Page 294 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

The Dynamic of

Islamic Print Culture

Jajat Burhanudin

Islamic books are inherent parts of gradually turned into the dominating close friend from Singapore and Haji triggered Islamic reformism in Singapore, The Grand Mosque
Islamic religious development. The discourse in society. Intellectual changes the town that had begun to become a of Ganting located in
4
evidence of this in Indonesia can be in the Muslim communities in modern Abbas bin Mohamad Taha, Djalaluddin Southeast Asian metropolis. 5 the area of the conflict
traced back to the early 20 century Indonesia had become unavoidable. of the ruling elite of the Riau-Lingga Kingdom. Al-Imam has a specific role in formatting between the KaumTua
2
th
Consequently, he continued his education as
when printed media (magazines, a member of the royal family. Sayid al-Hadi political thinking and nurturing Islamic (the Old) and the Kaum
newspapers, and Islamic books) were Thaher Djalaluddin and al-Imam witnessed the emergence of Pulau Penyengat into intellectuals in Southeast Asia. Its role Muda (the Youth) in
6
first introduced to the Muslims in Thaher Djalaluddin was the first Jawi- the center of revival of Malay culture at the end was mainly to provide close relations Padang, West Sumatra.
of the 19 century which gave him a chance to
th
Indonesia. Religious scholars traditionally Makkah (Indonesian who had sojourned be close with the Islamic discourse of prominent with reformists in Cairo and to become Source: Directorate of
acted as the sole holders of religious for a long time in Mecca) who became ulama, especially those who were grouped into the a model as well as a source of Islamic History and Cultural
authority, but after the begining of the acquainted with the reform ideas of Persekutuan Rusydiyyah in 1890. See also Virginia reformist thinking. Like al-Manar, al- Values, Ministry of
7
Matheson (1989), “Pulau Penyengat: Nineteenth
21 century, ordinary Muslims had the Muhammad Abduh and Muhammad Century Islamic Centre of Riau”, Archipel 37, 153- Imam underlined that its main concern Education and Culture
st
opportunity to resort to printed media as Rashid Rida from Cairo. He was the 172; Alimuddin Hassan Palawa, “The Penyengat was the reformist spirit. In its first edition, of the Republic of
School: A Review of the Intellectual Tradition in the
sources of Islamic knowledge and guides first Indonesian who introduced Islamic Malay-Riau Kingdom”, Studia Islamika, vol. 10, no. appointed as kadi at the District of Tanjong Pagar Indonesia.
to religious practices. reformism to Southeast Asia. His latter 3: 2003, 97-12. It has been noted that his relation in Singapore. Meanwhile, his reform concern also
role was reflected in the publication of with Islamic reform began when he visited Mecca continued; in 1911 he published Neratja and then
Facilitated by colonial printing technology and Cairo, together with Thaher Djalaluddin, Tunas Melayu in 1913. In 1940 he was appointed
at the reformist Muslims beginning of the al-Imam in 1906 it was the first Islamic as the guide of the royal family of Riau-Lingga as the Mufti of Pahang. See Roff, The Origin of
kingdom who registered at the preparation school
reform magazine in Southeast Asia.
20 century used printed media as one Together with other ulama who had been in Cairo. From there, he had not only become Malay…, 63-64.
th
of the most important components of exposed to Cairo reformism, such as attracted to, but was also involved in the Islamic 5. Another important figure behind the publication
of al-Imam was Sheikh Muhammad Salim al-Kalili.
reform in Southeast Asia. For Sayid al-Hadi’s title
their Islamic reform movement in addition Sayid Sheikh al-Hadi (1862-1934), his and carrier see William Roff, The Origin of Malay He was born in Cirebon and a citizen of Singapore.
3
to the reform of educational system Nationalism, (Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University His role in al-Imam was as a businessman who
financially supported its publication rather than
and the ways of religious thinking this 2. Jajat Burhanudin, “Ulama dan Politik Press, 1967), 62-3; Michael F. Laffan, Islamic as a scholar or writer. There was also a person
Pembentukan Umat: Sekilas Pengalaman
Nationhood and Colonial Indonesia: The Umma
process not only created the appearance Sejarah Indonesia” (Ulama and the Political below the Wind, (London and New York: Routledge called Encik Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman of Muar
of a new expression of Islam, but also Formation of Community: A Quick Look at the Curzon, 2003), 19-30; Abu Bakar Hamzah, Al- but little known about him. See Roff, The Origin
of Malay…, 32-9, 64; William Roff, Bibliography
showed the changing outlook of religious Indonesian Experience) and introductory remarks Imam: Its Role in Malay Society 1906-1908, (Kuala of Malay and Arabic Periodicals Published in the
Lumpur: Pustaka Antara, 1991), 5.
in Jajat Burhanudin and Ahmad Baedowi (eds.)
scholars in pesantren and their use Transformasi Otoritas Keagamaan: Pengalaman 4. Haji Abbas bin Muhammad Taha was born Straits Settlements and Peninsular Malay States,
(London: Oxford University Press, 1972), 75-89;
of kitab kuning. Through the printed Indonesia (The Transformation of Religious in Singapore in 1885, and was probably of Laffan, Islamic Nationhood…, 150; Hamzah, Al-
1
Authority: the Indonesian Experience (Jakarta:
press, intellectual and political channels, Gramedia, 2003), p. 28. Minangkabau descent. After studying in Mecca, he Imam: Its Role…, 28-29.
returned to Singapore in 1905 where he became
modern educational institutions, the 3. Sayid Sheikh b. Ahmad al-Hadi was born in a religious teacher and then in 1906 published 6. Roff, The Origin of Malay…, 56-57; Laffan,
Islamic reformist movement had Malacca and he had a Malay mother and a Malay- his collection of homiletic quotes from works on Islamic Nationhood…, 148-60. See also A.C.
Arab father of Hadrami descent. After completing Education in Egypt and Syria, the Sempoerna Milner, The Invention of Politics in Colonial Malaya:
1. Jajat Burhanudin, “Islamic Knowledge, Authority his elementary education in Kuala Trengganu, Pelajaran (1906). He was involved in al-Imam Contesting Nationalism and the Expansion of the
and Political Power: The Ulama in Colonial he moved to Pulau Penyengat in Riau, where his as an assistant editor and in 1908 as editor. Public Sphere (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Indonesia” Ph.D. Dissertation (Leiden: Leiden father had royal ties. He was appointed as the son After al-Imam stopped publishing in 1908, his Press, 1995).
University, 2007), p. 200. of Raja Ali Kelana bin Raja Ahmad, a member carrier continued as in the same year he was 7. Roff, The Origin of Malay…, 59.
284 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 285