التوحيد والفطرة في فكر الفاروقي والعطاس : دراسة تحليلية في ضوء القرآن الكريم

Abstract

This research focuses on investigating the concepts of Tawhid (monotheism) and Fiṭrah (innate nature) in the thoughts of Ismail Raji al-Faruqi and Syed Muhammad Naqib al-Attas. The scholars offer a unique and comprehensive perspective on Tawhid within the framework of Islamic thought, science, and epistemology. Al-Faruqi considers Tawhid to be the fundamental pillar for any reformative program in any field, deriving from an all-encompassing and integrated worldview. He also believes that Fiṭrah is a crucial element in the study of religions, viewing transcendental religion as inherently human, asserting that humans are naturally innocent. Professor Syed Muhammad Naqib al-Attas, on the other hand, integrates the principles of Fitrah into life, particularly in education, emphasising the importance of teaching students innate moral and human values. For al-Attas, religion is a return to one's sound Fitrah, and civilisation reflects the development of morals and culture in human society, achieving complete human identity based on values and ethics governed by religion, thus contributing to the construction of just and advanced societies. The research employed the inductive method to gather data from primary and secondary sources. It used comparative analytical method to study the data related to al-Faruqi's and al-Attas's thoughts on Tawhīd and Fiṭrah. The research concluded with several significant findings, including that al-Faruqi studied the Qur'an through three main dimensions: imaginaries, ethics, and aesthetics, which are foundational for studying of religion and philosophy. In contrast, al-Attas sought to understand the Qur'anic texts through various disciplines and studies, forming a process of interpretation from multiple scientific frameworks, including philosophy, Sufism, language, and metaphysics, which he calls the concept of Metalinguistic interpretation. The research recommends conducting systematic comparative studies between the thoughts of Ismail Raji al-Faruqi and Syed Muhammad Naqib al-Attās to deepen understanding and broaden horizons in this field.