RZS-CASIS 10th Year Anniversary:
Beyond the Worn-Torn Paint on the Walls,
It is There That the Treasure Lies
By Ahmed al-Bilgiki
(Mathematics Teacher, Leuven, Belgium)
I remember coming to CASIS for the first time back in January 2015. It was my final year studying mechanical engineering in Belgium and it had become clear for me at the time that I was grappling with issues pertaining to knowledge that were beyond my own capacity to handle.
Back then I was interested in a specific intellectual exercise, namely that of aligning different aspects of what I now know to be my ‘worldview’. At the time I felt there was a prevalent anti-religious sentiment around me, and this has made it difficult for me to pursue discussions on the matter objectively, even among academicians. An academician in my environment back then was generally an anti-religion and that was that. I persisted, however, and this led me to start exploring the works of various thinkers, scientists, philosophers and artists. I read and listened to all of them with the utmost attention. Different insights present themselves to me and the need to delve deeper arose in my mind and it only became stronger as time went by.
The departments of Islamic Studies in universities naturally became the first in my consideration as a place where I could delve deeper in these issues. Upon a closer look however, I found that the departments of Islamic Studies were discussing issues that felt secondary. Why discuss Islamic opinions or judgements when the audience might not even believe in God? There seemed to be a glaring hole in what was being offered by the local Muslim scholars and the needs of the Muslim community. The balance was off. I also started linking the individual scientists, philosophers and artists, who were scattered around the world, to their respective institutions. This small exercise led me to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be able to find answers here in Belgium. The departments here were obviously on their own intellectual path, discussing and researching topics that seemed to be relevant to a specific audience, an audience I didn’t feel I was really part of.
There was a need to look further. At that moment in time it also became clear to me that I was in need of a specific type of scholarship, scholarship that included modern (western) philosophy and at the same time was complemented by a spiritual and intellectual tradition. The lack of a tradition inevitably reduced scholarship to something devoid of any purpose beyond academia. In my opinion it didn’t really serve to better understand the world around us. I started exploring institutions outside of Europe, in Muslim countries such as Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and so on. They all had (and still have) good programs to offer that would definitely be worthwhile to take, but I felt like an appropriate ‘framework’ was missing that would allow for these programs to fit into my scientific formative training as an engineer on the one hand and essentially being a ‘westerner’ on the other. I was still in the process of formulating my thoughts but intuitively I could say that there was a bit of a threshold in visiting these places. (I, of course, couldn’t possibly deny that it wasn’t also because of my superficial research from a distance, yet a decision had to be made.)
Continuing my search led me to a Malaysian scholar whom I had regularly seen cited in academic journals, who enjoyed a status as a respected scholar globally and who seemed to embody this type of scholarship where I didn’t feel this threshold. The name was Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas. At first it was difficult trying to understand his works but after watching an interview with him it became a little easier to understand his thought. He was tapping into traditional Islamic wisdom which required effort on my part to understand. His works showed a remarkable grasp of the modern world and Islam. He focused on the foundations of religion and that was exactly where I thought the focus needed to be. The (re-)introduction of the idea of a “framework” is an example of that shifting of focus. Reading his books got me so far but I felt like I needed to visit him in person to learn more about his ideas, because at this point it wasn’t just something strictly rational anymore. Professor Al-Attas seemed to be well-known in Western academia and this facilitated me in getting to know more about his whereabouts. It wasn’t long before I was able to contact to his students and it wasn’t long after that that I booked a flight to Kuala Lumpur to actually visit them.
As soon as I arrived, I was at ease, something I rarely experienced so significantly and something that proved to be a sign on the horizon for the years to come. I remember after arriving in KL for the first time, being greeted with the salaam, hearing the adhaan blasting through speakers, seeing people going to prayer en masse, the experience was for a while mesmerizing. Even though I had travelled for some 14 hours and was on the other side of the world, I somehow felt at home.
Not long after arriving in CASIS, I let out all the questions I had been bottling up and I remember all the lecturers being so kind enough to accommodate this. Dr Wan Suhaimi, Dr Khalif Muammar, Prof Tatiana, Dr Suleiman (and back then Dr Adi Setia and Dr Syamsuddin Arif), each of them shared their own accumulated wisdom, for which I was very grateful. I remember sharing a concern to Dr Wan Suhaimi and he was quick to say that (paraphrasing here) “those concerns are secondary. It’s the worldview that matters. Once that’s correct, all the rest will fall into place,” a piece of advice that stuck with me to this day. Prof Wan and Prof Zainiy specifically hold a special place in my heart for giving me the opportunity to ask questions. I can’t remember how many times I would walk into their office and we would continue our discussions where we left off, with now and then a necessary interruption, “Makan dulu,” (“Eat first”) I would hear and we would head to the cafeteria. I was treated for lunch before we would return to continue our discussion. The questions were age-old but at the time they were fresh for me: “How does science relate to revelation?” “How do we understand historical reports” “There is so much knowledge, where to start?” The mere fact that I could even ask these questions and have these discussions with different scholars was to me very exciting. I found myself discussing ideas by scientists such as Kuhn and Popper while at the same time linking it to classical Muslim thinkers such as Ibn Khaldun, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd and so on. During those discussions I experienced moments of deep harmony. And that was essentially my goal. It was as if I could feel that sought-after alignment. I don’t remember knowing any place where I have been able to do this and I feel blessed to have experienced this. Of course one of the highlights of my visits to CASIS was actually attending a public lecture of Professor Al-Attas himself. That was a culmination of the previous discussions I had with the lecturers at CASIS. This time it wasn’t a discussion but it was Al-Attas himself teaching. He did this with a certain authority and certainty that I was not accustomed to. Sometimes I just listened without fully understanding what he was saying in the hopes of understanding him later on. I also remember him getting annoyed by the questions that were given to him. You could feel that the mental distance between him and the audience sometimes was quite high. However there was always a sincere concern as a fellow Muslim for the questioner. Sometimes he would agree with certain opinions, other times he would criticize certain opinions and he would accept criticism as well. He always seemed to look for a kind of balance and that search in itself I found had a beauty to it. It was easy to agree with him on a lot of issues. During his lecture Professor Al-Attas’ revealed a lot of his thoughts and you could see it consisted of several layers. Peeling off one layer revealed another. This made me reflect on my own thinking. Questions were answered, yet others were reformulated and the journey continued.
Besides getting a lot of my questions answered, my visits also had another significance for me. I remember being assisted by several students, including the staff. They welcomed me into their homes and made me feel as one of their own. My first such memory I owe to Dr. Ikhwan (back then he was just an aspiring one). He generously drove me around, showed me the local masjids and places to eat where we had continuous discussions on science and mathematics and its articulation in the intellectual tradition of Islam. I remember staying a night at his place and I thought to myself that this is an extraordinary individual. He also arranged an accommodation close to campus where I would shack up with fellow students from Indonesia, Hanif, Yunus, Yogi and Rijal where I very much appreciated their hospitality and willingness to make me feel at home. I got to enjoy Rijal and Yogi’s guitar playing regularly and it is here as well that I discovered Maggi noodles, the go-to-food for a student with no money (also available in Belgium!). Sometimes it’s the small things… Yogi would regularly take me on his motorcycle to explore the city and another Indonesian student Zakki would do the same. I will especially remember his contagious laugh and… love for durian. I remember once Ikhwan took me to stay at another student’s house, that of Syed Muhiyuddin, in the middle of what seemed to be some kind of a forest with an annoying goose following me everywhere I went. Syed Muhiyuddin together with his father were so kind to receive us. We had our share of deep intellectual discussions while at the same time being in direct contact with nature, which was a special experience. Syed Muhiyuddin had studied philosophy and liked discussing it. Sometimes these discussions would almost have a kind of therapeutic effect in that we were able to identify issues that needed exploration. Another stay that I look back at fondly was when I stayed with Dr Adi, a senior lecturer at CASIS at the time. Dr Adi wrote profusely and it was mostly through his writings that I better understood Professor Al-Attas’ philosophy of science. His criticisms of modern science were scathing and very entertaining to listen to. He invited me to his home during Eid celebrations where I could get to experience the traditional Malaysian festivities from close by. I remember taking the bus for a 7-hour drive at night from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu. The bus station was full and the radio kept playing “Balik Kampung”. I was told that I would know that I had arrived in Terengganu if the roads became narrower and bumpier. I stayed there for a couple of nights. I mostly remember the kindness of Dr Adi’s family and neighbours. There were ‘open houses’ everywhere yet we would only eat so much. Seeing the local traditions still intact was a very interesting experience and made me think of parallels in my own environment. Back in KL, Dr. Ikhwan at the time took turns with another gentleman student by the name Hilmi (now Dr. Hilmi), who drove me around. I was again welcomed to his home and met his family all of which made me feel very grateful and humbled by his kindness. Again I would think what an wonderful person this was. He would alternate between diligently working on his thesis and finding ways he could help out. And if it wasn’t Hilmi, then it was Hajar who would tell me and other visitors where to go. I specifically remember her driving me and another potential student ‘Amr from Egypt around, whether to lectures or to simply get Infour necessary Maggi noodles, even though we could have figured it out on ourselves. Back at CASIS, during WISE summer school I remember being in student Wan Aimran’s group, a physics student who effortlessly talked about complex scientific issues and who was able to connect it to Professor Al-Attas’ framework with the ability of explaining it simply, a mark of a true teacher. I remember student Syafiq speaking up in a sharing session during WISE summer school that touched me deeply. I again remembered that this really wasn’t an ordinary institution. There’s more to mention, but I trust that with this the reader has an idea of what’s happening at CASIS.
There was a sincere intention to seek knowledge, to get to truth, and this intention went beyond academic borders. It was something experienced and lived by in day-to-day life, not just by the lecturers, but by students as well as supporting staff. The ethos of CASIS permeated everyone. This made the learning experience even more intense. This wasn’t something I feel you could get at an Islamic studies department back home in Belgium. The academic output was then just the fruit of the former. This was the lived reality of true scholarship. It wasn’t just cognitive and this wasn’t just another university department.
This year marks CASIS’ 10-year anniversary. The whole endeavour at CASIS cannot be fully grasped and appreciated from a distance in our modern-day context. It wouldn’t make sense looking at it that way. Where in between those KPI’s would you notice these life-changing human events, like the discussions and sharing sessions that open up your mind to a new perception of the world outside of you?
After this first exploratory visit, I knew that I would come back, little did I know back then that I would be coming back again and again. What CASIS is doing is so utterly necessary, and in our modern context quite revolutionary, but it requires one to look past the worn-down paint on the outside walls. It is there that treasures lie.
We pray that the scholars at CASIS stay well and continue to benefit people. Amin.
With warm regards,
Ahmed Al-Bilgiki
Ir. Ahmed Al-Bilgiki is a graduate from the Brussels Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Brussels, where he completed his MSc in Electromechanical Engineering. He is currently a math teacher at a secondary school in Leuven. On the side he is studying Applied Linguistics at the faculty of arts of the Catholic University of Leuven, with a focus on Arabic and English. His interests include Islamic philosophy, philosophy of science, Arabic studies and the history of Islam in North Africa.