About Us

Our focus is on the Islamic Worldview and Civilization. We aspire to connect scholars from diverse nationalities in order to develop a network of intellectual camaraderie within a shared framework. In addition, we aim to build meaningful collaborations with selected institutions of higher learning—both in the region and beyond—toward a common mission and vision.

Through these efforts, we seek to share our perspectives and aspirations with interested individuals, communities, and the broader public. We are privileged to be guided and inspired by our teacher, Professor Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas, his close disciple Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud, and other respected scholars who share the same intellectual framework and vision.

Tan Sri Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas

Tan Sri Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib al‑Attas (born 5 Sept 1931) is a leading Islamic philosopher renowned for founding the modern theory of the Islamisation of knowledge—integrating spiritual and secular disciplines across education, philosophy, history, theology, metaphysics, linguistics, literature, and the arts .

Educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (1952–55), he subsequently earned a BA from the University of Malaya, an MA in Islamic philosophy from McGill (1962), and a two‑volume PhD on Malay Sufism from SOAS, University of London (1965) .

His early career includes shaping Malay higher education as University of Malaya’s Head of Literature (1965) and Faculty of Arts Dean (1968–70), advocating Malay as the academic medium. In 1973 he founded UKM’s Institute of Malay Language, Literature & Culture (IBKKM). In 1987, he launched the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), stewarding a 140,000‑volume multilingual library .

A prolific writer, he has authored over 27 works exploring Sufism, cosmology, metaphysics, and Malay literary history, including landmark studies like The Mysticism of Hamzah Fansuri and Islam and Secularism .

In October 2024, he was honored by King Sultan Ibrahim with the exclusive title Royal Professor—Malaysia’s highest academic distinction, last awarded in 1978 . Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim highlighted his lasting influence on Malaysian Islamic thought and civilization . Recently, he delivered the extemporaneous lecture “Islam: The Covenants Fulfilled” in Kuala Lumpur, expanding on spiritual dimensions of human existence and the challenges of secularism .

Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud

Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud is the founder-director of Center for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilisation (CASIS), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

After obtaining his doctorate from the University of Chicago under the late Fazlur Rahman in 1988, he was invited by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas to assist him at the newly established International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) in all the formal and non-formal academic development including library, publication and student affairs. From 1998-2002 he served as the Deputy Director of ISTAC.

From 2008 to February 2011 he served as Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation (ATMA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Professor Wan Mohd Nor has written more than 15 books and monographs as well as more than 40 academic articles in local and international journals, of which the major ones are: The Concept of Knowledge in Islam: Its Implication for Education in a Developing Country (1989); A Commentary on the Culture of Knowledge (Malay) (1990); The Educational Philosophy and Practice of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas: An Exposition of the Original Concept of Islamization (1998); Development in Malaysia: Towards a Holistic Understanding (Malay) (2000); 2 books of philosophical-mystical Malay poetry (2003 and 2004); Hadhari Muslim Society: An Epistemological and Educational Approach Towards National Unity (Malay) (2006); a book co-authored with Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, The ICLIF Leadership Competency Model: An Islamic Alternative (2007); a book co-edited with Muhammad Zainiy Uthman, Knowledge, Language, Thought and The Civilization of Islam: Essays in Honor of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (UTM, 2010). Several of his books, articles and monographs have been translated into Malay, Indonesian, Turkish, Japanese, Persian, Russian, Bosnian and Macedonian.