Page 3 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Foreword

Minister of Education

and Culture of
The Early History of the Republic of Indonesia

Islamic Thought in

Indonesia

Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Introduction Though it is evident that Islam had come many as the Acehnese ‘ulama of the are available. Three are prose works:
My sincere praise and gratitude to Allah the Almighty for the publication of
to the Indonesian regions before the end following generations, Hamzah Fansuri’s Sharb al-Ashiqin, Asrar al-‘arifin, and al-
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives. This book is a collection
The 16 century, works on Islam in many th
th
of 12 translated articles from the Indonesian version of this book, titled Sejarah
sciences, such as Islamic mysticism, of the 13 century, as stated above, no works can mainly be characterized Muntahi. The total number of Hamzah’s
Kebudayaan Islam Indonesia (History of Indonesian Islamic Culture).
theology, the prophetic tradition, authoritative works in any branch of Islamic as translations and adaptations of the works that have come down to our era
th
Qur’anic commentaries, and law started sciences had emerged before the 16 mystic-philosophical knowledge and is rather small in view of his name as
I warmly welcome the presence of this English edition because it delivers
to appear and the era is therefore century. The chronicle of the Wali Songo doctrines often linked to Grand Shaykh the celebrated pioneer of Malay mystical
a message that Islam in Indonesia is a result of a long historical dialogue
considered the first landmark in the saints had been famous in Java from the Ibn ‘Arabi (560-638 A.H./1165-1240 literature. However, we should bear in
between universal values and the reality of the local cultural diversity.
th
formation of established Indonesian- 15 century, but up to that moment, no A.D.). This is probably one of the reasons mind that most of Hamzah’s works were
This cultural encounter has produced Indonesia Islamic culture which is
Advisors: Editor: Published in 2016 by why Hamzah’s thoughts incited the many destroyed in 1637 when the Acehnese
works on Islam had conclusively been
characterized by its spirit of tolerance and peace, particularly because it was
Theodorus Cornelis (Dick) van der
Muhadjir Effendy Islamic thinking. This does not mean that Directorate of History controversies they did, and why they authorities burned all his books on
attributed to any of them.
Minister of Education and Culture beforehand Islam had not already spread Directorate General of Culture were criticized and condemned, among monism based on al-Raniri’s fatwa
born from the encounter between the Indonesian cultural character and the
Meij
This essay elaborates on the history of
throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Ministry of Education and Culture, Islamic doctrine.
Hilmar Farid Archeological evidence shows that at Republic of Indonesia others by the orthodox Muslim scholar against him.
Islamic thinking of Indonesian ‘ulama,
Director General of Culture Deputy Editor: Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Senayan Nuruddin al-Raniri (d. 1658 A.D.).ance and peace-loving orientation, Indonesian culture has
With its toler
especially those who lived during the
the end of the 13 or the beginning of Jakarta 10270 Sharb al-Ashiqin is a summary of the
th
Jajat Burhanuddin
deeply rooted history in the Indonesian Islamic culture. This is one primary
early formation of the Islamic-intellectual
th
Project Coordinators: the 14 century, Sultan Malikus Salih, Telp/Fax: +62-21-5725539 Hamzah’s understanding of mystical wahdat al-wujud, the mystical notion
contribution of Islam in the process of strengthening the nation and the unitary
Senior Consultant:
Triana Wulandari formerly known as Merah Selu, had tradition in the Malay and Javanese gnosis and other mystical concepts found in Ibn ‘Arabi, Sadruddin al-Qunawi,
state of the Republic Indonesia.
Taufik Abdullah
regions. The discussions on the history
Amurwani Dwi Lestariningsih already established the Islamic kingdom All rights reserved. No part of this dominated several of his literary writings and ‘Abdul Karim al-Jili’s works. It
publication may be reproduced or
of thought in certain disciplines of Islamic
This precious exp
centers on the union between God and member of
of Samudera Pasai and had ruled it as its transmitted in any form or by any either in prose or in poetry to such an erience needs to be shared with the whole
Project Assistants:
Authors: first king. 1 means, electronic or mechanical, extent that it inspired many scholars global communities. On the one hand, the history and
sciences, especially Sufism, were
the national and
nature, the stations needed to reach
Taufik Abdullah Isak Purba including photocopying, recording or to undertake research on his literary of Indonesian Islamic culture would give the understanding
more detailed than in other disciplines,
the culmination of profound knowledge
characteristics
any information storage and retrieval
Tirmizi
Jajat Burhanuddin Apart from the discovery of a tombstone system, without permission of the legacy. Many of his poems were hat Islam is a tolerant and peace-loving way of live. Therefore,
(ma‘rifa), and the practice of the
to the people t
because scholars paid conspicuously
4
Budi Harjo Sayoga
Oman Fathurahman engraved with his name, Sultan Malikus copyright owners. considered original and of high literary Qadiriyah Sufi order Hamzah embraced.
it can offer a worthy contribution to the endless effort in creating a peaceful
more attention to these fields because of
Maemunah
Muhamad Hisyam Salih is also remembered in two of the National Library of Indonesia: value. Moreover, the Malay language he Though the book centers on a discussion
the adequate availability of sources.
world, the world that has been a dream of every nation.
Dwi Artiningsih
Muhammad Wildan earliest works related to the Kingdom of Cataloging in Publication (CIP)
Bariyo
Yon Machmudi Samudera Pasai and the Sultanate of A catalogue record for this book is used is full of symbolism and thus invited of the wahdat al-wujud (existential
Early Formation of Islamic
Haryanto
Setyadi Sulaiman Malaka, i.e. the Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai available from the National Library of an assortment of interpretations. monism), tajalli (divine theophany), and
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Indonesia.
Esti Warastika
Didi Ahmadi (Chronicle of the Pasai Monarchs) and Thinking Several manuscripts of Hamzah’s works ‘ishq (mystical intoxication), it also offers
Dirga Fawakih
the legal foundations underlining the
The first Malay Muslim thinker was
the Sulalatus Salatin. The latter work is English Edition Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia
with Introduction by more often called, with no clear reason, ISBN : 978-602-1289-40-2 In their ‘Batu Nisan Hamzah Fansuri’ in Claude importance of the mystical stages in
Hamzah Fansuri (d. 1527) who left
Taufik Abdullah Guillot & Ludvik Kalus (eds.) Inskripsi Islam Tertua undergoing vocation, i.e. the Shari‘a, the
the Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals. 2 behind a number of mystical works in di Indonesia (Jakarta: KPG, EFEO, and Forum mystical path (tarekat), profound reality
Art Director & Layout:
3
Bimo Trisaksono
English Translators: 1. For theories about the Islamization of the the form of poems. Although not as Jakarta-Paris, 2008), pp. 71-93, they explain that (hakikat), and profound understanding of
Muhadjir Effendy
based on archeological evidence Hamzah Fansuri
Muhammad Abduh
M. Anwar Syarifuddin Indonesian archipelago, see the first chapter in Teuku Iskandar (1995). I discussed this topic in probably passed away in Mecca in 1527. mystical gnosis (makrifat). 5
Aida Fitriana Azra 1994. Fathurrahman 2012: 167-177. 4. See for example Doorenbos (1933), Al-Attas
Harry Wileri 2. See for example, Shellabear (1896), Winstedt 3. The most recent research about Hamzah (1970), Hasjmy (1975), Drewes and Brakel (1986),
(1938, 1969), Liauw Yok Fang (1993), and Fansuri’s was done by C. Guillot and Ludvik Kalus. Bukhari Lubis (1993) and Hadi (2001). 5. Hadi 2001: 147.
II Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives III