Page 240 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

but even himself became attracted to
230 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
(a story on the Prophet Muhammad’s Malay world and it was probably written
the study of Sufism. Consequently, he ascension to heavens to receive the
9
wanted Maulana Abu Ishak’s book to be obligation of the five prayers) , and
translated into Malay so that it could be a Hikayat Nabi Wafat (the story of the
Prophet’s death). All those stories are
source for the study of Islam in Malacca. translations and adaptations of texts
10
For that purpose, Sultan Mansur Shah containing the same stories in Persian.
sent the book to Pasai to be translated. Along with the translations of these
stories, other texts contain Islamic epics
The ruler in Samudera Pasai ordered a such as the Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain,
cleric, Makhdum Patakan, to carry out Hikayat Amir Hamzah, and Hikayat
the Sultan of Malacca’s request and after Muhammad Hanafiah. These stories
he had acquitted himself of this task, the were also translated from Persian into
book was returned to Malacca. Sultan Malay in Samudera Pasai. 11
Mansur Shah was delighted when he In addition to these stories, another
received the translation of the book and text that has significance within the
he showed the translation to the book’s development of literature in Samudera
author, Maulana Abu Ishak. Pasai is the literary history of the
kingdom itself, the Hikayat Raja-Raja
Other remarkable texts include various Pasai (the Story of the Pasai Kings). This
stories concerning the life of the Prophet text is the oldest historical work in the
Muhammad such as the Hikayat Nur 9. See Th.C. van der Meij and N. Lambooij (edited
Muhammad (containing a story of the and translated), The Malay Hikayat Mi‘rāj Nabi
Muḥammad. The Prophet Muḥammad’s Nocturnal
prophet Muhammad since the early Journey to Heaven and Hell (Leiden: Brill).
emanative process of the world’screation 10. T. Iskandar, Kesustraan Klasik Melayu
from his light), Hikayat Bulan Berbelah Sepanjang Abad,….., pp. 119-123.
(contains the story ofthe Prophet 11. L.F. Brakel, The Hikayat Muhammad Hanafiyyah
(The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1975) and L.F.
Muhammad’s miracle in splitting the Brakel, The Story of Muhammad Hanafiyyah (The
Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1977). See also Iskandar,
moon), Hikayat Nabi Bercukur (tells Kesustraan Klasik Melayu Sepanjang Abad, …..,
the story of the shaving of the Prophet p. 127-153. See also, Vladimir Braginsky, The
heritage of traditional Malay literature (Leiden:
Muhammad’s hair), Hikayat Nabi Mi’raj KITLV Press, 2004), pp. 180-183.
and are they eternal therein?” On this The book by Pocut
in 1534. Based on the version in Latin issue, Malacca’s Sultan Mansur Shah Haslinda about Silsilah
12
script edited by A.H. Hill, the content sent Tun Bija Wangsa to Samudera Raja-Raja Islam di
of Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai can be Pasai to look for the answer. The ruler Aceh Hubungannya
Dengan Raja-Raja Islam
divided into three parts: (1) from the early
establishment of Samudera Pasai until of Pasai ordered Makhdum Muda to Melayu Nusantara (The
prepare the answers to these questions
Sultan Ahmad ascended to the throne; and they took the answers to Malacca Geneology of Moslem
(2) the reign of Sultan Ahmad and the where Sultan Mansur Shah praised Kings of Aceh and their
Relationship with the
story of his son, Tun Beraim Bapa; and Makhdum Muda’s answers. Moslem Kings of Melayo-
(3) the story of Princess Gemerencang,
a daughter of the King of Majapahit who This story is an illustration of Samudera Nusantara)
fell in love with Tun Abdul Jalil, a son Pasai’s vital role in the Islamization Source: Directorate of
of Sultan Ahmad, and subsequently process in the Malay-Indonesian world, History and Cultural
Majapahit’s victory over Pasai. 13 and simultaneously of the development Values, Ministry of
The important position of Samudera of the Malay language into a medium Education and Culture
of religious expression, in addition to its
Pasai in Islamic studies can also be seen use for diplomacy and trade. Thus, it is of the Republic of
from a story from the Sejarah Melayu. clear that in the 14 and 15 centuries Indonesia
th
th
It was told that people often turned to Samudera Pasai was an important
Samudera Pasai to addressing key
issues and controversies in religious center of Malay culture and from where
matters. One of these issues was related the development of Islam and the Malay
language continued and reached many
to the theological question about the areas in Indonesia. This development
14
nature of hell and heaven along with reached its peak in 16 and 17 centuries
th
th
the contents of both realms: “What do Aceh. However, before entering the
the heavens consist of, are they forever discussion on the reign of the Kingdom
therein; what are the contents of Hell,
12. A.H. Hill, (ed.), “Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai”, of Aceh, some other important linguistic
JMBRAS 33, 1960, pp. 1-165. elements will be discussed first.
13. T. Iskandar, Kesustraan Klasik Melayu Pre-Classical Malay: the
Sepanjang Abad, ……, p. 153-157. See also, R.O.
Winstedt, A history of classical Malay literature, Development in the 15 Century
th
(New York etc.: Oxford University Press, 1969), p. 14. T. Iskandar, Kesustraan Klasik Melayu
105-106, andVladimir Braginsky, The heritage of
traditional Malay literature, pp. 136-139. Sepanjang Abad, ……, pp. 102-103.
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 231