Page 114 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

Aristocrats of the Bima present as the royal representative example, played an important role in The crucial position of scholars at the power of pesantren-based religious Calligraphic art in Arabic
Sultanate during the conclusion of a friendship politics and the economy. He cancelled court can also be found in the history scholars and that of the holders of script on leather forming
treaty between the two kingdoms. a ruling to be issued by the ruler of Aceh, of Goa-Tallo. Clerics in that kingdom political authority, the palace-centered the shadow-puppet
Source: Private Collection
Abdul Hadi WM Furthermore, Lancaster wrote that the Sultanah Safiyyat al-Din (1641-1675), indeed played an important role ever king. Similarly, in a later development, figure of Semar.
‘alim of Aceh, whom he called the “chief who was considered to be more inclined since Islam was introduced. As noted pesantrens, as will be discussed later, Source: Indonesia Dalam
bishop”, was a person respected by both to grant the interests of Gujarati traders earlier, the Islamization of Goa and continued to function separate from Arus Sejarah (Indonesia
the king and his people, and that he than those of Dutch merchants. He thus Tallo was related to the arrival of three the power centers. Furthermore, the in the Course of History),
surpassed the positions of the ancient appears to have been a scholar whose religious scholars. Consequently, “tradition of dialog” tended to put the 2012.
nobles. Other European sources paint influence surpassed his formal position Goa-Tallo not only played a role as a clergy in a “subversive” position, at
a similar picture, like that of Frederik de as Sheikh al-Islam. gathering place for trader-scholars, but least they were considered potentially
Houtman, a Dutch envoy who stopped in The important position of the clerics also wanted to offer religious scholars damaging to the empire’s cosmic
Aceh in 1599 and had the opportunity to in the kingdom, especially in Aceh, important positions in cultural life. In system. The “tradition of dialog” is
witness the important role of a religious certainly had significant consequences the 17 century leading scholar in the clearly evident, for example, in the Serat
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scholar, whom he called “schech” for developments in the archipelago. In archipelago, Sheikh Yusuf al-Makassari Cabolek, the 18 century Javanese
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(sheikh), as the king’s adviser. The addition to demonstrating Islam’s strong (1627-1699), was called Tuanku text composed by Yosodipuro I, the
sheikh persuaded for de Houtman to influence in political life, the important Samalaka or “blessed teacher”. In fact, court poet of Solo. This text not only
convert to Islam. the ruling family of Goa-Tallo claimed illustrates the circumstances of the
role of scholars reflects the tradition in
It is noteworthy that two famous scholars the Malay world, described by Taufik Sheikh Yusuf as part of the royal family, tension between those who preferred a
were given the position of Sheikh al- Abdullah, as an “integrative tradition”. In and they treated his family well. Sultan more Sufi-oriented Islam represented by
Islam: namely Hamzah Fansuri (d. ca. this tradition, Islam went through a process Abdul Jalil, the king of Goa, asked the Haji Mutamakkin, and those in favor of
1607) and Nuruddin ar-Raniri (d. 1658). of institutionalization both conceptually VOC to return Sheikh Yusuf is remains the sharia represented by Ketib Anom
Both were leading scholars in the 17 and structurally, as well as having become after he had been buried for a long time Kudus. The most important thing that
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century and both were engaged in a an inherent part of the social system and in South Africa. (He was exiled to the the text reveals is that the contemporary
theological debate about ascetic and ongoing cultural formation. In Aceh, Islam South Africa because of his involvement political attitude of the Javanese royal
sharia oriented Sufism. Moreover, in emerged as an ideological power base in the was stated by Sultan Ageng rulers tended to favor the “court scholar”,
their position as the Sheikh al-Islam, and as a source for the formulation of Tirtayasa of Banten against the VOC). Ketib Anom Kudus. From the text, as in
these religious scholars played vital the ruler’s ethics. In Aceh or the Malay The development of Islam in Java, the case of Sheikh Siti Jenar, a Pantheist
point of power in the royal courts as world in general, the king was not only a as noted by Taufik Abdullah, shows a Sufi figure in Java, it can be argued that
they were responsible for settling not political leader but also a religious leader. “tradition of dialogue”. Different from the monarch’s inclination was not only
only matters limited to religion but also Therefore, when the idea of Aceh as the the Malay world’s “integrative tradition”, caused by his preference for a heretical
other important issues. When he took “verandah of Mecca” was formulated, the “tradition of dialogue” shows a type of Sufism, but by the social and
up his position as Sheikh al-Islam, as Islam became the basis of the cultural and developmental pattern characterized by political circumstances. The mystical
noted in Dutch sources, Ar-Raniri, for political forces in Aceh. separateness and by tension between teachings Haji Mutamakkin and Sheikh

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