Page 246 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

later time. Hence, the sheikh sailed to
236 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
Islam or the results of adapting Arabic/ is estimated to have lived during the reign
Mecca. Persian works, unlike other fiction and
The quotation above, from the Bustan historical works that developed in the
as-Salatin by Nuruddin al-Raniri, is not Malay world. More specifically, it refers to
25
th
only a testimony of Aceh’s cosmopolitan literary works written in Aceh in the 16
th
nature---especially as seen from the and 17 centuries by leading religious
religious side---but also that shows the scholars, namely Hamzah Fansuri,
use of Malay had been firmly established Syamsuddin as-Sumatrani, Nuruddin
as the medium of expression in the ar-Raniri, and Abdul Ra’uf as-Singkili that
religious intellectual discourse, in social contain Islamic teachings ranging from
life and for political diplomacy. The quote Sufism, jurisprudence, theology, and
above does not only show the use of Islamic history. In Aceh, these works are
“original” Malay, where pre-classical commonly called “Kitab Jawoe” (book
archaic elements were less used, but written in Malay in Jawi script) or “Jawi
also the emergence of a new genre in books” in the Malay world generally.
the writing tradition in the Malay world, Kitab literature has special linguistic
the so-called “kitab” ---works that contain patterns and manifests it self into an
the substance of Islamic teaching of Islamic lingua franca in the Archipelago. 28
which the Bustan as-Salatin is one Hamzah Fansuri was the first scholar
example. who needs to be explained. Based on
Kitab Literature the available resources, both local and
foreign, several scholars argue that
It should be emphasized that the Hamzah Fansuri most probably lived
term ‘kitab literature’ was first used by in Aceh before and during the reign of
Hooykaas and then Brakel and refers Sultan Alauddin Ri’ayat Shah (1589-
26
27
to a group of texts characterized by 1602). While Shamsuddin al-Sumatrani
29
25. T. Iskandar, (ed.), Bustan’s-Salatin: Bab II Fasal 28. Imran T.Abdullah. “Bahasa Melayu: Lingua
13 [Nuruddin al-Raniri], (Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Franca Islam”, in Taufik Abdullah dan A.B. Lapian
Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1966), p. 33-4. (ed.), Indonesia dalam Arus Sejarah, ….., p. 244.
26. C. Hooykaas, Perintis Sastra, (Groningen- 29. However, in relation to Hamzah Fansuri, it
Jakarta: J.B. Wolters, 1951), p.144. is important to consider latest information from
27. L.F. Brakel, “On the Origin of Malay Hikayat”, Guillot & Kalus (2000), which explains that on the
Review of Indonesian and Malaysan Affairs basis of a finding in a tombstone in Mecca, it is
(RIMA), 13, 2, 1979, pp. 1-33, p. 6. probable that Hamzah Fansuri had already dead
Although not in the form of poetry,
of the next king, Sultan Iskandar Muda Shamsuddin al-Sumatrani wrote many
(1607-1636). Both scholars held positions works, especially mystical treatises
as “Sheikh al-Islam” and served as the that belong to bookliterature. Among
king’s advisers, especially in the field these arethe Mir’at al-Mu’minin (Mirror
of religion. The most important thing to of the faithful), Mir’at al-Iman (Mirror of
emphasize here is that Hamzah Fansuri faith), Zikarat al-Dairati qaba Qawsaini
and Shamsuddin al-Sumatrani were aw Adna (Circle ofTwo Bows Lengthor
leading scholars, particularly in Aceh, in Closer to God), Mir’at al- Muhaqqiqin
th
th
the late 16 and early 17 centuries. (Mirror of the Self-Prosecutors), Jawahir
Hamzah Fansuri wrote many books, al-Haqa’iq (Pearl of Realities), Nur al-
but what have been found until now are Daqa’iq (Light of Subtleties), and Kitab
three mystical treatises, respectively the al-Haraqah (Book of Gowns).
Sharab al-‘Ashiqin (Beverages of the The next Muslim scholar who made
Intimate People), Asrar al-‘Arifin (Secrets important contributions to the
of the Gnostics) and al-Muntahi (End development of book literature is
Path). The Sharabal-‘Ashiqin is regarded Nuruddin ar-Raniri. His full name is Nur
as his first Malay workand it is also the al-Din Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hasanji al-
first mystical treatise in Malay. Another Hamid al-Shafi’i al-Ash‘ari al- ’Aydarusi
version is entitled Zinat al-Muwahidin al-Raniri (d. 1068/1658). He was born
(Jewelry of the Monotheists). While the in Ranir, or Randir, an old harbor city on
findings on his mystical poems are only the coast of Gujarat. Ar-Raniri came to
less than 32 threads. His poems are Aceh around 1637, soon after Iskandar
considered to be the first ‘Malay poetry’. Muda and Shamsuddin had died. He
Shamsuddin al-Sumatrani (d. 1630 was immediately granted the position
AD) mentioned these poems as ruba’i, of Sheikh al-Islam and in this strong
namely a quatrain within two misra’. 30 position he launched a religious reform
in around 1527. Of course, the finding of these two movement against the Sufi doctrine of
scholars has been the object of dispute. Braginsky Ichtiar Baru van Hoeve, 2012), Vol.III: Kedatangan
(2001) for example, is still in doubt of the Kalus & dan Peradaban Islam, p. 208-211, dan, Abdul
Guillot’sinterpretation. Hadi W.M., Tasawuf Yang Tertindas: Kajian
30. Abdul Hadi W.M., ”Tradisi Sastra dan Hermeneutik Terhadap Karya-Karya Hamzah
Kebahasaan”, in Taufik Abdullah dan A.B. Lapian Fansuri, (Jakarta: Yayasan Paramadina, 2001), p.
(eds.), Indonesia dalam Arus Sejarah, (Jakarta: 198.
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 237