Page 68 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

the meaning of his prayer movements. Mahācai, and the youngest a son Sheikh Sa`id. After he had heard the the prime minister. After he had heard
The king told them that the man was named Mahācai Pailang. proclamation from the men who were the words of the minister of state, the
no other than the man he had seen Then, some time later, king Phaya beating the gong, he came outside prime minister entered the palace and
in his dream. After that, the palace tu Nakpa fell ill, the skin of his whole and stood at the gate of his village. appeared before the king, respectfully
officials followed him and they converted body was cracked, and although Then the men who were beating the reporting all the minister of state had
to Islam. The King was granted the several astrologers and doctors gong passed near the gate where told him. The king spoke: “If this is
title Sultan Muhammad Shah and he treated him he did not recover. Then Sheikh Sa`id was standing. Sheikh true, send immediately for the man
commanded all his subjects to embrace the king gave orders to the prime Sa`id said: “What are you beating the from Pasai.” So sheikh Sa`id was sent
Islam. Sayid Abdul Aziz himself later minister to have the gong beaten in all gong for?” The man in charge of the for. He came and appeared before the
became the king’s teacher. From then the districts of the land, proclaiming gong said: “Don’t you know that the king. The king spoke to Sheikh Sa`id:
on, Islam spread massively in Malacca. 8 that whoever undertook to treat the king of this land is very ill and that the “Is it true that you are able to cure my
skin of his whole body is cracked?
king and cured him would be taken as illness?” The sheikh said respectfully:
Hikayat Patani his son-in-law. Then the king suffered Several astrologers and doctors “If my Lord will become a Muslim I
have tried to cure him, but he has not
In addition to the Hikayat Raja-Raja such acute pains that he could not sit recovered; far from recovering, his shall cure Your Majesty’s illness.”
Pasai and Sejarah Melayu, the process still. The prime minister immediately illness has even grown more grave. The king spoke: “If I recover from this
illness I shall do whatever you say.”
of the Islamization of the archipelago is took his leave and went to sit in the Therefore the king has ordered the
also recorded in the Hikayat Patani (The audience hall, ordering the minister gong to be beaten, and whoever After Sheikh Sa`id had made this
Story of Patani). Here are some excerpts: of state to have the gong beaten in undertakes to cure the king, if he agreement with the king he sat down
accordance with the king’s orders. recovers from his illness, the king will to treat him. After seven days the king
After the king had reigned for several The minister of state immediately took was able to go out and give audience
years he had three children, the eldest his leave and ordered his people to take him as his son-in-law.” Sheikh to the minsters and officers. Then
a son named Kerub Phīcai Painā, the beat the gong and announce the royal Sa`id said: “Go back and tell the king Sheikh Sa`id respectfully took his
middle one a daughter named Tunku proclamation. The gongs were then with due respect that I do not wish to leave of the king and returned to his
become his son-in-law, but if the king
8. In another section of the Sejarah Melayu also beaten in all the districts of the land, is willing to become a Muslim, I shall home. A few days later, the king had
tells of the arrival of a distinguished ‘alim from
Arabia who resided in Malacca to teach about for seven days, but no-one undertook undertake to cure his illness.” recovered completely. But the king
Islam, along with the coming of two ‘ulama from to do what the king had requested. went back upon his agreement with
Java by their journey to Pasai and Mecca. These When the man in charge of the Sheikh Sa`id.
‘ulama would become prominent saints, viz. Sunan Then the people who were beating gong had heard this he immediately
Giri and Sunan Bonang. On this see C.C. Brown, the gong passed by the village of returned and respectfully reported to After two years had elapsed the king
“Sejarah Melayu’ or ‘Malay Annals’: a translation
of Raffles MS 18”, Journal of the Malayan Branch the people from Patani, who were the minister of state all that Sheikh fell ill again, suffering from the same
of the Royal Asiatic Society, volume 25, no. 2 & sitting in the religious centre of that Sa`id had said. The minister of state disease as before. Again the king sent
3, 1952, pp. 41-3; Ricklefs, A History of Modern
Indonesia…, p. 19; Jones, “Ten Conversion Myths Kampung Pasai. There was among immediately went to report the words for Sheikh Sa`id. After the sheikh had
from Indonesia” …, p. 136-7. them a man from Pasai called of the man in charge of the gong to arrived the king spoke: “Please treat

58 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 59