It was a transformative academic visit, where lectures from Kashmir to Indonesia were woven into the vibrant, caring fabric of institutions like ISTAC
Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi
By the grace of Allah, my recent stay in Malaysia proved to be an intense, intellectually rewarding, and deeply memorable academic experience. What initially appeared to be a routine scholarly visit gradually unfolded into a sustained engagement with some of the most vibrant centres of Islamic thought, research, and civilizational discourse in the contemporary Muslim world.
I departed from Delhi for Kuala Lumpur on 20 December 2023 via an AirAsia flight and arrived early in the morning, around 7 a.m. Malaysian time. After completing immigration formalities, I stepped out of the airport to find Brother Shahwezan waiting for me. He recognised me instantly by my Karakul cap—an unexpected but familiar marker of identity abroad. Along with him was Brother Fauzi, associated with ISTAC as a driver, who had kindly arranged transportation. After a drive of nearly an hour, we reached the serene and beautifully landscaped surroundings of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC).
I was taken to meet Professor Fahmi Ghalib, who had been waiting for me on campus. He graciously escorted me to the ISTAC cafeteria for breakfast. The cafeteria itself reflects Malaysia’s multicultural ethos. It is run by Iranian friends, and one encounters people from different parts of the Muslim world there. An Afghan young man named Ali works in the cafeteria—soft-spoken, hardworking, and deeply endearing. After breakfast, Professor Fahmi took me to the VVIP residential complex, a large, well-maintained building where I was provided with a fully furnished apartment. The apartment was meticulously arranged, complete with air-conditioning, furniture, and all essential facilities, allowing me to settle in comfortably.
During my initial interaction with my hosts—especially Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Berghout, then Director of ISTAC—I suggested that instead of repeatedly visiting the cafeteria, I might prefer cooking my own meals in the apartment. This was not unusual for me. During my years in Aligarh and later at the Indian Institute of Islamic Studies in Jamia Nagar, Delhi, in the late 1980s, I had learned to cook out of necessity. Ironically, after marriage, cultural conventions ensured that I was permanently distanced from the kitchen, which in our Eastern social setting is traditionally perceived as a female domain—often humorously described as a “danger zone” for men. Nevertheless, upon hearing my request, Professor Berghout immediately arranged cooking utensils for me. This small but thoughtful gesture reflected ISTAC’s culture of care, dignity, and hospitality.
ISTAC is not merely an academic institute; it is an intellectual sanctuary. It is a place where Islamic thought, philosophy, civilisation, and culture are studied with seriousness, depth, and global relevance. Founded by the eminent philosopher and Muslim intellectual Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, ISTAC has earned international recognition as a premier centre for advanced research, seminars, conferences, and scholarly dialogue. The academic environment here encourages reflection, critical inquiry, and civilizational consciousness—qualities increasingly rare in today’s utilitarian academic climate.
My association with ISTAC dates back to 2015, when I first visited Malaysia as a resource person for the Malaysian chapter of the International Institute of Islamic Thought. At that time, ISTAC was headed by the renowned scholar Professor Kamal Hassan, and I was hosted by Dr Shahran Qasim. Professor Kamal Hassan received me with remarkable warmth and intellectual openness. Our discussions ranged widely, including my research on Imam al-Ghazali. On that occasion, I presented him with several issues of Insight Islamica, a journal published by the Shah-i-Hamdan Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Kashmir, during my tenure as its Director. He appreciated the journal’s academic quality and relevance. Sadly, the journal’s continuity later suffered, despite having maintained high scholarly standards for many years.
I was invited again to ISTAC in February 2023 to deliver an extended lecture on the contemporary relevance of Imam al-Ghazali. This visit coincided with my participation in an international conference on Dr Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, organised by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). That visit remains vivid in my memory, particularly because of my interaction with Professor Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, one of the most distinguished Muslim philosophers of our time and the Chair Professor of Al-Ghazali Studies at ISTAC. When my lecture concluded, Professor Osman Bakar entered the Ibn Khaldun Hall. As I stepped forward to greet him, he embraced me warmly and remarked that he had assumed I was delivering the lecture online from Kashmir. Out of respect for his towering intellectual stature, the entire audience stood up. Later, he invited me to his office, gifted me several of his books, and engaged in a thoughtful discussion over lunch—especially on the prospects of Eastern civilizational dialogue.
My familiarity with Professor Osman Bakar’s work goes back to 1984, when he visited Aligarh Muslim University for a seminar titled In Search of a New Science, while conducting research at Temple University, Philadelphia, under the supervision of Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr. At that time, I was pursuing my Master’s degree in Philosophy at AMU. Years later, I had the privilege of organising an online extended lecture by him at the Central University of Kashmir on A Future-Oriented Vision for Islamic Studies. He has also kindly written a scholarly foreword to my recent book, Muslim Philosophy: Before and After Ghazali.
During my present stay, I interacted closely with Professor Dr Abdul Aziz Berghout, who had invited me to deliver extended lectures. A dynamic and visionary academic leader, he has played a decisive role in strengthening ISTAC’s global academic profile. Our acquaintance had begun earlier through online academic engagements, and he had also written a substantial scholarly introduction to my book on Imam al-Ghazali. I was reminded with gratitude of the late Professor Kamal Hassan, former Vice-Chancellor of IIUM, whom I had met in 2017 at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNISZA), Terengganu. During the periphery of an international conference on Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, we discussed the Islamization of Knowledge and its contours for hours. His passing in February 2023 marked the end of a significant intellectual era.
This time, I stayed for nearly a month in and around ISTAC. This extended stay allowed me to engage deeply with scholars, researchers, and students. Beyond formal lectures, informal conversations—over tea, meals, and campus walks—proved equally enriching.
In addition to ISTAC, I delivered at least two extended lectures at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). One lecture, addressed to postgraduate students and researchers from across the Muslim world, focused on the intellectual stagnation of the Muslim Ummah and its underlying causes. Participants came from Palestine, Egypt, Albania, Algeria, the Indian subcontinent, Ethiopia, Sudan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and other regions. I was particularly pleased to see the presence of a talented student from Kashmir, Ms Bibi Ishrat from Pulwama. The question-and-answer session was lively and wide-ranging, covering Islam and women, science and religion, and contemporary educational challenges.
My second lecture at IIUM was organised by the Department of Religious Studies and Comparative Religion and focused on the integrative nature of knowledge and philosophy. The session was chaired by Dr Haslina, Deputy Dean of the Kulliyyah of Human and Revealed Knowledge. Several senior academics attended, including former ISTAC Dean Professor Tameem Usama, Professor Rafiq al-Islam, and former Deputy Dean Professor Hamdun. The session was moderated by Professor Mumtaz Ali, a distinguished scholar who has received several national awards from the Malaysian state.
At ISTAC itself, two formal extended lectures were organised—one moderated by Professor Abdul Khaliq Israel and another for research scholars. These sessions were attended by eminent scholars, including Professor Osman Bakar, Professor Abdul Aziz Berghout, Professor Jasser Auda, Professor Muhammad Murad, and others. Their reflections enriched the discussions and led to sustained scholarly interaction.
Apart from these engagements, I also delivered dozens of lectures—both in-person and online—at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, UNISZA, Muhammadiyah Universities in Indonesia, and other academic institutions.
In essence, my stay in Malaysia was far more than a sequence of academic commitments. It was a reaffirmation of the living intellectual tradition of Islam—sustained through dialogue, scholarship, humility, and civilizational responsibility. Institutions like ISTAC and IIUM continue to stand as beacons of serious Islamic scholarship in a rapidly changing world.
—Dr Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi (also known as Dr Hamidullah Marazi) is a distinguished contemporary Islamic scholar whose work significantly contributes to the dialogue between Islamic philosophy and modern Western thought. He is the author of several books. Through a rigorous comparative methodology and an emphasis on epistemological integrity grounded in Tawhid (the oneness of God), Marazi critiques secular paradigms and advocates for an integrative intellectual tradition. His scholarship not only critiques Western thought but also calls for mutual enrichment between traditions, emphasising Islamic metaphysics, ethics, and educational reform as central to contemporary challenges.
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