by Nurshafiqah Sapiee
Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah bin haji Ahmad Badawi graced the IIUM campus yesterday to attend the Half Day Seminar in Commemoration of Prof Dato Dr. Mohamed Mackeen Abdul Majid.
Also at the event were Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Zain, Dean of IRKHS, Tan Sri Prof. Dr. Mohd. Kamal Hassan, distinguished professor at ISTAC, IIUM, Prof. Dr. Abdelaziz Berghout, deputy rector of Internationalization &Industry and Community Relations, Assoc. Prof Dr. Wahabuddin Raees, deputy dean of Academic Affairs IIUM and past students of the late Prof Mackeen.
Organized by the department of Usuluddin and Comparative religion, this seminar aimed to honor Prof Mackeen; the man, and his contributions to the body of Islamic work especially with regards to the field of Tasawwuf and Sufism.
In a tribute given by Assoc Prof Dr Md. Yusuf Ali, a previous student of Prof Mackeen, Dr Yusuf Ali has described Prof Mackeen as a spiritual healer, an academician, a murabbi, and an expert in Sufism.
At a time when peoples understanding of Sufism is skewed due to the controversial teachings of Sufis affiliated to particular tariqahs, Prof Mackeen subscribed to a more universal understanding of tasawwuf, that is, Sufism for everyone and not only for the elite few.
Prof Mackeen held a holistic approach to academia, one of integration between modern science and tradition and knowledge, and claimed that one would be incomplete without the other.
Prof Mackeen has left behind a legacy of knowledge with his immense contributions in the field of tasawwuf.
May Allah swt bless his soul and place him amongst the Anbiya.