PUNCAK ALAM, SELANGOR

VCS500
PHILOSOPHY OF ART AND CRITICAL
THINKING

Topic Assignment
RELATED SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR
WITH AL-GHAZALI’S PHILOSOPHY

Prepared for
PROF. MADYA DR. NOR AZLIN BINTI
HAMIDON
 Prepared by
MUHAMMAD NAZRIN BIN SHARIFUDDIN

VISUAL CULTURE STUDIES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 WHO IS PHILOSOPHER IMAM AL-GHAZALI?

According to the official portal of Malaysian Da'wah Foundation (YADIM),

Abu Hamid Muhammad Bin Mohammed al-Ghazali or famous known as Imam
Al-Ghazali, who is a prominent philosopher in Islam. He was born in 450 Hijrah
with a 1058 ad in Tus, Khurasan, North Iran. The name of Al-Ghazali was taken
in conjunction with his birthplace, Ghazalah in Khurasan, North Iran. He added
that, before Imam Al-Ghazali studied his knowledge of philosophy, he studied
the knowledge of Fiqh.
 According to the official website Mufti of the Federal Territory , Imam
Al-Ghazali or Abu Hamid or “Hajjatul Islam” for his credibility and courage in
defending and preserving Islamic sanctity. According to him, in addition to his
skills in philosophy and critical thinking, he was very pious in theology and
penmanship. Not only that, the courage and boldness of his speech made him
their reference point. Various backgrounds of life and rank are present to support
and listen to the volume of Imam Al-Ghazali speaking.

Definition of Fiqh according to the website (Jalan Sufi) in his study titled
“Apa maksud ilmu Fiqh?”. Is to understand the rulings of Islam in practice
through conversations, actions and human affairs without prejudice to the
institution of morals or faith while the definition of theology according to official
portal Berita Harian Online in the issue of “Perkukuh ilmu kalam, hadapi
cabaran akidah, pemikiran moden” is a knowledge that leads to the clarification
and strengthening of faith and Islamic thinking in recognizing the contradictory
flow of Islamic philosophy. According to Sheikh Rohimuddin in the daily
newspaper Berita Harian Online, it is Islamic knowledge of the spiritual
language that embraces the Sufi term and creates different opinions.

The philosophy advocated by Imam Al-Ghazali as the Hajjatul Islam is very

different from western philosophies such as Aristotle who hold to the concept of
Catharsis (burst of feeling) and Plato to the concept of Mimesis (imitation
method). He used Tasawwuf's knowledge as a medium of philosophy to expand
the Islamic world. According to the thesis of Muhd Shaharuddin Bin Mat Salleh
& Mohd Romie Bin Ngah entitled “Pemikiran Imam Al-Ghazali Terhadap
Klasifikasi Ilmu Dalam Islam”, Imam Al-Ghazali held that philosophy is a
discipline based on six elements including arithmetic and geometric
mathematics.
 Also, this philosophy contains subtopics related to metaphysics.
Metaphysics is the science of enlightenment on the substance of God in the
universe. To him, philosophy is just enough for humans to learn it as the basis of
the discipline of life. This is because, especially in this Metaphysic’s philosophy,
it is very dangerous to be studied in depth because it is feared that it creates a
sense of awe for its essence and its arguments that can shake the human faith.
God's Word in Surah An'am (6: 103),

ُ ِ‫يف ا أل َخب‬
‫ير‬ ُ ‫ار ۖ َو ُه َو اللَّ ِط‬
َ ‫ص‬َ ‫ار َو ُه َو يُد ِأركُ أاْل َ أب‬
ُ ‫ص‬َ ‫ََّّل تُد ِأر ُكهُ أاْل َ أب‬

This means He is invisible and blind to the eyes, yet He can see (and know) the
reality of the eyes, and He is the Might (who treats His servants with
compassion), the All-knowing.

The philosophy carried by Imam Al-Ghazali gives importance to Islamic life.

The book The Alchemy of Happiness is one of the most well-known books in
western philosophy. Imam Al-Ghazali quotes a hadith that says "He who knows
himself knows God". Alchemy or Chemistry helps humans to lead mankind in
God's way. The chemistry is divided into four, namely, the knowledge of self,
the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the real world and the true afterlife. An
aesthetics and beauty are defined as the perfection of life that results in
satisfaction, serenity, and love. According to his, beauty has its hierarchy which
is, first, the beauty of Allah S.W.T using the sixth sense through the soul and the
intellect. Second, always in harmony with no malice and prejudice against man
and the life of His creation. The bottom line is that we value and protect
ourselves and our families from evil and evil.

According to the note provided by Hajah Fadilah Abdullah stated that this
Abu Hamid revealed Nazariyyah philosophy which is a philosophy related to the
truth of Allah (Al-Haq) and the position of the universe with mankind as a
comparison with the existence of Allah. The Nazariyyah philosophy was divided
into four sections, namely the first of the Illahiyyah Philosophy, which meant
things that were confined to or beyond the concept of human thought. This
philosophy is not some clever philosopher who can easily express it, it is because
self-aware people who will know God S.W.T.

Secondly, the Philosophy of Insaniyyah which is the philosophy of the

purpose of world life and the afterlife. This philosophy states that humans and
animals are not equal. It can be seen that mankind is the most aesthetics and
beautiful creation of God compared to the creatures of God that have been
created until the Day of Judgment. Therefore, people should be “Taqwa” and
obedient to the commandments of God. Third, the Rizariyyah Philosophy which
is a philosophy of geometric concepts and numbers that has always lingered in
the human mind. Humans will be exposed through learning. For example,
humans will learn Mathematical knowledge of numbers that exist after number 0
(Zero)

... -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 ...
 Infinity Limitless

then the existence of the midpoint without being seen. Although humans only
draw round objects, humans are aware that a central point exists in the object.

Trancendent

Geometry deal
with mind

The fourth philosophy of the Nizariyyah Philosophy is the Tabii Philosophy is

the lowest philosophy like flora and fauna created by God to fulfill the human
needs and obey the laws of His creation.

1.2 WHO IS SHARIFAH FATIMAH SYED ZUBIR?

 Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir is an artist who has always embraced nature in
her art world. According to The Edge's Option Portal, she was born in Alor Setar,
Kedah in 1948. She love of nature from God draw all her paintings from nature.
Since she was 5 years old, she has had contact with mud, dirt, and mosquitoes in
the wild. Not only that, her reluctance to climb trees around the hills revealed the
mysteries of the forest treasure. Also, her skills in carving river rocks into
beautiful patterns using river water hardening and she also collected flowers for
inclusion in training books or piling sand into powder. Moreover, that Sharifah
Fatimah Syed Zubir was an alumnus or graduate of Fine Arts at the University of
Technology Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam in 1967 under the guidance of Dr. Jolly
Koh and Dr. Chong Kam Kow. She graduated with a diploma by receiving the
Best Student Award in 1971.

Her vision of “Follow your passion” encouraged him to pursue her

undergraduate degree in fine arts at Reading University, England in 1973. In the
same year, she became a full-time artist. Thanks to her efforts, she was again
awarded the First Class Graduation with honors. Her excellence sparked her
interest in continuing with undergraduate studies as a graduate student at the
Pratt Institute, New York in 1976.
 In the mid-1930s, Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir's mother, Mrs. Rokiah
Hassan, was trained in weaving in the palace near the Alor Setar Hall. As such,
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir's name has gained popularity following her
mother's success. She was given the status of Jackson Pollock siblings because
her siblings grew up with creative capabilities in textile design, fashion,
architecture, and interior design. He is a creative and talented artist in his art.

Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir currently works as Lecturer in Fine Arts at

Mara University of Technology (UiTM) Shah Alam and works full time as a
curator at the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur. According to The Edge
Gallery, the first successful work achieved sales of RM 42, 400 is produced by
her Song of Eucalyptus 10 on 5 September 2017. The results of her work are also
popular as Pillars of Dawn (1994), Expression (1996) and Link 10 (2003).
Therefore, her achievements and talents should serve as icons to other artists.
2.0 RELATED HER PAINTING WITH AL-GHAZALI’S PHILOSOPHY
THEORY

2.1 EUCALYPTUS IMAGE 33

Year : 2017

Medium : Mixed Media on Paper

Dimensions : 42cm X 30cm

 According to the philosophy of Imam Al-Ghazali, the Great Masterpiece of
Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir may been described to achieved 75% accuracy in
completing the Nizariyyah aspect. This can be seen in the application of the
Illahiyyah of Philosophy by utilizing the nature of God's creation as bark as the
object of conveyence. Islam became the basis for her to not use objects that can
scratch her faith as nature lovers invention Almighty. The words of Prophet
Muhammad S.A.W, "He who knows himself, know God" became her strength in
constantly using the concepts of Nature such as rivers, rocks, trees, flowers and
sand as her artistic work. Also, she used Riyaziyyah's philosophy in this work. It
can be proven that Mathematical science needs to be learned to create the
midpoint and the angle. Although the midpoint was invisible, she was aware that
the midpoint had already existed.

Object deal with

mind

Not only that, but she also fulfilled the criteria of Tabii philosophy. It is also
possible to feel through Eucalyptus Image 33 by making the creation of God
such a bark to fulfill his need to complete his work.

2.2 PILLARS OF DAWN

 Years : 1994

Medium : Acrylic on Canvas

Dimensions : 120cm X 120cm

In her second work, she also found that the connection between her work
and the philosophy of Imam Al-Ghazali still has some similarities.
Approximately 50% of the Nizariyyah concept of Philosophy has been used to
convey a sense of taste. As you know, Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir loved by
using nature as the first imitation to create a work.

The first philosophy of the Nizariyyah was the Illahiyyah philosophy. This is
because, her work Pillars of Dawn does not have elements that conflict with the
concept of creed, Syariah or "Taqwa" but she uses natural elements such as river
and rocks to produce them. It can be seen that she is very sensitive to
environmental conditions.
 Moreover, the Riyaziyyah Philosophy in this work is very prominent.
Although she does not use a measuring stick or ruler, her realizes that a midpoint
can be made without the use of measuring tools

Object deal with

mind

2.3 GARDEN OF THE HEART SERIES; GOLDEN EARTH

 Years : 2018

Medium : Arcylic, Modelling Paste & Gold Foil on Canvas

Dimensions : 90cm X 30cm

In the third choice work, the use of natural concepts such as the use of nature
such as rivers, rocks or timber is no longer displayed, but the use of nature can
still be seen even less noticeably. This work is estimated using 50% of the
Nizariyyah Philosophy concept. This can be seen again when she still does not
use elements that conflict with Islamic knowledge such as creed, syariah, and
morals.

She was always careful to produce works that did not produce works that
had elements such as statues, cross poles or humans. In this work, she uses the
cloud as a background to describe the atmosphere. In addition, Rizariyyah's
philosophy emphasizes the concept of Mathematics, which is a geometric shape
such as triangles and squares that is related to the art of Islam.
 Triangle and Square

Not only that, but Riyaziyyah's philosophy can also be described by

using the midpoint again. It is clear that however, the work of the mid-point
remains the basis for strength to be seen as stable
3.0 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the philosophy of Imam Al-Ghazali is very different from other

western philosophies such as Aristotle and Plato. Islamic knowledge such as Akidah,
Shari'ah, Morals, and Kalam are the basis for him to develop Islamic institutions
throughout the world. By art, he was also very concerned with the civilization of
Islam by not using any objects that contradicted his stance so as not to use anything
that would affect his faith. Although Imam Al-Ghazali emphasized the beauty and
beauty of his philosophy, not all subjects could be considered as the basis.

His wisdom in producing philosophical books such as The Alchemy of

Happiness, which incorporates four philosophical concepts such as Illahiyyah,
Amaliyyah, Riyaziyyahyang in Islam, has made him a source of guidance in the
foundation of philosophy. For him, it is enough that he learns a philosophy that has
subtopics related to Metaphysical Science in general because if it is learned in
particular or in-depth it can shake a person's faith because he believes in his
philosophy.

In my opinion, artists like Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir should serve as an

example or aspiration to a new generation who want to continue their legacy of
painting as a career. This is because, her uniqueness and strength in producing works
using only nature such as timber, rivers, rocks, sand, and clouds as her first object of
imitation. Islamic culture brought her to appreciate the diversity of the creation of
Allah S.W.T
4.0 REFERENCES

Azizah Binti Zakaria (2004), “Penghayatan terhadap beberapa aspek dalam

falsafah etika al-Ghazali”. Thesis. Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. Retrived from
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u.my/114/5/BAB_2.pdf

Jalan Sufi (2008), Apa maksud ilmu Fiqh? 76.0.3809.100. Retrived 2019, September
28 from https://www.jalansufi.com/apa-maksud-ilmu-fiqh/

Mufti of the Federal Territory (2016, November 9). Al Kafi Al-Fatawi Siri 435 :
Siapakah Imam Al-Ghazali? 76.0.3809.100. Retrived 2019, September 28, from
https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/1870-al-kafi-li-al-fatawi-siri-4
35-siapakah-imam-al-ghazali

Muhd Shaharuddin Bin Mat Salleh & Mohd Romie Bin Ngah (2015), “Pemikiran
Al-Ghazali Terhadap Klasifikasi Ilmu dalam Islam”. Thesis. Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia, Malaysia. Retrived from
https://www.academia.edu/16012962/PEMIKIRAN_IMAM_AL-GHAZALI_TERH
ADAP_KLASIFIKASI_ILMU_DALAM_ISLAM_PEMIKIRAN_IMAM_AL-GHA
ZALI_TERHADAP_KLASIFIKASI_ILMU_DALAM_ISLAM

Nor Afzan Mohamad Yusof (2019, May 14). Perkukuh ilmu kalam, hadapi cabaran
akidah, pemikiran moden. Berita Harian Online, Retrived from
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hadapi-cabaran-akidah-pemikiran-moden

Options (2017, September 11), Cover story: Datuk Sharifah Fatimah 76.0.3809.100.
Retrived 2019, September 27, from
https://www.optionstheedge.com/topic/people/cover-story-datuk-sharifah-fatimah

Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (2017, November 17). Siapa Al-Ghazali

76.0.3809.100. Retrived 2019, September 26, from
https://www.yadim.com.my/v2/siapa-al-ghazali/