Al-Attas on Ta’dib and Its Relevance in Realizing the Stability of Global Society

Abstract

Islamic education today faces serious problems. Because education today is often motivated by pragmatic needs, the essence of Islamic education as the cornerstone of morals, society, and culture movement is lost, leading to the problem of loss of adab, or the degradation of moral, ethical, and spiritual principles that underpin Islamic education and the lives of Muslims generally. Additionally, it leads to negative outcomes like instability in the global community. This study attempts to examine the idea of ta'dib in al-Attas' philosophy and its applicability to dealing with the volatility of global society. Library research using a descriptive analytic technique is the methodology employed in this study. Books and earlier publications provide the research data. The findings indicate that ta'dib is a notion that is thought to be more consistent with the idea of Islamic education. Al-Attas claims that omitting the terms adab and ta'dib can result in three things: a loss of knowledge (essence), misunderstandings when trying to understand the truth and acquire accurate knowledge (misunderstandings and mistakes in knowledge), and the emergence of leaders devoid of the highest ideals of morality, intelligence, and spirituality necessary for legitimate leadership in Islam. Therefore, it can be said that al-Attas' idea of ta'dib as the cornerstone of Islamic education is pertinent to the requirements of people in the modern day, not just Muslims but all people.