The Islamic Worldview

First and foremost, I would like to thank to my instructor of this assignment, Dr. Md Yousuf Ali who is my best lecturer of The Islamic Worldview subject for the valuable explanation, guidance and advice especially during lecture session. He inspired me greatly to work in this assignment. His willingness to motivate me contributed tremendously to my assignment. I also would like to thank him for showing me some example that related to the topic of my assignment about The Worldview in term of its meanings, necessity and elements according to Muslim scholars.

Besides, an honourable mention goes to my family and friends for their understandings and supports on me in completing this assignment. Without helps of the particular that mentioned above, I would face many difficulties while doing this assignment. During complete this assignment, I faced many difficulties and challenging things especially midterm examination and Eid Adha Celebration was around the corner. I found the information that related to our topic through The Holy Quran, the Internet, magazine, reference book and people in surrounding.

However, I had done and can overcome these problem by maximize my effort and pray to Him who is The Most Helpful to His servant. Alhamdulillah.

The Meanings The Meaning Of Worldviews

In this assignment, first and foremost, before us knowing about worldview in Islamic perspectives, we must know the introduction and definition of ‘Worldview’. Where is term come from? And where is it used? The word of ‘Worldview’ is come from many sources. Its meaning is defined by many of scholars either western scholars or Muslim scholars. One of them comes from German’s term which is called as “Weltanschauung. Meanwhile, in Arabic’s term it is refer as “Tasawur or Ru’yah al-Islam li al-Wujud “,  *The Meaning of Worldview by Western Scholars In the end of 1700s, Friedrich Schilling who is the German philosopher defined that, worldview (Weltanschauung) is refer as “The self-realized productive and conscious way of apprehending and interpreting the universe of beings”. After a century, about in 1868, “Weltanschauung” was known as “a comprehensive conception of the world especially from a specific point of view”.

Based on German scholars perspectives defined that Worldview is comprises of set of attitudes on basic matters like the way people think about the world. *The Meaning of Worldview by Muslim Scholars Muslim scholars and thinkers started use the precept of “worldview” during modern period. This percept appeared in the works of a lot of Muslim scholars like Sheikh Badiuzaman Nursi (1877-1960) in “Rasa’il al Nur” (letters of light) and in some Iranian thinkers such as Ali

Shari’ati (1933-1977), al-Mutahari Ayatullah Murtaza (fundamentals of Islamic thought: God, man and the universe), Sayed Husein Naser (1933-) in “ Man and nature: the spiritual crisis in modern man”, “Islam and the plight of modern man”. Isma’il Raji al-Faruqi (933-1982) “cultural atlas of Islam”, “Tawhid: its implications for thought and life”, Muhammad Naqib al-Atas “Islam and secularism”. In Arabic literature Sayed Qutb (1906-1966) came in the first place in his “in the shade of the Qur’an” (Fi Zilal al-Qur’an) “The Islamic Perspective” “al-Tasawwur al-Islami” occupies a central position.

In contemporary period, valuable works have been produced dealing with the issue from Islamic point of view by Sardar Ziauddin (Islamic civilization: history of sciences), Alam Shoudhury (economics) (The Islamic worldview: socio-scientific perspective), al-Messiri (Thought & Political science). The meaning of Worldview by Muslims’ approach stands that the worldview is made from the aspect of both al-Dunya and al-Akhirah, in which the Dunya-aspect must be related in a profound and inseparable way to the Akhirah-aspect which the Akhirah-aspect has ultimate and final significance.

In other word, worldview is a set of attitudes on a wide range of fundamental matters. It has a comprehensive set of propositions about various aspects of the world around us and man’s place within it. It is also defined as a basic assumption about the way of thinking about the world, which provides a more or less coherent, though not necessarily accurate. A worldview is a profile of the way the people within a specified culture live, act, think, work and relate. At the same time, it can be act as a “map” or culture’s social, religious, economic and political views and relationships.

The Meaning Of Islamic Worldviews

Based on Syed Naquib Al-Attas, a great Muslim scholar, he mentioned that Islamic Worldviews is, “a vision of reality and truth that appears before our mind’s eye revealing what existance is all about”. “a metaphysical survey of the visible as well as the invisible worlds including the perspective of life as a whole”. According to Al-Attas, worldview is considered as vision of reality and truth (ru’yat al-Islam li al-wujud) from the Islamic point of view. Another Muslim scholar, Professor Kamal Hassan ,Professor Area of Specialization: Contemporary Islamic Thought IIUM, also stated that, Worldviews is a comprehensive conception of Allah,man and the universe and their relationship from Islamic perspectives. ” The worldview of Islam encompasses both al-dunia and al-akhirah in which the dunia aspect must be inextricably linked to the akhirah aspect, and in which the akhirah aspect has ultimate and final significance. Hence, Islamic worldviews concern with this universe (world) and the hereafter or the Day of Judgment as far as Islamic nature of reality is concerned. The belief in dual worldviews has made Islam looks exceptional.

Since these views are principally derived from the Quran, this reflects that Islamic worldviews are identical to Quranic worldview. Unlike in the Western, their emphasizing is on logical reasoning as well as rationality. Due to this, Islam has distinguished itself from other available worldviews as mentioned by Khurshid Ahmad as cited by  Mawdudi. For instances, the Western’s and Christian‘s worldviews are secular and religious respectively. Islamic worldview is about the seen and unseen matter like the universe, creator, prophethood, society, man, and hereafter.

Amalgamation or historical concoction or any addition stories of various cultural values are not a worldview that is formed merely. Rather, it is a well established framework derived from the revelation and interpreted by Muslim scholars throughout Islamic history. Then, it is implement by Muslims today. This frame of reference provides us with correct and consistent answers to the ultimate questions pertinent to the issues of God, unseen, man, universe, and life. It also guides man as a vicegerent of Allah to the correct belief system, shari‘ah, and ethical values.

The Necessity Of Islamic Worldview

We all need a certain worldview, even if it is not made fully explicit, to interact with our world. There is a practical need to have at least an implicit and for that reason naive answer for each of the worldview questions. The Islamic worldview is more than a religion. In Islam, it covers all aspects of life for its followers. Many religious scholars treat the Islamic worldview as a monotheistic religion following five simple pillars of faith. In Islamic worldview, it has views about the words like astronomical, spiritual, physical, intellectual and many aspect of life.

The outlook of life in this perceptive is highly emphasized which is show us the vision of life to achieve certain goal in world and the ultimate goal in hereafter. Islamic worldview is important in order to provide the Muslims with the true knowledge and explanation about the world seen and unseen as they are explained in the Quran. Quran is the best guidance for all questions about life. This revelation is restricted to deny. The answer from this revelation cannot change and make this worldview become stable due to have ultimate guidance. For instance, if we are question about something, we can refer to Quran to find the solution.

This guidance also encourages us to get the answer through the learning and reading. In Surah Al-Alaq, Allah mentioned that: Another that, Islamic worldview helps us to interact with nature, individuals, peoples, nations, cultures and civilizations. It helps us to know them comprehensively and can plan neighborhood among them. After we have relation with certain culture, we have to recognize what is their ethnic and culture. This will helps us to correct our own values, perspectives, attitudes and behaviors. This perceptive guide and teach people the way and method how to achieve the main values of Islam in human life.

We can differentiate which one is bad and good. In Islam, the aspects regarding our morality and virtues (akhlaq) are become one of necessity aspect of life although we are struggling to achieve a success in life. As an example, we need to cover aurah during working at workstation. Furthermore, this percept is purposed to establish the fundamental ethical precepts, such as justice, freedom, trust, and dignity of human life and existence. Some of worldview not emphasize ethical aspect very well. By this perception, it will formulate theories of politics, sociology, culture, etc.

The Elements Of Islamic Worldview

The fundamental elements of Islamic Worldview are the key terms of this perceptive. These elements act as integrating principles that place all our systems of meaning and standard of life and values in coherent order as a unified system forming the worldview. The highest principle of true reality as stated in Quran is focused on knowledge of the nature of God. The worldview of Islam is characterized by an authenticity and finality that points to what is ultimate, and it projects a view of reality and truth that encompasses existence and life altogether in total perspective whose fundamental elements are permanently established.

Quoted back of Syed Naquib Al Attas word,” A metaphysical survey of seen and unseen world including the perspective of life as a whole”. The element of worldview are include visible anfd visible things. They are:

1. The Nature of God This the supreme principle of Islamic Worldview. This all about the existence of God.
2.  The Nature of Revelation- The Qur’an ; Prophethood This element are totally derived from Revelation, the change which is possible in this case is restricted to the manifestation of these elements in different units of time and space.
3. The Nature of Revealed Religion- Islam
4. The Nature of the World and Hereafter (dunya wal akhirah)
5. The Nature of Man The Psychology Of Human Soul (insan)
6. The Nature of Knowledge (‘ilm) As mentioned in Surah Al Alaq which is encourage us to seek knowledge.
7. The Nature of Adab (values and virtues) The aspects regarding our morality and virtues (ahlaq) are become one of necessity aspect of life although we are struggling to achieve a success in life.
8. The Nature of Freedom
9. The Nature of Happiness (sa’adah)
10. The True Meaning of Change, Development, and Progress
11. Concluding Remarks All of them are together with the key terms and concepts that they unfold, have profound bearing upon our ideas about change, development, and progress.

These fundamental elements act as integrating principles that place all our system of meaning and standards of life and values in coherent order as a unified system forming the worldview and the supreme principle of true reality that is articulated by these fundamental elements is focused on knowledge of the nature of God as revealed in the Qur’an.

Conclusion

It is a high time that the initiative of integrating the Islamic worldview into the planning of neighbourhoods takes off in the Muslim world. Worldviews play the main role in the human being life. Its affect every single action of a man. Different worldviews will certainly shape different qualities of mankind which will eventually lead them to different end means of life as well. This distinction due to man’s aql (intellectual) which is very limited and sometime buyers (not fair). Worldview is a complex and a comprehensive perception. A worldview manifests itself in all aspects of life, social, political, economic, civilization etc.

This complex includes the spiritual, cognitive, intellectual and behavioral abilities that Allah has endowed him. Thus, a worldview is at once a mean and a fruit of human spiritual, cognitive, and behavioral efforts. The worldview perceptive can be human-made as well as Revelation based precept. Islamic worldview is a collective and based on ummatic unified. A worldview is similar to any other human ideas which is it develops according to their accumulated knowledge, historical events, and human experience and then it is implemented by the people.

However, as far as the Islamic worldview is concerned, the fact of change takes significantly a different position. Although we are busy to achieve world’s mission of life, hereafter’s goal become significant and our priority to achieve it.

References

1. Lecture Notes © Department of General Studies IIUM,2007- 2008.
2. The Islamic Worldview: Glimpse on Studies and Definitions,Abdelaziz Berghout,Introduction to the Islamic Worldview,Study of Seleceted Essentials,IIUM Press (2010).
3. Basic Principles of Islamic Worldview ,Sayyid Qutb Islamic Pubns Intl (September 15, 2005). Vidal, C. (2008) Wat is een wereldbeeld? (What is a worldview? ).
4. David Naugle: Worldview: The History of a Concept (Eerdmans, 2002).
5. Merriam –Webster 1994 (Britannica Encyclopedia 2001).
6. Contribution Of The Islamic Worldview Towards Corporate Governance Mohamed Asri, Mohamed Fahmi Msc Accounting Sem 2  2003 IIUM.
7. http://wikipedia. com/worldview/
8. http://www. allaboutworldview. org/islamic-worldview. htm
9. http://izat2009. blogspot. com/worldview
10. http://ungss. blogspot. com
11. http://web. usm. my/islamicworldview/