SHAH ALAM – Tributes are pouring in from scholars, leaders and public figures worldwide following the passing of Royal Professor Tan Sri Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas, one of the most influential Islamic thinkers of the modern era.
The renowned scholar of Islamic civilisation died at 6.47pm on March 8 at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that shaped intellectual discourse, philosophy and Islamic education across the Muslim world.
Among those paying tribute was British musician Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), who credited the late scholar as a major influence on his educational work.
“God bless the departed soul of Professor Naquib Al-Attas. We are deeply at a loss following his passing. His contribution to the Islamisation of knowledge was unparalleled.
“It was Prof. Naquib’s inspiration which laid the ground upon which I established the Islamia school in 1983,” he wrote on social media.
Yusuf also reflected on the scholar’s pivotal role in the 1977 First World Conference on Muslim Education in Makkah, noting that Al-Attas’s papers became the foundation for his curriculum research.
“May he join the great company of the prophets and learned as one of the shining exponents of God’s Holy Book,” he added.
Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar described the passing as a profound loss, labelling Al-Attas a mujaddid—a thinker who revived the intellectual and moral foundations of Islamic knowledge.
“Almarhum was known as a thinker and scholar who rekindled the torch of knowledge and adab in the Islamic world,” the Minister said.
He highlighted Al-Attas's role in the establishment of key institutions, including the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (Istac).
Born on Sept 5, 1931, in Bogor, Indonesia, Syed Muhammad Naquib came from a distinguished family of Arab, Malay and Circassian heritage.
His unique intellectual approach combined classical Islamic scholarship with Western education, leading him to author more than 30 books and monographs.
In October 2024, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim conferred upon him the prestigious title of Royal Professor.
This is the highest academic honour in the country and has only been awarded once before, to the late Ungku Abdul Aziz in 1978.
Funeral prayers were held at Masjid At-Taqwa in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) on Monday morning, followed by burial at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery.