Ismail Raji al-Faruqi Research Articles

PHILOSOPHY OF ISMA‘IL RAJI AL-FARUQI: LOOKING FOR THE NEOMODERNISM

The article deals with the religio-philosophical conception of Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1921–1986) — Palestinian-American researcher, one of the founders of Islamic Studies in the USA. Emphasis in this article was made on his views on the essence of Islam as “meta-religion”. Author analyses the evolution of his ideas and his views on the specificity of Islam, the Tawhid, the problem of free will and predestination, the mission of Muslim, the Islamic Word-Order etc. Author concludes that it is difficult to associate al-Faruqi with particular direction of Islamic thought and that his views in general can be characterized as a synthesis of Salafism and Neomodernism.

Al-Faruqi’s Views on Selected Topics of Ilm al-Kalam

The study of Ilm al-kalam is still relevant and meaningful in the modern period of time. It is not outdated rather it has gone through various developments throughout the history in order to cope up with the needs of the age. This paper studies a contemporary approach to ilm al-kalam by a contemporary theologian, Ismail Raji al-Faruqi. It examines al-Faruqi’s distinct approach in comparison to a classical position of ilm al-kalam. In doing so, the study focuses on selected theological issues, namely, the relationship between reason and revelation, the principle of causality, and freewill of choice. After examining those theological issues, the study found that al-Faruqi revitalized the classical position of ilm al-kalam in some respects, thus, presented it in a new dimension. It is observed that al-Faruqi’s approach to Ilm al-Kalam is very intelligible to the modern mind and to a modern age. Therefore, this study acknowledged his vital contributions in the development of ilm al-kalam.

The Significance of Religious Key Terms and Their New Meanings in Al-Faruqi’s Al-Tawḥīd: Its Implications for Thought And Life

One of the most brilliant contributions of Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1921-1986) is his writings in the field of Islamic Thought. His masterpiece Al-Tawḥīd: It’s Implications for Thought and Life is indeed a great and refreshing contribution to the modern Islamic Worldview. This paper discusses selected traditional religious terminologies which have been redefined by al-Faruqi in his Al-Tawhid thus given new meanings, and implications. The selected terms taken from Al-Tawhid and analysed in this paper are ilāh, tawḥīd, īmān, ‘ibādah and ummah. The old meanings of these terms are compared with the new ones. Much positive ethical implications to Islamic practice can be discerned from the new meanings of the terms analysed. The new meanings of these terms contribute more positively to the practice and understanding of Islam to the new generation in a relevant and beneficial way in our modern time and society.

A Comparative Analysis of The Conceptions of Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas and Ismail Raji Al-Faruqi in Islamization of Knowledge

There has been a lot of discussion and debate on the issues of Islamization of Contemporary Knowledge among Muslim intellectuals. Two Muslim thinkers namely al-Attas and al-Faruqi were foremost in the attempt to conceptualize the problem of the Muslim Ummah and the issue of Islamization of knowledge as an epistemological and socio-political solution. This article aims to examine, compare and analyze the ideas of both scholars with respect to the various interpretations of the concept of Islamization of knowledge their definition of the concept, their philosophical framework, and their methodology for achieving the goals of Islamization. It aims at understanding the similarities and differences and the strengths and weaknesses of their conceptions, philosophical framework and methodology. This paper also explores the possibility of reconciliation between their ideas in the hope of further advancing the cause of Islamization of knowledge.

CONTRIBUTION OF ISLAMIC CIVILISATION TO SCIENCE EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY : SOME FRESH INSIGHTS

This article underlines the epistemological miss-conception of knowledge in Islam which has been offered by many Muslim scholars. Muslim scholars tend to divide knowledge into fardl al-kifayah and fardl ‘ain. This miss-conception could lead into secular paradigm where there are Islamic science and non-Islamic science. On the contrary, Islam actually has given comprehensive guide to all aspects of life. Islam did not classify knowledge to thus classification nor to sacred and mundane knowledge. However, some Islamologists, especially Western ones, like to state that Islam has nothing to do with science, especially natural ones. Hence, this article concentrates particularly on technology in Islam. These issues are discussed especially based on perspectives of Said Nursi, Ismail Raji al Faruqi, and Sir Syed and Maududi. As results, this article proves that Islam has done more than Christianity to science. Furthermore, the development of technologies in the West nowadays was originally founded by Islam. Unfortunately, because of the secular ideology, Moslems have forgotten those historical-scientific facts. This brings people to separate religious values such as ethics from natural sciences. Therefore, this article finally invites Moslems to think of integrative approach since the aim of Islamic education is to produce an integrated and perfect individual, insAn kAmil. Keywords : Islamization, Secularism, Orientalism, Islamic education, Islamic science, History of science.

Penelitian Islam: Dasar dan Filosofi

This article is a continued understanding of some thoughts delivered by the Islamic study experts. Actually, Islamic study orientation is still floating and it does not have a clear goal. Some parts of Islamic study is model or a similar effort done by orientalists in studying Islam, and in line with the vision and the mission starting from false conclusion about Islam. Therefore, Islamic study experts in the earlier awakening of Islam such as Al-banna, al-maududi, Ismail Raji al Faruqi, Ziauddin sardar, and Muhammad Naquib al-Attas have offered various thoughts in implementing the framework of Islamic study in line with the vision and the mission of Islam so that their mindset becomes the basis for development of Islamic study.

Al-Faruqi’s Fundamental Ideas and Philosophy of Education

This paper discusses the fundamental ideal and philosophy of education advocated by Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (1921-1986) in realizing the Islamization of knowledge (IOK) project. The concept and perspective of education projected by al-Faruqi was constructed on the worldview of tawhid that reflected the essence and intrinsic philosophy and paradigm of knowledge rooted on Islamic vision of reality and truth. It embodied the comprehensive and holistic vision of education that seeks to integrate the fundamental element of revealed and acquired knowledge. The project envisaged to undertake significant reform in the practice and method of education of the ummah that need to be recast and reproject based on the intrinsic value and paradigm of the Qur’an and its approach to knowledge. This paper will analyse this significant idea and principle and its importance in realizing the IOK vision and reforming the educational system in the Muslim world.

KALIGRAFI DALAM ESTETIKA ISLAM MENURUT ISMA'IL RAJIAL-FARUQI

The calligraphy is an aesthetic expression in Islamic world. Different from another arts activities that some times created controversies, such as the art of sculpture or the art of' living pictures', the existence of caligraphy is regarded as one of sacred arts that 'closely related' to al-Qur'an. According to Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, explained in this article, the calligraphy in Islamic world is not only have the artistic values but also have the theological values. For Faruqi, the art is an expression oftauhid. In this position, tauhid could be explain as the essence of aesthetic and the aesthetic is an expression of tauhid This article stated that tauhid does not confront the art's creativities and does not also face up to the aesthetics audiences.

Konsep Integrasi Ilmu dalam Pandangan Ismail Raji Al-Faruqi

The development of science grows rapidly. However, this phenomenon raises a huge impact for Muslims. It has been our behavior that distinguish between Moslem Science and other knowledge. There is a discriminative treatment against the two types of science. Muslims are divided into those who have positive perception of the Islamic sciences, and negative to other, or vice versa. Based on the reality, Al-Faruqi says that there is no other way to raise Islam, except to reassess the culture of Islamic scholarship in the past, present and modern scholarship as well, and then process them into scientific to be a mercy to the world through what called "integrated science". From the background, the purposes of this study are 1) To know the concept of science integration Ismail Raji al-Faruqi sight. 2) To know the method implementation of the science integration concept in Ismail Raji al-Faruqi sight. This research uses descriptive-analysis method. Descriptive method tries to explain the concepts of Ismail Raji al-Faruqi thought about the science integration. While the analysis technique used is a combination among deductive, inductive, and interpretation. After the research completed, it could be concluded that the Science Integration Concepts in Ismail Raji al-Faruqi sight shows us that science is not value-free and must be based on the method of monotheism. Tauhid principle should be the basic or the main foundations in the development of science in Islam. So that, it shows us to the development of community beneficial. The idea of science Islamisation is one solution to overcome the people problems. The ideas are implemented in 12- work plan steps in Science Islamisation program.

The Second International Conference on Contemporary Scholarship on Islam

The International Islamic University, Malaysia’s (IIUM) Department of Usulal-Din and Comparative Religion, along with the Kulliyyah of Islamic RevealedKnowledge and Human Science (IRKHS), organized an internationalconference to analyze the work of Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, a leading twentiethcenturythinker who had had a significant impact on Islamic thought and comparativereligion. Held at IIUM’s Senate Hall on October 22-23, 2013, incollaboration with Kolej Universiti Islam Sultan Azlan Shah (KUISAS), participantsdiscussed the legacy of this influential scholar, who is best known forhis pioneering work in the Islamization of Knowledge movement. One of hisbooks, Al Tawhid: Its Implications for Thought and Life (Herndon, VA: IIIT,1992) has attracted the attention of scholars and been introduced into variousuniversity courses worldwide as an important resource book.The main theme was “Infusing the Creativity and Excellence of al-Faruqi’sScholarship into Contemporary Islamic Thought.” The seventy-five acceptedpapers were divided into five sub-themes: tawḥīd, the Islamization of Knowledge,Islamic civilization, Islamic thought, and comparative religion. The organizersinvited scholars to (1) study and examine the relevance of al-Faruqi’sthought, (2) examine his vision and mission in various areas of Islamic thought,(3) regenerate the tradition of Islamic scholarship in academic disciplines, (4)enhance the intellectual understanding of Islam’s tawhidic worldview, and (5)develop a comparative approach to the study of Islamic thought in relation tomodernity. This unique event enabled scholars, intellectuals, and academiciansto meet and deliberate on al-Faruqi’s intellectual and scholarly output.This event began with three inaugural speeches. Zambry Bin Abdul Kadir(chief minister, State of Perak) pointed out that only intellectual and moral developmentcan cause human civilization to reach its zenith. In the case of Islamiccivilization, this development was achieved by grounding the civilizationon the core values of research, criticism, and creativity. He stated that al-Faruqidedicated his life to calling upon Muslims to revive that sprit. Ibrahim M. Zein(dean, IRKHS) highlighted the conference’s importance and expressed his hopethat it would be a resounding success. Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin (deputy rector,Research and Innovation, IIUM) called for excellence and innovation incontemporary Muslim scholarship and emphasized that tawḥīd and thetawhidicworldview must be the base of Islamic discourse. He further remarked ...

Globalization

More than thirty years ago, the first World Conference on Muslim Educationembarked upon the “Islamization of Knowledge,” a process articulated andexpounded upon by the late Ismail Raji al-Faruqi (Temple University) andNaguib al-Attas, retired (ISTAC, Malaysia). The organizers of this conference,the seventh in this series, hoped to continue in this spirit by aiming “tobe as dynamic and as influential as its predecessors” and to develop themesdiscussed in earlier conferences by locating them within “the current globalizedatmosphere.” Moreover, it “expected to usher in a new era of Muslimeducation which will counteract the negative effects of globalization…”The organizers listed three special themes: “Curriculum for MuslimEducation,” “Making Basic Teachings of Islam Relevant,” and “Religionand Youth” and twelve subthemes, among them “Integration of Knowledge,”“Madrasah Education,” “Quality of Muslim Education,” “Non-Muslim Perspectives on Muslim Education,” and “Principles of Critical andCreative Thinking in Muslim Education.” They also invited particular individualsto present papers, such as Wahbah Zuhayli (dean, Faculty of IslamicLaw, University of Damascus [Syria]), Anis Ahmad (Riphah InternationalUniversity [Pakistan]; editor, The Quarterly Journal of the West & Islam),and Alparslan Acikgenc (Fatih University [Turkey]). Since the conferencecovered a variety of keynote speeches, presentations by well-known Malaysianscholars such as Osman Bakar (International Institute of AdvancedIslamic Studies, Malaysia) and Kamal Hassan (International Islamic UniversityMalaysia) and parallel sessions, I will comment briefly on the sessionsand more extensively on some of the keynote speeches that set the tonefor the discussions at the conference ...

SENI ISLAM DALAM PERSPEKTIF AL FARUQI: Sebuah Komparasi

The perspective of Islamic arts proposed by Ismail Raji al Faruqi in his book Islamic Culture Atlas can be considered as a very comprehensive perspective of esthetics and arts based on Islamic worldview. Al Faruqi’s perspective of Islamic arts includes various genres of arts, such as literature, calligraphy, ornamentation, interior design, and music. Therefore, al Faruqi’s perspective is expected to be able to use in architecture, especially Islamic architecture. Although al Faruqi classifies architecture as a part of interior design, there are some characteristics of architecture in general different from the interior design characteristics proposed by al Faruqi. Hence, further studies are needed to place al Faruqi’s perspective in the context of architecture study. That should be done in order that al Faruqi’s perspective can be understood in architecture science. Furthermore, the characteristics are hoped to become one of the parameters in esthetic dimension of architecture objects designed in Islamic framework. Therefore, al Faruqi’s perspective of Islamic arts can enrich storage area of Islamic architecture science as the implementation of Islamic worldview.<br />

Debates on Islam and Knowledge in Malaysia and Egypt

Although the debate on the arrival of the lslamization of knowledge (IOK)concept continues among today's scholars, giving it a practical frameworkis generally credited to the late Ismail Raji al-Faruqi, a PalestinianAmericanscholar and a founding member of the International Institute ofIslamic Thought (HIT). Mona Abaza, associate professor in the School ofHumanities and Social Sciences at the American University in Cairo,acknowledges this. She took over 10 years to collect and present herresearch in this book. The book is divided into three parts with 14 chapters,a hefty 71 pages of notes and bibliography, and a small index. The facts andfigures about Malaysia covered in the initial pages are from mid-1998 andtherefore, unfortunately, are outdated.In the "introductory reflections," which constitute part 1 of the book,Abaza submits that the topic under discussion is controversial even amongMuslim academics. Nevertheless, she has set out to compare the IOK endeavorsin two very distinct cultures whose Islamizers, she believes, have a primarilysecular training but an Islamic outlook. While Malaysia propagates ...

Islam and Other Faiths

My first reaction to this eminent book of collected articles and lectures givenby Professor Ismail Raji al-Faruqi is one of frustration that I was not able tomeet the man. He died in 1986. I would have loved to have known him, for Ifound in reading this book that so many of his thoughts and ideas coincidedwith my own hopes concerning the future of Islam and its relationship with theother peoples of the Book, especially the Christians. I was a Christian theolegian and teacher until my conversion to Islam in 1986.Professor Ismail's book provides a good cross-section of his contribution tothe study of comparative religion and covers a wide spectrum of interreligiousissues, spanning more than two decades of his work. Essays which deal directlywith other faiths, Christianity and Judaism in particular, were specificallyselected but they should be seen against the background of his huge contributionto the study of religions through his many other eminent publications.Here, the volume concentrates on those aspects of Islam which the Ahl al-Kitab(the People of the Book) have in common rather than their differences.I have long felt that this was the correct way forward. As a former Christianwho initially came to Islam by studying the teachings of Jesus rather than theQur'an, I was always aware of the commonality of the faith and its development through the prophets of Judaism to Christianity, to its deviation throughTrinitarianism, and through the Prophet of Islam who was sent to bring newunderstanding of Tawhid and the way to find the Straight Path to God.Therefore, I was horrified and disturbed when I ran into the walls of hostilityand misunderstanding from all sides-particularly the hostility of Muslimstoward Christians and Jews, theological hostilities and racist ones, too. Muchof this was and is caused by the complete ignorance of the practicing membersof one faith for the others, a situation that will still take years to remedy.However, scholars such as Professor Ismail are trailblazers in this field, and Irepeat my disappointment that I missed knowing him personally.He was a Palestinian, born in 1921, and graduated from the AmericanUniversity of Beirut in 1941; he served as District Governor of Galilee inPalestine. He left Galilee as a refugee in 1948 when Palestine was partitioned; ...