Kuala Lumpur: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, today underscored the significance of combining Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and Sufism (tasawuf) to cultivate Islamic scholars who are well-rounded in both religious knowledge and moral integrity. His Royal Highness articulated that these two fields should work in tandem to produce scholars proficient in religious doctrine while maintaining strong ethical principles.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Sultan referenced the teachings of Imam Malik bin Anas to highlight the necessity of integrating fiqh and tasawuf. He stated, "If anyone learns fiqh without tasawuf, they risk falling into sin. If anyone studies tasawuf without fiqh, they become heretical. But if anyone combines both sciences, they attain the best and holistic understanding." These remarks were made during the opening of the 'Muzakarah Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah', an event themed 'Empowering the Integration Between Fiqh and Sufism'. The event was attended by notable figures, including the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, and Raja DiHilir Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Idris Shah.
Sultan Nazrin elaborated that fiqh offers a detailed legal framework that covers various life aspects, such as worship, transactions, family matters, and criminal law, extending to moral and social order preservation. He pointed out that the world's current moral and social challenges serve as evidence that laws alone are insufficient. Issues like fraud, corruption, and abuse of power persist, not due to a lack of laws, but due to a loss of ethical conduct and decorum.
His Royal Highness expressed concern over humanity's drift towards materialism as tasawuf education becomes marginalized. He observed that this has led to a generation lacking spirituality, with some movements against tasawuf fostering disrespect towards authority figures, including parents, teachers, and leaders. Sultan Nazrin emphasized that without the spiritual grounding provided by tasawuf, society risks becoming devoid of moral and ethical guidance.