Bridging civilizations: my academic journey from Aceh to IIUM

Abdul Razak, Mohd Abbas (2025) Bridging civilizations: my academic journey from Aceh to IIUM. Potret: Media Perempuan Aceh.

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Abstract

My interest in philosophy began during my undergraduate years at IAIN Ar-Raniry (now Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh), where I was already deeply drawn to spirituality, literature, poetry, and Islamic Studies. The spark that ignited my love for philosophy came when I first encountered Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s work, ‘The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’. Seeing my growing interest in the subject, one of my lecturers, Drs. Ramly Maha from the Faculty of Education, was very supportive and encouraging. He eventually became my thesis supervisor, guiding me as I wrote my thesis titled ‘KonsepsiPendidikan Akhlaq Menurut Muhammad Iqbal’ (The Concept of Moral Education According to Muhammad Iqbal). My love for philosophy did not fade after my undergraduate studies; it only deepened during my Master’s program under the tutelage of Prof. Hasan Langgulung at IIUM. Whether it was coincidence or destiny, only Allah knows, Prof. Langgulung, like Pak Ramly, also recognized my inclination towards philosophy. As an expert in Islamic sciences, philosophy, and psychology, Prof. Langgulung’s lectures were unique in that they seamlessly integrated all three disciplines in which he was a master. It was truly a privilege to be his student. Immersed in his lectures, I wrote a thesis under his supervision entitled ‘Human Nature: A Comparative Study between Western and Islamic Psychology’. Recognizing my potential as a candidate for a PhD, Prof. Langgulung once again became my supervisor for my dissertation. Sadly, while I was writing the second chapter, my beloved teacher and mentor, Prof. Langgulung, passed away due to health complications. To honour his good name, I was determined to continue with the topic I had initially chosen under his guidance. Thank God, my patience and hard work paid off. By the Grace of Allah, I completed my dissertation entitled ‘Contribution of Iqbal’s Dynamic Personality Theory to Islamic Psychology: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud and Selected Mainstream Western Psychology’. After passing the Viva, this research was turned into a book, published under the title ‘Iqbal’s Personality Theory: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud’ in 2013.

Item Type:	Article (Magazine)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Bridging, Civilizations, Academic, Journey, Aceh, IIUM
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) > B720 Medieval B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion BPL Islamic education L Education > L Education (General)
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies (Effective: 5th Feb 2014) Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Depositing User:	Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
Date Deposited:	20 May 2025 11:00
Last Modified:	20 May 2025 11:00
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/121094

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