Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education

The Naqshbandiya Foundation for Islamic Education (NFIE) is a non-profit, tax exempt, religious and educational organization dedicated to serve Islam with a special focus on Tasawwuf(Sufism),

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Sufism and Islamization of the Malay World by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas - 31.03.2006 - Singapore: Mesut Idriz: September 6,2024

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/VhNZt2Z_1bk?si=3ifG-kA4FTWg21Oc

Book: Some Aspects of Sufism as Understood and Practiced Among the Malays:Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas: goodreads.com

About the Author:Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, born September 5, 1931 in Bogor, Java, is a prominent contemporary Muslim thinker. He is one of the few contemporary scholars who is thoroughly rooted in the traditional Islamic sciences and who is equally competent in theology, philosophy, metaphysics, history, and literature. His thought is integrated, multifaceted and creative. Al-Attas’ philosophy and methodology of education have one goal: Islamization of the mind, body and soul and its effects on the personal and collective life on Muslims as well as others, including the spiritual and physical non-human environment. He is the author of twenty-seven authoritative works on various aspects of Islamic thought and civilization, particularly on Sufism, cosmology, metaphysics, philosophy and Malay language and literature.

Al-Attas was born into a family with a history of illustrious ancestors, saints, and scholars. He received a thorough education in Islamic sciences, Malay language, literature and culture. His formal primary education began at age 5 in Johor, Malaysia, but during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia, he went to school in Java, in Madrasah Al-`Urwatu’l-wuthqa, studying in Arabic. After World War II in 1946 he returned to Johor to complete his secondary education. He was exposed to Malay literature, history, religion, and western classics in English, and in a cultured social atmosphere developed a keen aesthetic sensitivity. This nurtured in al-Attas an exquisite style and precise vocabulary that were unique to his Malay writings and language. After al-Attas finished secondary school in 1951, he entered the Malay Regiment as cadet officer no. 6675. There he was selected to study at Eton Hall, Chester, Wales and later at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, England (952 -55). This gave him insight into the spirit and style of British society. During this time he was drawn to the metaphysics of the Sufis, especially works of Jami, which he found in the library of the Academy. He traveled widely, drawn especially to Spain and North Africa where Islamic heritage had a profound influence on him. Al-Attas felt the need to study, and voluntarily resigned from the King’s Commission to serve in the Royal Malay Regiment, in order to pursue studies at the University of Malaya in Singapore 1957-59. While undergraduate at University of Malay, he wrote Rangkaian Ruba`iyat, a literary work, and Some Aspects of Sufism as Understood and Practised among the Malays. He was awarded the Canada Council Fellowship for three years of study at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Montreal. He received the M.A. degree with distinction in Islamic philosophy in 1962, with his thesis “Raniri and the Wujudiyyah of 17th Century Acheh” . Al-Attas went on to the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London where he worked with Professor A. J. Arberry of Cambridge and Dr. Martin Lings. His doctoral thesis (1962) was a two-volume work on the mysticism of Hamzah Fansuri.

In 1965, Dr. al-Attas returned to Malaysia and became Head of the Division of Literature in the Department of Malay Studies at the University of Malay, Kuala Lumpur. He was Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1968-70. Thereafter he moved to the new National University of Malaysia, as Head of the Department of Malay Language and Literature and then Dean of the Faculty of Arts. He strongly advocated the use of Malay as the language of instruction at the university level and proposed an integrated method of studying Malay language, literature and culture so that the role and influence of Islam and its relationship with other languages and cultures would be studied with clarity. He founded and directed the Institute of Malay Language, Literature, and Culture (IBKKM) at the National University of Malaysia in 1973 to carry out his vision.
In 1987, with al-Attas as founder and director, the International Institute of Islamic Thought.

Article PDF:SUFISM AND ISLAMIZATION IN MALAYSIA-HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: TAN AIK SENG¹ & WAHYU NUGROHO Theology Faculty, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana Yogyakarta,

Article PDF:Rescuing History from the Orientalists: Syed MuĄammad Naquib al-Attas and the History of Islam in the Malay World Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied

Article PDF:Sufi Metaphysics of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas: Highlighting the Relevance of al-Shaykh al-Akbar for Our Times: Fadila Ezzat

Article PDF: Islamization of the Malay Worldview: Sufi Metaphysical Writings: Megawati Moris

Article PDF:NAQUIB AL-ATTAS’ ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE Its Impact on Malay Religious Life, Literature, Language and Culture: Mohd Faizal Musa

Book PDF: Islam and Secularism: Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

Book PDF: The Concept of Education in Islam:Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

posted by NFIE @ 2:24 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Islam in China: Professor James Frankel: Kowloon Masjid Dawah Committee :Nov 20, 2023

 YouTube Video: 

Excellent Lecture with Slides Presentation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XryyGBM5_z8&t=287s

YouTube Video: Professor James D. Frankel's Journey to Islam: The Quran Motivation: March 25,2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ADpdeR7tIs&t=733s

Professor James D. Frankel was born into a Jewish family and raised with basic religious values. From a young age, he was deeply curious and constantly questioned rabbis about God and religious practices. However, when he couldn’t find satisfying answers, he began to drift away from Judaism and started searching for truth through other religions. He explored different beliefs, studying the Bible and developing love and respect for Jesus, but he could not accept him as God. His journey led him to Buddhism, the Upanishads, and various philosophies. Interestingly, although his close Pakistani friend had gifted him a copy of the Quran years earlier, it remained untouched on his shelf for a long time. Everything changed when he encountered a street dawah conversation that challenged him deeply. In an attempt to prove a point, he finally opened the Quran. Instead of what he expected, he found clarity, truth, and a powerful connection with Allah. That moment marked a turning point in his life, leading him to accept Islam and begin a completely new journey of faith.

Website: James D. Frankel

Amazon: Islam in China: James D. Frankel

In China there are up to 25 million Muslims living in the country, representing over 1200 years of Chinese-Islamic relations. However, little is known about the historical and contemporary geopolitical relations between China and the Muslim world, or the situation for the diverse groups of Muslims living in China today. In this book, James Frankel studies the rich and dynamic history of Muslims in China from the Tang dynasty (618-907) to the present day. He shows that Muslims in China remain an internally diverse population separated geographically, ethnically, linguistically, economically, educationally, and along sectarian and kinship lines. But despite having its own local flavours and accents, Islam in China is recognisable as the same religious tradition practiced by approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and Muslims in China are inextricably part of society, living alongside other minorities and amongst the great Han Chinese majority. Tracing 1200 years of history, this book shows that Muslim communities in China have undergone tremendous change, touched by the forces of Chinese history, the development of Islamic traditions outside China, and geopolitics. In highlighting the paradoxical situation in which Chinese Muslims have found themselves - living as both insiders and outsiders to Chinese society and state - the book examines why after so many centuries of habitation and naturalisation, Muslims in China are still stigmatized by their perceived alien origins. The book follows the ‘yin and yang’ of compatibility and difference and the connections and ruptures between two great civilisations.

James D. Frankel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies and Director of the Centre for the Study of Islamic Culture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Article PDF: Chinese–Islamic Connections: An Historical and Contemporary Overview: James D. Frankel-Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs

posted by NFIE @ 3:30 PM 0 Comments

Monday, March 16, 2026

The Root Cause Of The Crisis In The Muslim World with Dr Syed Ali Tawfik al-Attas: Blogging Theology-Feb 10, 2023

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/cZPYtSgVhMY?si=6kVo08FZGTDRhBUt


Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas: YouTube Channel


DescriptionThe official YouTube Channel of (Datuk) Dr Syed Ali Tawfik al-Attas, a scion of an illustrious Malaysian scholar. Currently a Visiting Scholar at the Raja Zarith Sofiah Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilisation (RZS-CASIS). He was a former Director-General of the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM), a Kuala Lumpur-based think tank, and subsequently served in the private sector. He earned his BSc and MSc from the University of North Carolina, and his PhD from the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC). He has published several academic works, and has written many articles, and delivered lectures on a wide range of subjects at various venues both locally and internationally. In addition, he has been appointed member to a number of local advisory board.

Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas: Facebook:

Article: IQRA

The interview is hosted by Blogging Theology YouTube Channel by host Paul Williams and provides great insight for anyone who is interested to understand their Muslim society and broader global ummah and their crisis.
Dr. Syed Ali al-Attas is a giant among contemporary Muslim scholars of the world. Dr. Tawfik Al-Attas is the son of another great Muslim Scholar, Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas considered one of the 500 most influential Muslims. The Editor of theIQRA, Sadiq M Alam had the good fortune of meeting him in Singapore while studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Dr. Attas identifies the root cause of the crisis in the Muslim world as Corruption of Knowledge, widespread ignorance has led to gross injustice and these injustices lead to confusion among Muslims. And this confusion gives rise to false leadership. This false leadership continues to add more confusion, adding to the problem, adding to more ignorance. This adds to more false leadership. The vicious cycle continues.
As an example, he gave a fantastic example of the corruption of knowledge and worldview using the Quran:
"We now, the Muslims today like to look on the Muslims in the past nostalgically as to how powerful we were, how much wealth we had, how big our Empire was, and things like this, how many scholars we had in the past; but we don't seem to learn anything from it, let alone learn anything from what the Quran is telling us. The emphasis on the Quran primarily is on ethics, is on faith, not on law. Law is a very very small minority of the entirety of the Quran and therefore today to emphasize those things as if that is what is paramount is a big injustice to themselves as well as injustice to the Quran." - Dr. Syed Ali al-Attas
The solution includes proper Education to counter this ignorance but it's recommended to watch the interview yourself. We have to understand the history, Muslims nowadays are just satisfied with the zahir aspect, that is the when and how; but they seem to ignore the batin aspect, the what and why.

posted by NFIE @ 11:42 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas was laid to rest at Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery in Kuala Lumpur on March 9,2026- The Star

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/Mi9GbmXqr6s?si=zfKXuFzXJ9-aeqC-

YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/HnHSh3FlNQg?si=O1oIw5RSiTdF735o

Salat Al-Janazah (Islamic Funeral Prayer:Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas - TV Masjid At-Taqwa March 8,2026

YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/vzofhPs3FO8?si=wPYrCGqNvk1ShpCb

As-Sayyid ʿAlī Tawfīk al-ʿAṭṭās (Son) :Speech after the Funeral Prayer for Syed Muḥammad Naquīb al-ʿAṭṭās on 9 March 2026

“My name is As-Sayyid ʿAlī Tawfīk al-ʿAṭṭās. I am the eldest son of Professor Sayyid Muḥammad Naquīb al-ʿAṭṭās. I could stand up here and I could extol all of his virtues, and I could tell you all about the fact that he has guided thousands and thousands and thousands of Muslims. He’s dedicated his entire life to the religion of Islām, to education. I could tell you also that he was an unbelievable intellect, he was a towering mind. All of these things we already know. His works proved it. His writings, the fact that he spends his entire life educating the Muslims. I think I’d like to say another thing though, because I read a lot of comments online and I thank them, and they have all been saying how Prof. Al-ʿAṭṭās’ one of the greatest philosophers, one of the greatest minds… all of that is true. But I think we are missing something. Above from the fact that he is a towering mind, he was a man of action. He was a doer. Whatever he set his mind to he was determined to make it happen. His legacy is not just in intellectualism — it’s in art, in architecture, in humanities, in politics — in all fields, as early as 15 years old in 1946, he was asked to define the meaning of that political party which is called PEKEMBAR at the time. He was the one that designed the flag, that later became the symbol of unity for the government. He was also the man who brought Truth to the universities, the National University (of Malaysia). He was the first man to propose an Islāmic University, and that became fruitful in 1987 when the International Institute of Islāmic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) was founded by him. That was the true meaning of the Islāmic University. And look at the building (of ISTAC) itself. That was all his design. Every bit of it, he had his finger on it. Even the furniture, even the light fixtures, the tiles… every single thing was his own drawing. He had his hands on everything. The library that he built... 156 thousand volumes, all of it was done by him. This is what we have. This is the legacy that he leaves us. This is the trust that he gives us. My father was a good man. He did not tell lies. When he spoke, he spoke the Truth. When he was given an amānah, he held fast to it. When he made a promise, you could be sure he would keep it. His promise to the Muslim ummah, was to educate them. His promise to the Muslim ummah, was to ennoble us. To ennoble the Muslims. And he has done so. We say, Innā liLlāhi wa-ʾinnā ʾilayhi rājiʿūn… when we have suffered a great calamity. While we do mourn, we must not forget to celebrate him. We must not forget to celebrate what he left us.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart. My family thanks you. May Allāh bless you all. May Allāh comfort us. May Allāh Guide us. May Allāh put him in His ample Garden of Paradise. Āmīn Ya Rabb Al-ʿĀlamīn. Thank you very much. As-salāmu ʿalaykum.”

YouTube Video: Hamza Yusuf's Eulogy for Prof.Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas: March30,2026

https://youtu.be/ZNxV3y8Ysb4?si=wa4aBHC5yxS5SGU3

President Hamza Yusuf of Zaytuna College reflects on the loss of the great Malaysian philosopher and scholar Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, who passed away in March 2026 at 94 years old. President Yusuf honors the intellectual legacy of Prof. Naquib al-Attas, whose books are essential for understanding and navigating modern Islamic discourse; and reflects on the profound impact al-Attas had on him personally as well as his enduring impact on Zaytuna College.

YouTube Video: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf interviews Professor Sayyid Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas:August 27, 2011

https://youtu.be/L5pyXqZq4E0?si=JZAIk1Sd-2-IwKOn

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf interviews Professor Sayyid Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas. From the MBC program: Rihla with Hamza Yusuf. Syed Muhammad al Naquib bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Muhsin al Attas (born September 5, 1931) is a prominent contemporary Muslim philosopher and thinker from Malaysia. He is one of the few contemporary scholars who is thoroughly rooted in the traditional Islamic sciences and who is equally competent in theology, philosophy, metaphysics, history, and literature. He is considered to be the pioneer in proposing the idea of Islamization of knowledge.

YouTube Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/CgTuzNyfdak?si=F9ASkmStNgGFwLst

Understanding Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas: His Philosophy & Legacy: The Ghazalian-March 11, 2026

Obituary:Naquib Al-Attas - New Age Islam - March 10,2026

The passing of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (5 September 1931 – 8 March 2026) marks the end of an era in Islamic intellectual history. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas was an important Muslim thinker who shaped the conversation about knowledge, civilization and Islam. For decades, Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas stood as a rare figure who combined classical Islamic scholarship, philosophical reflection, historical insight and cultural creativity. His death leaves behind an intellectual legacy that will continue to influence Muslim thought for generations.

Obituary:Remembering Royal Prof.Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas - Islamic Economics Project - March 9, 2026
On March 8, 2026, the global Muslim community and the world of philosophy mourned the passing of a titan. Royal Professor Tan Sri Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, who died at the age of 94, was a prolific academic and a stalwart in the Islamic intellectual tradition in the modern age. His death marks the end of an era, yet the resonance of his voice—a voice that masterfully bridged the depths of classical Islamic metaphysics with the rigors of modern philosophical inquiry—will echo for generations.

posted by NFIE @ 4:42 PM 0 Comments

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Imam Abdullah Cheng on Islam and Taiwan’s Overlooked Muslim Community | CONNECTED Podcast on Taiwan Plus- September 7,2025

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/XndImfll74I?si=DSqX8JDKuBacfi3i

Abdullah Cheng’s background often surprises people: he’s an imam of the Taipei Grand Mosque and a social media influencer educating people on Islam. On top of that, he’s a software engineer who created a halal ingredients scanner and a zakat calculator. We ask Abdullah about his journey and explore questions many have about Taiwan’s overlooked Muslim community — from halal food challenges and persisting social prejudices to Taiwan’s Muslim-friendly tourism.

Abdullah Cheng At-Taywani's YouTube Channel:

I am Abdullah Cheng At-Taywani, a multifaceted Taiwanese Muslim who is also a software engineer, content creator, Da'ee, and Khateeb at the Taipei Grand Mosque. This channel offers my unique perspective as a Taiwanese Muslim, sharing insights on cultural identity and practical steps for the revival of Islam and Da'wah to the Chinese-speaking world.

YouTube Video Part 1: My Father's Discovery of Islam Became our Family's Blessing:Part1: True Path Network - February 5, 2026

YouTube Video: Part 2

Abdullah, a second-generation Muslim, shares the remarkable story of how his father discovered Islam, and how that single journey transformed the faith and future of their entire family. Born into a Taiwanese-Chinese family with no concept of organised religion, Abdullah’s father grew up visiting temples and praying to ancestors. Everything changed when curiosity led him to enrol in the only Arabic course offered at his university—a decision that unknowingly set him on a life-altering path. As part of his studies, he spent time in Saudi Arabia, where he encountered Muslims for the first time, and later travelled to Türkiye. Inside a mosque there, he made a sincere prayer: “If this is truly meant for me, please guide me.” On his journey back to Taiwan, his heart felt at peace, and he knew. Soon after, he took his shahada at the Grand Mosque of Taipei. Though his parents were initially concerned, out of uncertainty, not Islamophobia—his decision sparked a powerful domino effect. One by one, his parents, sister, and wife also embraced Islam. Today, that butterfly effect continues. Abdullah now serves as the imam of the very same mosque where his father first took shahada.

Taipei Grand Mosque Website: English

YouTube Video: Imam Abdullah Cheng's Jummah Khutba in English & Chinese at Taipei Grand Mosque

Article: Islam & Muslims in Taiwan:New Age Islam - April 14, 2014

PhD Thesis:  Islam in Translation: Muslim Reform and Transnational Networks in Modern China, 1908-1957-  Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Eroglu Sager, Zeyneb Hale. 2016.

posted by NFIE @ 3:28 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Youshaa Patel: How to Think about Muslim Difference: Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS)- Oct 16,2023

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/jeLybyZcPv0?si=ZTxB1xlAy3t7Duks

Youshaa Patel, How to Think about Muslim Difference. Centre for the Study of Islam. Online Monday Majlis on the 16th of October Abstract Drawing on his recently published book (The Muslim Difference, Yale 2022), Youshaa Patel explores the vexing religious discourse of tashabbuh—Muslim imitation of others—a discourse that enjoined ordinary believers to embody and display their religious difference in public life, and was as crucial to the construction of Muslim identity and alterity during Islam's formative period as it is today. This lecture situates this discourse on Muslim difference within Islamic scripture and tradition, casting new light on contemporary debates in the West over visible expressions of Islam, from headscarves and beards to minarets and mosques.

Biography:
Youshaa Patel is associate professor of Religious Studies at Lafayette College (Easton, PA USA), and author of The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present (Yale University Press 2022). His scholarship explores Islamic scripture and tradition, with a focus on how Islam has shaped—and been shaped—by Muslim interfaith encounters in the Middle East and beyond. His work has been supported by grants from Mellon, Fulbright, and the American Institute of Yemeni Studies, and includes extended research stays in India, Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, and Syria where he studied the Islamic tradition with several of its modern-day custodians. Professor Patel is currently the Abdul Aziz Al-Mutawa visiting fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, an independent centre of the University of Oxford.

Amazon:The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present -Youshaa Patel

A sweeping history of Muslim identity from its origins in late antiquity to the present
How did Muslims across time and place define the line between themselves and their neighbors? Youshaa Patel explores why the Prophet Muhammad first advised his followers to emulate Christians and Jews, but then allegedly reversed course, urging them to “be different!” He details how subsequent generations of Muslim scholars canonized the Prophet’s admonition into an influential doctrine against imitation that enjoined ordinary believers to embody and display their religious difference in public life.
Tracing this Islamic discourse from its origins in Arabia to Mamluk and Ottoman Damascus, colonial Egypt, and beyond, this sweeping intellectual and social history offers a panoramic view of Muslim identity, revealing unexpected intersections between religion and other markers of difference across ethnicity, gender, and status. Patel illustrates that contemporary debates in the West over visible expressions of Islam, from headscarves and beards to minarets and mosques, are just the latest iterations in a long history of how small differences have defined Muslim interreligious encounters.

YouTube Video:
Can Muslims Imitate Non-Muslims? An Islamic Examination with Prof Youshaa Patel (Part 1)- Blogging Theology - August 11,2023

YouTube Video:
Can Muslims Imitate Non-Muslims? An Islamic Examination with Prof Youshaa Patel (Part 2)- Blogging Theology - September 12,2023

posted by NFIE @ 9:47 PM 0 Comments

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf:Safeguarding our Souls: Zaytuna College- Part 1:Feb21, Part 2:Feb 27,Part3:March 11,March 17, 2026

 YouTube Video Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/live/qZhpUZDevt0?si=lo3aKx8Dp8WE_WCD

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf reads from " Weighing the Word:Reasoning the Quran as Revelation" by Peter Samsel and recommends Muslims to read this book. He then comments on Surah Ibrahim

YouTube Video Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/live/Nbx7wgsEsXk?si=dV5IMeLUp4Ljfv06

YouTube Video Part 3:

https://youtu.be/RGa87eIYKXo?si=XkzgVB4ZQZGk3qZB

YouTube Video Part 4:

https://youtu.be/RX973hJf_Ps?si=IY7qTrislaAcdVu3

Amazon:" Weighing the Word:Reasoning the Quran as Revelation" by Peter Samsel 

https://www.amazon.com/Weighing-Word-Reasoning-Quran-Revelation/dp/1908092149

A comprehensive survey of traditional and contemporary views on the Qur'an, including textual, historical, sociological, philosophical, aesthetic, linguistic and experiential, brought together in an effort to ascertain whether Islam's sacred book is the word of God, as it claims to be, or not. Readers will find here the earliest ancient sources and the latest scientific studies uniquely confronted to shed objective light on this important topic.

PDF: The Matheson Trust: Weighing the Word:Reasoning the Quran as Revelation-Peter Samsel 

https://www.themathesontrust.org/publications-files/mtexcerpt-weighing.pdf

posted by NFIE @ 11:54 PM 0 Comments