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in Aceh and Sultan Iskandar Thani going on in another part of the Islamic Raniri said that Hamzah’s teachings were written between 1641 and 1644. It states,
(1636-1641) immediately appointed world (India) were also reflected in the apostate and heretical, fallacious and “when Syamsuddin al-Sumatrani’s
him as his trusted scholar. He also archipelago. What is clear is that al- cursed. “The heretical wujudiyah said students’ heretic, apostate group of the
very quickly attacked Hamzah Fansuri Raniri’s intolerance ---burning Hamzah that existence is one; this is the existence wujudiyah came up it was deviant... and
and Syamsuddin as-Sumatrani’s Sufi and Syamsuddin’s books as well as of Allah, the nature is Divine and God the sifat’ul qulub?” 42
teachings which he accused of being prosecuting their followers--- led Mulla is the universe--- that is the saying and Al-Raniri’s attack against Hamzah
examples of misguided wujudiyah Ibrahim (from Medina) to issue a fatwa belief of a real infidel.” Al-Raniri equated Fansuri and Syamsuddin al-Sumatrani’s
dhalalah (deviating existentialism), reprimanding al-Raniri harsh ways of these teaching with those of the nasara, teachings failed to do away with their
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“apostate” (mulhid) and “heretic” (zindiq). operation. Moreover, no real debate (Christians), “it is said that Jesus is influential Sufi ways of thinking. Indeed,
Al-Raniri’s onslaught was part of his could take place as al-Raniri attacked the God”. Furthermore, he said, “Whoever this is also one aspect of the history
attempt to expand his own influence wujudiyah teachings when Hamzah and wanted to interpret that God is nature of religious thought: the success of a
within the palace, or perhaps they were Syamsuddin had already passed away. 37 and that nature is Divine... and again new way of thinking did not mean the
a reflection of the shock he experienced His harsh and intolerant attitude, plus his said that mankind is Divine... means to eradication of the old ways of thought.
when he saw that esoteric teachings had very strong dependence on the Sultan’s deny God and His messenger, and to Quite often, what was “new” was
become widespread among ill-trained power, did not help the attempts of the justify the beliefs of the Jews and the more an intermezzo when the “old”
Christians.” The correct wujudiyah,
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groups of people and this may also orthodox movement al-Raniri started. which is monotheist (muwahhid), is “that had not yet reached the height of its
have been an example of, as Drewes Shortly after the sultan had died, other God’s existence is one, uncountable development. And, al-Raniri’s influence
pointed out, how the debates that were scholars launched a counter-attack and and limitless, no totality and no halve, within the world of Islamic thought in the
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archipelago became more meaningful
from 1580 to 1583 and later during the reign of Sultanah Tajul-Alam (1641-1675) thought not assembled and not divided in parts, when orthodoxy had increasingly gained
Sultan Alau al-Din Riayat Shah from 1589 to 1604. it was not in her best interest to defend
Perhaps before settling in Aceh, al-Raniri had no special type and no generality, no power. According to Sheikh Ismail al-
already been to Aceh and stayed in Pahang. But al-Raniri. Thus, al-Raniri was in a hurry substance no organic structure... and Banjari, he used the Sirat al-Mustaqim
then during the reign of Iskandar Thani (1637- to leave Aceh. According to a Dutch so He exists and created all things”.
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1641), who suceeded Iskandar Muda (1607- to write his own book on Islamic law
1637), he played an important role, and he was report, another religious scholar replaced Al-Raniri wrote even harsher criticism in (fiqh). But this happened at the end of
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even promoted, according to al-Attas, to Sheikh him in the palace. a text he wrote after his return to India, the century, when two decades had
al-Islam. In 1644, after writing many books, like Al-Fath al-Mubin a’la al-Mulhidin (1657
his very famous Bustanus-Salatin (1638), Sirat al- In Hujjat as-Siddiq li daf’i al-zindiq, al- passed and after al-Raniri’s hasty exit
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Mustaqim (1634), Asrar al-Insan fi Ma’rifat (1640- A.D./1068 A.H.). But the work in which and when Sheikh Abdur Rauf al-Singkili
1644), and Hujjat al-Siddiq li daf‘ al-Zindiq, and 36. Johns, 1975, 1976. he truly a frontally attacked Syamsuddin’s had returned to Aceh in 1661. As
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other books, he rushed back to Ranir. He passed 37. This fact was underlined by al-Attas, who
away in 1658 while he was finishing his book, tends to defend Fansuri (al-Attas, 1966: 16-17). group is his book, Al-Tibyan fi Ma’rifati al- 42. Al-Attas, 1966, quotes p. 15.
Rahiq al-Muhammadiyah fi Taufiq al-Suffiyah. According to al-Attas (ibid, 27-29) Fansuri was Adyan, which according to al-Attas, was 43. If Rinkes’ (1909) estimation that Abdur Rauf
From al-Attas, 1986, on al-Raniri, see also among no less orthodox than al-Raniri. Moreover, the ibn al-Sinkel, born in Singkel and also known as
others Daudy 1983, 1987; Tujimah, 1961; Drewes, “heterodox” Fansuri mostly resulted from al- 39. Al-Attas, 1966: 86-89. Teungku in Kuala is not totally wrong, he went
1974; al-Attas, 1966. Raniri’s distortions of Hamzah Fansuri’s writings. 40. Al-Attas, 1966: 89. to the Holy Land when he was 25-30 years old,
35. Drewes, 1986. 38. Ito, 1978. 41. Daudy, 1987. so he was probably born around the year 1615,

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