A.M. Saefuddin’s Role and Perspectives on Embedding Islamic Values in Higher Education

Abstract

This study explores the role and perspectives of A.M. Saefuddin in embedding Islamic values in higher education, with a focus on his concept of Islamization of Science and Campus. The research aims to identify and analyze Saefuddin's contributions and the paradigm he developed regarding the integration of Islamic principles into academic frameworks. This research employs a library-based methodology, using a philosophical and phenomenological approach. Primary data were gathered from three key works: Desecularization of Thought on the Foundations of Islamization, Islamization of Science and Campuses, and Between Germany and Mecca: Biography of Prof. Ir. A.M. Saefuddin. Secondary data were sourced from books, articles, and documents relevant to the topic. The data collected were analyzed using the content analysis method. The findings indicate that Saefuddin's concept of Islamization of science and campus is a significant expansion of ideas previously put forward by prominent scholars such as Syed Muhammad Naquib Al Attas and Ismail Raji Al Faruqi. Saefuddin's approach is innovative and integrative, emphasizing that integration should be viewed as a process of dissolution rather than mere mixing of ideas. Central to his intellectual framework is the concept of monotheism (Tawhid) and Qur’anic epistemology, which serve as the foundation for the Islamization process in higher education. Through this framework, Saefuddin presents a model that advocates for the harmonization of Islamic values with academic pursuits, contributing to the development of a uniquely Islamic approach to knowledge and learning.