Malay-Indonesian Islamization Perspective of Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas: Language Transformation and Formation of the Islamic Malay Wordview

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the method of Islamization of Malay-Nusantara from the perspective of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas by examining the role of language transformation in changing the worldview of Malay society and its implications for the formation of Malay-Islamic culture. Using a qualitative approach based on library research, this study uses al-Attas's primary works as the main source and analyzes the data through content analysis techniques with three stages: data reduction, theme categorization, and conceptual interpretation. Data validity is guaranteed through source triangulation and cross-reading. The results of the study indicate that Islamization according to al-Attas is a process of epistemological transformation that does not merely change religious identity, but changes the structure of human consciousness through four sequential stages: (1) language transformation through the absorption of Arabic-Islamic terms and changes in conceptual meaning, (2) conceptual transformation that changes the understanding of God, humans, knowledge, and life, (3) the formation of an Islamic worldview based on monotheism, and (4) the birth of Malay-Islamic culture reflected in language, Jawi script, literature, education, and value systems. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of the Islamization of the archipelago by placing epistemological and linguistic dimensions at the heart of the civilizational process, differing from conventional Islamization theories that center on trade or political power. Practically, these findings are relevant for the development of Islamic education based on a monotheistic worldview in contemporary Indonesia.