AHAS KIRKHS conference celebrates the contributions of Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman

By, Eliza Ezzauddin Hussein

GOMBAK, 4 June 2024: IIUM’s AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (AHAS KIRKHS) in collaboration with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), the International Fiqh Academy, and the International Institute for Muslim Unity (IIMU) has successfully hosted an international conference on 30 May 2023. The conference, Integration of Knowledge in Social Sciences: The Contributions of AbdulHamid AbuSulayman, brought together leading experts and researchers throughout the world to the IIUM, Gombak campus. The conference showcased a wide range of integration research, addressed key challenges and emerging trends in various fields celebrating the integration of knowledge in social sciences field, developed by former IIUM Rector, Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Abdul Hamid Ahmad AbuSulayman who passed away in 2021.

The conference was officiated by Rector of the IIUM, Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, and welcomed by Dean of AHAS KIRKHS, Prof. Dr. Shukran Abd Rahman. Highlights of the conference included a keynote speech by Secretary General of the OIC International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Sano Koutoub Mustapha, followed by a conversation with an expert on the integration of knowledge with Prof. Dr. Nizar Alani from IIIT.

There were two parallel sessions in which the researchers’ presentations sparked insightful discussions and fostered collaborations among participants. Key themes covered during the conference included, Integration: The Theoretical Perspectives, Integration and School Education, Integration and Family Management, Integration and Scientific Methodology, Integration and Relevantisation, Integration and Ummatic Worldview and Integration and Tertiary Education.

After the parallel sessions ended, the conference was presented with a forum moderated by Prof. Dr. Thameem Ushama titled, “The Way Forward for the Integration of Knowledge” with experts who have spent over 30 years on the integration of knowledge in the university, namely, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Aslam Mohamed Haneef, Dr. Rosnani Hashim and Prof. Dr. Hazizan Md. Noon.

In promoting the integration of knowledge to the social sciences, the conference brought together valuable insights from speakers and presenters and provided the following resolutions delivered by the Dean of AHAS KIRKHS, Prof. Dr. Shukran Abd Rahman to the audiences:

1. To have continuous activities that support and advance the integration of knowledge agenda, recognising the importance of understanding the concept of integration across various fields of social sciences and the rapidly evolving psycho-socio-spiritual ecosystem.
2. To have the intellectual discourse and academic materials presented at the conference further reviewed, edited and published. This effort will contribute to (i) availing the literature that supports the agenda of Islamisation, integration, and the relevantisation of Islamic Studies and Human Sciences, (ii) providing alternative perspectives to the existing knowledge, and (iii) reducing reliance solely on the mainstream bodies of knowledge in social sciences.
3. To strengthen the curriculum of Islamic Studies and Human Sciences academic programmes given the imperative to model best approaches, the principles and practices of integration shared during the conference.
4. To initiate and mobilize scholars from various related disciplines in order to conceptualise and conduct research that adopts and integrated approach, addressing various issues faced by members of society.
5. To plan, organize and manage activities that focus on, or support, the Integration of Knowledge agenda by mobilizing resources and expertise from diverse institutions, organisations, industry collaborators and scholars across various fields.
6. To direct special attention towards advancing scientific methodologies within Islamic Studies and Human Sciences and strengthen information retrieval and bibliometric techniques, recognising the critical need to establish robust framework for the integration of knowledge and prioritizing the incorporation of diverse theoretical perspectives when addressing specific knowledge domain.
7.  Given that there are diverse perspectives on operationalizing or approaching the integration of knowledge, and that some perspectives of integration are misleading, inaccurate, and assumption-rich as opposed to being factual, there should be a dedicated effort to revise or improve these perspectives. The agenda should imbue the concept of perfecting knowledge, or Takamul-Ma’rifah, using appropriate methods and tools. The integration of knowledge should, hence, be substantiated through the use of approaches that focus on (a) consideration; (b) conduction or experiencing; (c) contemplation; (d) thinking; (e) induction and deduction; (f) reasoning; (g) foresight; and (h) jurisprudence.
8. To prioritise unlocking the epistemological, ontological, axiological, and teleological aspects of knowledge. This necessitates developing the abilities of students, academics, and scholars to (a) recognize the diverse epistemological approaches and methodologies within their specific fields of study; (b) explore various ontological frameworks to grasp the complexity of social issues; (c) acknowledge the essentiality of values and ethical considerations in conducting social inquiries; and (d) formulate strategies for applying knowledge to contribute to the development and enhancement of human life.
9.  To emphasis in providing ample institutional support to advance the integration agenda. Beyond having capable scholars, higher learning institutions undertaking this agenda must have competent academic leaders who possess the skills to lead and manage integration projects effectively.***