The Worldview of Islam by Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-attas

This Article, The Worldview of Islam, is an outline of an opening address by Prof. Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-attas.

The word "worldview" is a calque of the German word Weltanschauung. It refers to the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.To some degree, it's a collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group. As Prof. Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-attas has mentioned, the worldview of Islam is the vision of reality and truth.

From this article I got three points about the worldview of Islam.

First, I think the worldview of Islam is determined by the God. He is absolutely different from any other God in Western conception. The worldview of Islam is all about the nature of God. The reality of God is external and immutable. The world is a circle which has no beginning and no ending. The truth that derived from God is absolute. The God creates everything that is definitely true. But the creation of God is being renewed and replaced by new similars.

Second, the worldview of Islam is revealed from Revelation, which refers to Quran in Islam. Quran is the only perfect revelation that shows the true reality because it is the speech of God. This Revelation has been perfect from the very beginning. It is confirmed by religion. And God chooses Prophets to interpret his nature. The worldview of Islam doesn't need development because it has been already mature. It cannot be explained by any physical or scientific knowledge as applied in the Western societies. 

Third, this worldview is not restricted to the visible world or a sensible experience about the world. It's not a combination of some philosophical thoughts and values of life. The worldview of Islam is a view of reality and truth that has exists from its appearance. It is about a pure reality in totality, including the secular conception and the sacred conception.