Page 192 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

Early Islamic Thought

in Nusantara

Oman Fathurrahman

Introduction Though it is evident that Islam had the form of poems. Although not as mand thus invited an assortment of H.O.S.Tjokroaminoto is
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The 16 century,works on Islam in many come to the Indonesian regions before many as the Acehnese ‘ulama of the interpretations. a graduate of the OSVIA.
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sciences, such as Islamic mysticism, the end of the 13 century, as stated following generations, Hamzah Fansuri’s Several manuscripts of Hamzah’s works The leader of Sarekat
Islam, the author of Islam
theology, the prophetic tradition, above, no authoritative works in any works can mainly be characterized are available. Three are prose works: and Socialism.
Qur’anic commentaries, and law started branch of Islamic sciences had ever as translations and adaptations of the Sharb al-Ashiqin, Asrar al-‘arifin, andal-
to appear and the erais therefore been written before the 16 century. mystic-philosophical knowledge and Muntahi. The total number of Hamzah’s Source: Indonesia dalam
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considered the first landmark in the The chronicle of the Wali Songo saints doctrines often linked to Grand Shaykh works that have come down to our erais Arus Sejarah, 2012.
formation of established Indonesian- had been famous in Java from the 15 Ibn ‘Arabi (560-638 A.H./1165-1240 rather small in view of his name as the
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Islamic thinking. This does not mean that century, but up to that moment, no A.D.). This is probably one of the reasons celebrated pioneer of Malay mystical
beforehand Islam had not already spread works on Islam had conclusively been why Hamzah’s thoughts incited the many literature. However, we should bear in
throughout the Indonesian archipelago. attributed to any of them. controversies they did, and why they mind that most of Hamzah’s works were
Archeological evidence shows that at were criticized and condemned, among destroyed in 1637 when the Acehnese
the end of the 13 or the beginning of This essay elaborates on the history of others by the orthodox Muslim scholar authorities burned all his books on monism
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the 14 century, Sultan Malikus Salih, Islamic thinking of Indonesian ‘ulama, Nuruddin al-Raniri (d. 1658 A.D.). based on al-Raniri’s fatwa against him.
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formerly known as Merah Selu, had especially those who lived during the Hamzah’s understanding of mystical
already established the Islamic kingdom early formation of the Islamic-intellectual gnosis and other mystical concepts Sharb al-Ashiqin is a summary of
of Samudera Pasai and had ruled it as its tradition in the Malay and Javanese dominated several of his literary the wahdat al-wujud, the mystical
first king. 1 regions. The discussions on the history writings either in prose or in poetry to notion found in Ibn ‘Arabi, Sadruddin
of thought in certain disciplines of Islamic such an extent that it inspired many al-Qunawi, and ‘Abdul Karim al-
Apart from the discovery of a tombstone Jili’s works. It centers on the union
engraved with his name, Sultan Malikus sciences, especially Sufism, were scholars to undertake research on his between God and nature, the stations
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Salih is also remembered in two of the more detailed than in other disciplines, literary legacy. Many of his poems needed to reach the culmination of
earliest works related to the Kingdom of because scholars paid conspicuously were considered original and of high profound knowledge (ma‘rifa), and
Samudera Pasai and the Sultanate of more attention to these fields because of literary value. Moreover, the Malay the practice of the Qadiriyah Sufi
Malaka, i.e.the Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai the adequate availability of sources. language he used is full of symbolis order Hamzah embraced. Though the
(Chronicle of the Pasai Monarchs) and 3. The most recent research about Hamzah book centers ona discussion of the
the Sulalatus Salatin. The latter work is Early Formation of Islamic Fansuri’swas doneby C. Guillot and Ludvik Kalus. wahdat al-wujud (existential monism),
In their ‘Batu Nisan Hamzah Fansuri’ in Claude
more often called, with no clear reason, Thinking Guillot & Ludvik Kalus (eds.)Inskripsi Islam Tertua tajalli (divine theophany), and ‘ishq
the Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals. 2 The first Malay Muslim thinker was di Indonesia (Jakarta: KPG, EFEO, and Forum (mystical intoxication), it also offers
Jakarta-Paris, 2008), pp. 71-93, they explain that
1. For theories about theIslamization of the Hamzah Fansuri (d. 1527) who left based on archeological evidence Hamzah Fansuri the legal foundations underlining the
Indonesian archipelago, see the first chapter in probably passed away inMecca in 1527. importance of the mystical stages, i.e.
Azra 1994. behind a number of mystical works in 4. See for example Doorenbos (1933), Al-Attas
2. See for example, Shellabear (1896), Winstedt Teuku Iskandar (1995). I discussed this topic in (1970), Hasjmy (1975), Drewes and Brakel (1986), the Shari‘a, the mystical path (tarekat),
(1938, 1969), Liauw Yok Fang (1993), and Fathurrahman 2012: 167-177. Bukhari Lubis (1993) and Hadi (2001). profound reality (hakikat), and profound

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