Page 254 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

The word ‘akan’ functions as a
244 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
Fiction and Historical Literature scholars, such as van Ronkel and
preposition rather than as an auxiliary In addition to book literature, in the 16
th
verb, as shown in the following and 17 centuries, Aceh,Samudera
th
examples: (1) menyungguhkan yang Pasai and Malacca also produced
bertannung akanyang diceritakan; (2) . . other types of texts called fiction and
. dan akan dia beberapa peri yang asal; historical literature. However, unlike in
(3) syiksya kubur itu akan segala kafir Samudera Pasai and Malacca, in Aceh,
dan akan setengah daripada yang isi these two types of literature, as will be
segala mukmin; and (4) . . . memohonkan shown below, but more emphasize on
ampun itu thabit akan Rasul dan akan Acehnese history and culture in addition
segala yang baik. The word ‘akan’ in the to Islamic subjects. Here follow some
these four sentences can subsequently texts from Aceh that are ranked among
be replaced with: pada, tentang, untuk, the categories of fiction and historical
and bagi. literature.
Thus, a linguistic analysis of the Taj as-Salatin
translation of the ‘Aqa’id, as Asmah Hj.
Omar and also Imran conducted TheTaj as-Salatin (Sultans’ Crown) by
42
43
shows that in the 16 century the use Bukhari al-Jauhari is the first text to be
th
of the Malay language had become explained. It was written most likely in
increasingly well established and wide 1602, during the reign of Sultan Alauddin
spread. This is proved by the more Ri‘ayat Shah Sayid al-Mukammil in Aceh.
complete affixation system, in addition Various scholars have conducted studies
to the vocabularies that had also on this text, including, for example,
increasingly absorbed Arabic elements, Valentijn (1726) Werndly (1736), and
especially those related to religious Roorda van Eysinga (1827) during the
aspects, especially Sufism. early days of Dutch scholarship about
Indonesia. They generally praised the
42. Asmah Hj. Omar, Bahasa Melayu Abad ke-16: quality of the text of the Taj as-Salatin,
Satu Analisis Berdasarkan Teks Melayu ‘Aqa’id
an-Nasafi, (Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan especially the Malay language that it
Pustaka, 1991). uses. They consider the book the best
43. Imran T.Abdullah. “Bahasa Melayu: Lingua text in Malay literature. More recent
44
Franca Islam”, in Taufik Abdullah dan A.B. Lapian
(ed.), Indonesia dalam Arus Sejarah, ….., p. 242. 44. T. Iskandar, Kesustraan Klasik Melayu
commanders; criteria for and the nature
Winstedt (1938) proposed a slightly of a just king and those of ministers and
different view. Although they still praise commanders; physiognomy in selecting
the quality of the content and the officials; rules and admonitions to govern
expression of the Malay language of the a kingdom; and various other issues
text, but both found that it ismerely a related to political power.
translation of a Persian work.
However, regardless of these issues, it is Bustan as-Salatin
undeniable that the text of the Taj as- The Bustan as-Salatin fi Dhikr al-
Salatin played an important role in the Awwalin wa ‘l-Akhirin (Sultans’ Garden
development of the political discourse in Remembrance of the People of the
in the Malay world and in Indonesia Beginning and the End), is an extensive
in general. One important point in historical work written by Nuruddin ar-
45
this regard is that the Taj as-Salatin Raniri. He wrote it in 1637after he had
put Islamic political tradition ---to be receivedan order to do so from Sultan
precisely the Sunni school--- at the Iskandar Thani, who had become his
center of Malay political thinking. Political patron in Aceh. It contains the history
principles in Islam were formulated in the
form of stories and admonitions. And the of the world, starting from the creation
reigning monarch was expected to use of the heavens and earth to the period
the book as a reference to guide him in of the Aceh Kingdom. The text consists
exercising his power and therefore it can of seven chapters: (1) the description
be paralleled to the Nasihat al-Muluk by the creation of the seven skies; (2) the
al-Ghazali (d. 1111). description of all the prophets and kings;
(3) the description of all the just kings
Some issues dealt with in the book and ingenious viziers; (4) all ascetic kings
are the requirements a king needs, the and pious saints; (5) authoritarian kings
duties of kings, his ministers and chief
and despotic viziers; (6) generous and
Sepanjang Abad, ….., p. 380. noble people; and (7) the description of
45. Taufik Abdullah, “The Formation of a Political 46
Tradition in the Malay World”, in, Anthony Reid reason and knowledge.
(ed.) The Making of Islamic Political Discourse 46. T. Iskandar,Kesustraan Klasik Melayu
in Southeast Asia, (Monash: Monash papers on Sepanjang Abad (Brunei: Universitas Brunei
Southeast Asia, 1993), p. 35-58. Darussalam, 1996), p. 419-420.
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 245