Revitalizing HAMKA’s Philosophical Thought in Riau Society: Integrating Islamic Thought and Malay Cultural Values

Abstract

This paper describes Hamka’s philosophy on the importance of understanding 
the philosophical language in religion for every Muslim in accordance with the 
holy Qur’an. The Malay society, being identical with Islam, used to have a 
scientific culture that was full of philosophical values. However, the 
philosophical nuance that has become a source of pride for the Malay people 
has been debated to this day. Hamka himself had his own philosophy dealing 
with this controversial issue.   This study is undertaken by looking deeply into 
all his works so that the essence of his philosophy can be disclosed in this paper. 
According to him, understanding religion through philosophical approaches 
cannot be avoided, and even studies that use rational elements have been 
illuminated by Islamic teaching and have become an important lesson that has 
been made public so that they could provide good results with more values. 
Such a pattern of thought in the history of mankind is able to bring human 
beings to become the master of the world. At the same time, the rationalization 
of thought that is desired in Islam goes hand in hand with the enrichment of soft 
feeling that is also the substance of human identity.