top of page
export (11) Large.jpeg
background banner.jpg

The Royal Laureate Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib ibn Ali ibn Muhsin al-Attas

Syed Muhammad Naquib bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Muhsin Al-Attas was born on September the 5th, 1931 in Bogor, West Java. The second of three sons, he grew up between Java and Johor, between the madrasa at Soekaboemi and the English school.

Syed Muhammad Naquib al-attas spent much of his youth pondering over Malay manuscripts on religion, history, and literature, as well as Western canons.

 

He underwent military training at Sandhurst and having observed the Islamic elements of respecting order, discipline and loyalty. 

 

The experience continues to influence some of his views and ways as a scholar of Islam and administrator.

Soon he attended University of Malaya and wrote two important works in his 20s: "Rangkaian Rubaiyat" & "Some Aspects of Sufism"

​

The latter work served to which he was spotted by the Canadian government to study at the institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University, Canada in 1959.

His thesis "Raniri & Wujuddiyyah of the 17th Century Acheh" puts Nuruddin Al-Raniri - an Islamic Scholar during the Sultanate of Acheh - as a Malay Scholar on the same level as others of that century. 

​

Later, he was invited to pursue his PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London
 

However, he never regarded himself as a product of these Western institutions, rather, he regarded the great ulama of the past, such as his own grandfather - Syed Abdullah al-Attas - and al-Ghazali, among others, as his true teachers.

In the 70s he would be the co-founder of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and became a leading voice in Malaysia’s intellectual and nation building discourse.

​

He would also be a prominent speaker and contributor at the first ever World Conference on Muslim Education, in Makkah.

​

His experiences engaging with Muslims worldwide also led to one of his great works; Islam and Secularism

​

​

Books

Below are the books written by Professor Al-Attas

Rangkaian Rubaiyat.png

Rangkaian Ruba'iyat

A Poetic Compilation in Malay of the Ruba'iyat of Umr Khayam

Some Aspects.png

Some  Aspects of Sufism as Understood and Practised Among the Malays

A monograph covering the basic tenets of tasawwuf and the turuq movements as embedded within Malay culture and history

The Origin of the Malay Shair.png

The Origin of The Malay Sha'ir

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Raniri and the Wujudiyyah.png

Raniri and the Wujudiyyah of the 17th Century Acheh

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Prelim Statement on a General Theory of the Islamization.png

Preliminary Statement On A General Theory of Islamization of The Malay-Indonesian Archipelago

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

The Mysticism of Hamzah.jpg

The Mysticism of Hamzah Fansuri

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

The Correct Date of the Terengganu Inscription.png

The Correct Date of The Terengganu Inscription

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Concluding Postscript.png

Concluding Postscript To The Origin of The Malay Sha'ir

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Islam Dalam Sejarah & Kebudayaan.png

Islam Dalam Sejarah Dan Kebudayaan Melayu

Comments of the Re-Examination of Al-Raniri's Hujjatu'l Siddiq: A Refutation

Islam Faham Agama.png

Islam: Faham Agama dan Asas Akhlak/The Concept of Religion and the Foundation of Ethics and Morality

Islam and Secularism

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

The Concept of Education in Islam

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

A Commentary on the Hujjat al-Siddiq of Nur Al-Din al-Raniri

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

The Oldest Known Malay Manuscript: A 16th Century Malay Translation of the 'Aqa'id of al-Nasafi

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Risalah Untuk Kaum Muslimin

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Tinjauan Ringkas Peri Ilmu dan Pandangan Alam

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Historical Fact and Fiction

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

On Justice & The Nature of Man

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Islam: The Covenants Fulfilled

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

Monographs

*excluding speeches & subchapters

​​

  • Islam and the Philosophy of Science. Kuala Lumpur: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC). 1989. Translated into German by Christoph Marcinkowski as Islam und die Grundlagen von Wissenschaft, Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC, 2001

  • The Nature of Man and the Psychology of the Human Soul. Kuala Lumpur: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC). 1990.

  • On Quiddity and Essence. Kuala Lumpur: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC). 1990.

  • The Intuition of Existence. Kuala Lumpur: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC). 1990.

  • Islam: The Concept of Religion and the Foundation of Ethics and Morality. Kuala Lumpur: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC). written 1975, published 1976.

  • The Meaning and Experience of Happiness in Islam. 1993. Translated into Malay by Muhammad Zainiy 'Uthman as Ma'na Kebahagiaan dan Pengalamannya dalam Islam, Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC; and into German by Christoph Marcinkowski as Die Bedeutung und das Erleben von Glückseligkeit im Islam, Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC, 1998

  • The Degrees of Existence. 1994.

Articles

The list below does not include published versions of many of the tape-recorded public lectures, more than 400 of which he delivered in Malaysia and abroad from the mid-1960s to the 1970s. These public lectures have continued to the present day

  1. "Note on the Opening of Relations between Malacca and China" 1403-5, JMBRAS, vol. 38, pt. 1, Singapore, 1965​

  2. "Islamic Culture in Malaysia, Malaysian Society of Orientalists". Kuala Lumpur, 1966.

  3. "New Light on the Life of Hamzah Fansūri", JMBRAS, vol.40, pt 3. 1, Singapore, 1967.

  4. "Rampaian Sajak" (A Collection of Poetry), Bahasa, Persatuan Bahasa Melayu Universiti Malaya, no. 9, Kuala Lumpur, 1968

  5. "Hamzah Fansūri", The Penguin Companion to Literature, Classical and Byzantine, Oriental and African, vol. 4. London 1969

  6. "Indonesia: 4 (a) History: The Islamic Period", Encyclopedia of Islam, new edition. E.J. Brill, Leiden, 1971.

  7. "Comparative Philosophy: A Southeast Asian Islamic Viewpoint". Acts of the V International Congress of Medieval Philosophy Madrid-Cordova-Granada, 5-12 September 1971.

  8. "Konsep Baru Mengenai Rencana serta Cara-gaya Penelitian Ilmiah Pengkajian Bahasa, Kesusasteraan dan Kebudayaan Melayu" (A New Concept and Methodology For The Study of Malay Language, Literature and Culture), Buku Panduan Jabatan Bahasa dan Kesusasteraan Melayu, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1972.

  9. "The Art of Writing", Museums Department, Kuala Lumpur, n.d

  10. "Perkembangan Tulisan Jawi Sepintas Lalu" (A Glance at the Development of the Jawi Script), Pameran Khat, Kuala Lumpur. 1421 October. 1973.

  11. "Nilai-Nilai Kebudayaan, Bahasa dan Kesusasteraan Melayu" (Values of Malay Culture, Language and Literature), Asas Kebudayaan Kebangsaan, Kementerian Kebudayaan Belia dan Sukan, Kuala Lumpur, 1973

  12. "Islam in Malaysia" (German version), Kleines Lexicon der Islamischen Welt. ed. K. Kreiser. W. Kohlhammer, Berlin (West Germany, 1974.

  13. "Islam in Malaysia, Malaysia Panorama, Special Issue (also in Arabic and French)", Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1974.

  14. "Islam dan Kebudayaan Malaysia", Syarahan Tun Sri Lanang, siri kedua, Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan, Kuala Lumpur, 1974,

  15. "Pidato Penghargaan terhadap ZAABA" (Public Oration in Honour of ZAABA). in Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan, Kuala Lumpur, 1976. Kementerian, Kebudayaan Belia dan Sukan , Kuala Lumpur, 1976

  16. "A General Theory of the Islamization of the Malay Archipelago" in Profiles of Malay Culture, Historiography, Religion Politics. ed. Sartono Kartodirdjo, Ministry of Education and and Culture, Directorate General of Culture, Jakarta, 1976

  17. "Preliminary Thoughts on the Nature of Knowledge and the Definition and Aims of Education", First World Conference on Muslim Education, Mecca, 1977 (with Arabic and Urdu versions).

  18. "Some Reflections on the Philosophical Aspects of Iqbal's Thought", International Congress on the Centenary of Muhammad Iabal, Lahore, 1977.

  19. "The Concept of Education in Islam: Its Form, Method and System of Implementation", World Symposium of al-Isra', Amman, 1979 with Arabic version)

  20. "ASEAN--Ke Mana Haluan Gagasan Kebudayaan Mahu Diarahkan?" (ASEAN: Where are the Cultural Aims Heading? Diskusi. vol. 4, no. 11-12, Nov-Dec. 1979.

  21. "Hijrah: Apa Ertinya?" (What is the Meaning of Hijrah?) Panjt Masyarakat, December, 1979.

  22. "Knowledge and Non-Knowledge", Readings in Islam, no. 8, first quarter, Kuala Lumpur, 1980

  23. "Islam dan Alam Melayu" (Islam and the Malay World), Budiman, Universiti Malaya, December 1979 Special Issue Commemorating the 15th Century of Hijrah.

  24. "The Concept of Education in Islam", Second World Conference on Muslim Education, Islamabad, 1980

  25. "Preliminary Thoughts on an Islamic Philosophy of Science", Zarrouq Festival, Misrata, Libya, 1980 (with Arabic version).

  26. "Religion and Secularity", Congress of the World's Religions, New York 1985

  27. "The corruption of knowledge", congress of the world's religions, Istanbul, 1985

  28. Ucapan Penerimaan Anugerah Kursi Kehormat Al Ghazali pada 14 Disemebr 1993

  29. "The Worldview of Islam: An Outline" dalam Sharifah Shifa al-Attas (ed.) Islam and the challenge of modernity (Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC, 1996), pg 25-71

  30. "Ucapan Alu Aluan (welcoming address)" International Conference on Al Ghazali's legacy: Its contemporary relevance, 24-27 Oct 2001, hosted by ISTAC

Derivatives & Translations

Additionally, here are the derivatives, journals, articles and translation works by his disciple, students & those who studied under Professor al-Attas' principle of education.

*links are provided

1 / Item Title

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

2 / Item Title

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

3 / Item Title

Describe the item and include any relevant details. Click to edit the text.

bottom of page