By Fasihah Zulkifli
GOMBAK, 19 MARCH 2023: In light of exposing History students to the valuable treasure of Islamic Civilisation, the Secretariat of History and Civilisation (HISTFORIUM) organised an educational trip to the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC-IIUM) on 10 March 2023 from 8am until 12 pm.
The programme was participated by 40 History students with aims to discover the historical architecture and heritage of ISTAC as well as to gain insightful experience from visiting Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas Library.
Upon arrival, the students were welcomed by the President of the Student Society of ISTAC, Br. Eisa Rahullah to Ibn Khaldun Conference Room where he shared the role of ISTAC as the prominent institution for Muslim thinkers and scholars to further their study in Islamic thought in the two-hour session.
The institute receives many visits from philosophers and academicians from all over the world which remarks its reputation as the most authoritative centre for Islamic studies and comparative thoughts and civilisations.
With regards to preserving knowledge, the library plays an important role in publishing books and research as “knowledge needs to be preserved by increasing the amount of writing or it will just disappear,” Br. Eisa shared.
Muhammad Hafizuddin said, “ISTAC can be said to be one of the most valuable assets especially for our country as it is the symbol of Malaysia’s wealth in Islamic knowledge and history.”
The participants shared their admiration for the beautiful architecture of ISTAC buildings. The structures were inspired by Alhambra Palace in Granada, Islamic architectures and Church.
“The buildings are very aesthetic and beautiful, you could feast your eyes with the amazing views of ISTAC while studying there,” said Azri Syarifuddin.
Apart from that, the students visited Syed Naquib Al-Attas Library that holds great collections of world civilisations like the Ottoman Civilisation and Rare Collection that cannot be easily accessed to preserve the manuscripts.
For example, Kitab al-Tafhim ii Awa’ll Sina’at al-Tanjim (Instruction of the Elements of the Arts of Astrology) is the oldest manuscript in the library, originated from Persia which is over 800 years old, as shared by Noraini Yusoff.
“There are numerous publications and reference collections on Malay, Islamic, and Western world civilizations. Moreover, it includes Asia’s biggest collection of Malay, Arabic, and Turkish manuscripts, dating from the 13th to the 16th century,” said Sarah Ain’nin.
Another participant, Inas Dalili also said, “Impressively, this library is the home of 2600 collections of rare and valuable manuscripts which are handwritten documents from all over the world.”
The participants then were brought to Masjid Zabedah that was made of ceramics and the Main Hall which resembles a church, before departing to IIUM at 12.00 pm. One of the participating students shared her contentment from the trip.
“This educational visit to ISTAC made me realise the importance of knowledge from the investigation of previous Muslim thinkers and appreciate their constructive thinking in building the great history of Islam,” Aniqah Rusyda said.
Tasnim Rossalim also said that, “We really enjoyed the trip and got lots of benefits from the sharing session.”
The session trip was an eye-opening experience for the students as they acknowledged the importance of ISTAC in equipping the academicians from various fields with Islamic teachings that are deeply provisioned in many branches of knowledge.
All in all, it was a good educational trip for students who went back to the campus with their insightful knowledge and experience. The History students benefited from the educational trip that was a collaboration with ISTAC Student Society.***