REVIEW ON APPROACHING KNOWLEDGE: RELIGIOUS OR SECULAR

By Dato Dr Muhammad Afifi Al-Akiti

Based on Dato Dr Muhammad Afifi Al-Akitis talk regarding the topic of Approaching
Knowledge: Religious or Secular, there are several important points which I get from his
discussion. First of all, Dato Dr Muhammad Afifi Al-Akiti is the Distinguished Professor School
of Law, Universiti Utara Malaysia from Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in Oxford University.
The important points are we must understand beyond the definition of everything that we said we
understand, religious and secular cannot be separated and lastly the differences between secular
actions and worship acts.
Firstly, we must understand beyond the definition of everything that we said we
understand. He firstly, observe UUMs motto which is Ilmu, Budi, dan Bakti. This motto is the
philosophy of UUM as well as the students. This philosophy is the goals of every single person
that call themselves as UUMs members. So, everyone must understand the definition of UUMs
motto in order to achieve goals. This motto has its relation with each other. Ilmu is knowledge
which has being one of the needs in human life. Ilmu, helps human deals with themselves,
society and preparation for afterlife. He said that when we have Ilmu, we must berbudi where
budi, is view by him as build on what was there before, but do not destroy what was there before,
this means that an upgrade on something is needed but destruction to upgrade something is not a
right thing to do. He also states that Budi also can be defined as no matter where you are, as long
as you know your place. Without Ilmu we ones cannot do Budi. Then Bakti is happen when we
try to transform the world to a better one. So, Ilmu Budi dan Bakti is a great motto with deepest
meaning and must be understand by every member in UUM especially the students in order to
know the real reason of their existence in UUM.
Then, religious and secular cannot be separated. He derives this idea from his experience
in Oxford University where there is Faculty of Humanity and that faculty actually more focuses
in teaching philosophy of theology or religious studies. He stated that philosophy and religion is
two fields that cannot be separated. Then, philosophy is not only being studied by the students in
that faculty only but student from other faculty and taking different courses will learn about

philosophy. For an example, engineering student must study the philosophy of the spirit, history,
and moral of everything that they will learn in order to understand beyond the definition of
everything that people said people understand. Oxford University as one of the top University
that is known worldwide use the motto of Dominus Illumination Mea ( Lord is my lights) which
is derives from the Bible. Thus, this show that religious and secular cannot be separated.
Then lastly, he also explains a little bit on the differences between secular actions and
worship acts (ibadah) . Based on him ulama defined secularism as dunia. It is whatever that goes
beyond the consideration of syariah (path to god) or anything that has no relationship with
spirituality. Based on him, secular actions with worship acts is different but any secular actions
with good intention will transform that acts to a worship acts and will be rewarded later in
afterlife. For an example, when Aida helps Aina to finish her assignment, if her intentions is
because she wants Aina help her back later, it is a secular action, if Aidas intention is because
she wants to do it as she want to do it with any single reason to get benefit back, she is actually
change her secular acts to worship act and she will be rewarded afterlife. Thus, it is obvious that
the reward behind everything that we did is depends on our intention or niat.
So as a conclusion, we must understand beyond the definition of everything that we said
we understand, religious and secular cannot be separated and lastly the differences between
secular actions and worship acts. Without ilmu we cannot do budi and then we are not able to
give bakti.