Page 11 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE

increasingly recognized as witnesses of the level of civilization and of the
cultural style of the past, even though they now have been long abandoned.
If these epoch-making temples are reconstructed in historical descriptions,
who would not become interested or even fascinated when dealing with
romantic and even heroic stories? The reconstruction effort becomes
more exciting when old manuscripts are discovered to be deciphered, and
especially when a myth is found that is still part of the present oral tradition.
Anyone interested in the history of the ancient periods will be amazed to
hear the story of Ken Arok and Ken Dedes. how Ken Arok had the audacity
to kill King Tunggul Ametung because he was interested in Ken Dedes, the
beautiful queen. Moreover, he was convinced that his success in seizing
Ken Dedes would put him on the throne of Singosari (in the early 13
th
century Java). But, as it happened, his success came with Mpu Gandring’s
curse. Or let us take the historical narrative of the ingenuity of Raden
Wijaya, who not only deceived and defeated the Mongols, but also managed
to declare himself the first king of Majapahit (1293), the kingdom that in
its culminated glory supposedly dominated almost the entire Indonesian
archipelago. Moreover, anyone may gain knowledge from this kind of
historical stories about the various dimensions and the nature of lost past
cultures. Perhaps these stories reveal past political tendencies that may put
the democratic values and behavioral patterns of modern nation-states in
context. Is it so that the ideological ties with the past we learned at school
about what may be called “national personality” or “identity of the nation”
legitimized the validity of contemporary nation-state’s socio-political life?
Attention for and curiosity about the historical narratives behind the temples,
buildings and other ancient relics sometimes feels as if they are witnesses
to changing cultural foundations. Everybody knows that culture is not only
decoration and social relations. Culture is the foundation upon which social
life functions. Even material objects like buildings are displays of material
culture, which allows a good life. In all non-material manifestations, words
of the spoken language, implied or written, culture is an inseparable part of
social life. Within culture social ties and communications can be assembled.
Culture provides the foundation and the historical awareness of both personal
and social life. Regardless of the different shapes and forms in which they are
embodied, in essence, culture is the embodiment of the system of meaning
1
that makes sense of and about everything. When we look at a monument, for
example, we know very well that it conveys a message. Indeed, a culture is “a
world of symbols” embodied in manifestations ranging from facial expressions
and hand movements and the selection and use of words up to the shapes of
utensils, buildings and shelters. Culture is not something that just exists and
is useful in daily life; it is much more than that. Culture “says something about
something” for every possible form and manifestation.
1. See Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Culture, New York: Basic Books, 1973.
2 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
Through all its types, shapes, and symbols, culture not only just shapes
contemporary social life and links it to its social foundations in the past,
but it also offers a vision and hope for the supporting community’s future.
Therefore, culture is intimately related to transcendental consciousness that
connects people to their beliefs and that transcends mundane reality. In
general, cultural manifestations, whether material objects, strings of words,
or even lifestyles, are closely related to a spiritual sense of the divine. This
is so for historical relics, building and statues, and all else inherited from
the past such as manuscripts and books, myths and oral traditions; they
usually spark a sense of religiosity. So do reflecting on and understanding
the meaning of life, and the ties and the purpose of social life. It is in
an atmosphere of religiosity that the relationship between man and the
universe as contained in old manuscripts and oral traditions is examined in
detail. Man knows that history is the treasury of memories of past religious
beliefs and the spiritual foundation of personal and communal life. Usually,
religious beliefs underpin the quest for the secrets of the universe. Thus,
religion is believed to offer the true answers to the fundamental questions
about human dignity. Religious beliefs give the legitimate answers to all the
unanswered secrets of the universe.
The way the meaning of religion is perceived shows people’s desire to
understand mankind’s social nature and historical dynamics and, to a lesser
degree, the nation and local communities. This is especially so if a religion
is cosmopolitan in nature and ignores geographic and ethnic boundaries. In
the Indonesian archipelago this desire can also mean an encouragement
to learn about and to understand the origins of the arrival and the spread
of Islam, a religion that denies regional human cultural boundaries.
Understanding the teachings and the history of Islam is even more needed
when one wants to understand the Muslim community’s dynamics or when
Islam is debated. What is it in the present reality of Islam that influences and
even guides various aspects of private and social life? This question has
increasingly attracted attention because the historical and structural context
enables us to understand events that happen regularly.
The historical and cultural dynamics that are considered the spark of Islam,
from the various debates about the essence of religion and political behavior
to the architectural shapes of houses of worship, generally attract attention
and even have become debated matters. This is understandable because
Islam is a living religion and constantly exposes itself to or, perhaps, is faced
with problems from the past, the present, and the future. Islam is also a
religion that refutes the separation between private and social life because
of the ties between His creatures and the Creator of the universe. More
importantly, Islam is a living religion and its adherents commonly perceive
it as existing in a dynamic situation. It is increasingly evident also that Islam
is being placed into the socio-cultural context of its presence. When this
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 3