling blight in much of contemporary Islamic discourses. That is, the unnecessary dichotomous and mutually exclusive temporal versus Hereafter schism. With that comes the unjustified and destructive belittling and dismissal of worldly knowledge and successes. The real and permanent ones would be in the Hereafter.

 

         Medieval Christians too were once trapped by this crippling mindset. It took the 16th Century John Calvin (and others) to disabuse them of this destructive fallacy, and with that Western Europe began its Renaissance and embrace of science and capitalism.

 

         To Calvin, God in His wisdom would show His hand on whom He would favor in the Hereafter. If He were to amply reward you in this temporal world, then that would mean a similar fate awaits you in the Hereafter. Your worldly state foreshadows your fate.

 

         With that came the Calvinists’ famed work ethics, and from there Western Europe leaped out of the Middle Ages into modernity. Everyone worked hard so they would be successful and thus be seen as being favored by God. The hitherto prevailing theology of the poor shall inherit the Earth, a variant of Matthew 5:5, was now seen in a radically different and much less favorable light.

 

Next:  The Day of Judgment As A Concept

 

Prime Minister Anwar Read President Trump Brilliantly

 Prime Minister Anwar Read President Trump Brilliantly!

M. Bakri Musa

November 2, 2025 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim read President Trump brilliantly at their recent meeting in Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN leaders’ summit. This was the first time the two had met.

            Anwar welcomed Trump the old fashion way, through the time-tested exquisite mixing of personal humility as well as the right dose of self-deprecating humor. He delivered both with impeccable timing and in a very public setting. Who could forget Anwar smiling as he turned to Trump and said with a twinkling in his eyes that while he (Trump) nearly got into jail, he (Anwar) had actually been in one, and for a very long time! 

That was less a subtle dig at Trump’s earlier mounting legal problems, more for local consumption. It was a crafty reminder of that less-than-savory character who had incarcerated Anwar. That old rogue, still mischievous though now more laughable than effective, is former Prime Minister Mahathir.

            Theater aside, Anwar did many things right in his welcome of President Trump. More precisely is what Anwar did not do. Unlike so many other leaders, Anwar did not lecture the leader of the most advanced and powerful nation. Anwar’s decorum towards Trump was appropriately deferential and in the best tradition of lembut (softness or subtlety) of our Malay culture. That is, knowing not only the right thing to say but also the place, manner, and circumstance (tempat, cara, dan gaya). 

            Anwar’s smooth subtlety began right after Trump disembarked from Air Force One. Instead of the usual stiff and proper military parade, Anwar opted for the artistic route of a traditional Malay dance. In a clear demonstration that the beauty of art transcends culture and personality, Trump got right away into the swing of things, swaying his far-from-athletic trunk while animatedly swinging his arms to the rhythm of the drum beat, much to the delight of the performers and host, as well as spectators.

            If, as per the Mexican-American educator Cesar A. Cruz, poetry is “to comfort the disturbed, and to disturb the comfortable,” so is art generally. Trump has much that is disturbing him, from the impending release of the infamous Epstein Papers to the ongoing defunding of the Federal government.

            Trump was obviously smitten with the hospitality of his host, more so when Anwar heaped tribute on Trump for being instrumental with the peace treaty between the two ASEAN members, Thailand and Cambodia. Regardless who gets the credit, peace is good for everyone as well as the environment. Anwar also used that opportunity to implore Trump to push even harder for peace in Gaza. I am certain that Trump was stirred and inspired to do more than by all the flotilla and street demonstrations at home or abroad could.

            As Utusan On-line crisply noted, “Pertahan rakyat Palestin bukan di jalanan, tapi di meja rundingan.” (Defending the citizens of Palestine is not on the roadways but at the conference table!)

Meetings between US Presidents and Malaysian Prime Ministers are rare. At the last one in 2017 during Trump’s first term, a brazen Najib Razak had the chutzpah to offer America financial help! Trump and his fellow billionaire cabinet members were too polite not to scoff at that. 

Earlier there was the infamous Christmas golf outing in Hawaii between President Barack Obama and Najib, just months after Obama’s own Attorney-General Loretta Lynch filed a massive civil forfeiture suit to claim the plundering of 1MDB assets by Najib (identified as Malaysian Official No:1), his son, and cronies including the infamous Jho Low. 

In a visit to Malaysia after leaving office, Obama, who while in office frequently blasted corrupt leaders, had difficulty explaining his earlier chummy treatment of that roque Najib.

There were some hilarious moments during this ASEAN gathering. One was the AI-generated video that went viral showing PAS leader Hadi in the limousine with Trump. Another, the brouhaha over Anwar’s warm embrace in greeting some female delegates. That triggered apoplexy among the Islamists. 

Those trivialities aside, the other significant achievement was the removal of tariffs on Malaysia’s main commodity exports. That of course was negotiated long and hard before the meeting. For strident critics of that trade deal, remember that America is Malaysia’s major trading partner. In business, when your best customer says “Jump!” you respond, “How high!” 

Taqlid (Conformity) and Tajdid (Renewal)

 Taqlid (Conformity) and Tajdid (Renewal)

Excerpt #28 from my book:  Qur’an, Hadith, and Hikayat:  Exercises In Critical Thinking.

October 26, 2025

 

Taqlid and tajdid are established traditions in Islam. Taqlid refers to strict adherence or conformity to precedence, as with the interpretations of eminent scholars of yore. The closer the scholar was to the Prophet in time as well as presence, the greater would be the relevance and reverence.

 

         The comparable concept in law would be stare decisis, “to stand by things decided,” to give deference to earlier decisions. Had stare decisis been adhered to, slavery would still remain legal to this day in America.

 

         Taqlid has the same root as the word rein, hanging loosely around the horse’s neck to guide the beast. The operative word is “guide.” Those qualified to interpret the holy texts are the mujtahid (thinkers) and faqih (jurists). There is a slight difference between the Sunni and Shiite concept of taqlid, the latter emphasizing the controlling over the guiding.

 

         That taqlid is being abused to inhibit critical thinking in so many ways and at all levels throughout history by those in power to maintain the status quo is also well acknowledged. Hence the prevailing mantra, “akal (intellect) has no place in matters of faith!”

 

         If only we pause and wonder why Allah has endowed us all with akal, an attribute unique only unto humans! Not using akal means not appreciating or worse, belittling His precious gift.

 

         The antithesis of taqlid is tajdid (renewal or reform), also a well-established tradition. That is a tacit recognition of the infinite variety of the human self, existence, and experience across time and place such that any rigid proscription would be untenable. The Qur’an (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:2), “This is the book . . . of guidance for those mindful of Allah!” A guide, not a manual or law book!

 

         A prophetic tradition has it that there would arise every century a leader who would renew the faith. Implicit in that is the recognition that with time there would be the inevitable erosion to and associated accretions on Allah’s original pristine message. 

 

         I attended religious school in the afternoon during my primary school years in the 1950s. However, the inquisitiveness nurtured by my teachers at my morning secular school resulted in my having many disciplinary problems in my religious class. I asked too many questions! In my culture that was (and still is) the height of impertinence!

 

         The ustad would tell the class that syaitan (Satan) had entered my mind to create all those doubts, hence my questions! The fact was I had difficulty reconciling what he had taught me with what I had learned in my science class earlier in the day. There I learned that the earth rotates around the sun, a journey that takes about a full 24-hour day to complete. To my ustad however, it was the angels dragging the sun across the blue sky with huge invisible cables! The end result was that my father had to take me out of that religious school. Wise move!

 

         Islam as being taught from the lowest preschool right up to the highest graduate level, as well as in sermons, ceramahs, and public lectures, suffers from one crippling defect – the traffic is all one-way. Add to that, listeners dispensing with their critical faculties when listening.

 

         There is minimal discussion or further inquiries in such events. Everything has been written or laid out in the holy book as well as in the treatises of those ancient scholars. There is little need for ordinary mortals to add to the discussions. Just follow and adhere to what has been written, taught, or uttered by those ancient luminaries. Taqlid is strict adherence to precedents; you deviate at your own peril. It is not so much teaching and enlightening, more dispensing and indoctrinating.

 

         If you think things are different at the graduate level in Malaysia, stay tuned. 

 

Next:  Islamic Studies at The Graduate Level in Malaysia