Page 4 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

Foreword

Minister of Education

and Culture of
The Early History of the Republic of Indonesia

Islamic Thought in

Indonesia

Introduction Though it is evident that Islam had come many as the Acehnese ‘ulama of the Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
are available. Three are prose works:
to the Indonesian regions before the end following generations, Hamzah Fansuri’s Sharb al-Ashiqin, Asrar al-‘arifin, and al-
The 16 century, works on Islam in many th
th
sciences, such as Islamic mysticism, of the 13 century, as stated above, no works can mainly be characterized Muntahi. The total number of Hamzah’s
as translations and adaptations of the and gratitude to Allah the Almighty for the publication
My sincere praise
works that have come down to our era
theology, the prophetic tradition, authoritative works in any branch of Islamic Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives. This book is translation of
th
Qur’anic commentaries, and law started sciences had emerged before the 16 mystic-philosophical knowledge and is rather small in view of his name as
12 articles from the Indonesian Language book, entitled Sejarah Kebudayaan
to appear and the era is therefore century. The chronicle of the Wali Songo doctrines often linked to Grand Shaykh the celebrated pioneer of Malay mystical
Islam Indonesia (History of Indonesian Islamic Culture).
considered the first landmark in the saints had been famous in Java from the Ibn ‘Arabi (560-638 A.H./1165-1240 literature. However, we should bear in
th
I warmly welcome the presence of this English edition because it delivers a
formation of established Indonesian- 15 century, but up to that moment, no A.D.). This is probably one of the reasons mind that most of Hamzah’s works were
works on Islam had conclusively been
why Hamzah’s thoughts incited the many
destroyed in 1637 when the Acehnese
message that presence of Islam in Indonesia is a result of a long historical
Advisors: Islamic thinking. This does not mean that attributed to any of them. controversies they did, and why they authorities burned all his books on
Editor:
Published in 2016 by

Muhadjir Effendy beforehand Islam had not already spread Directorate of History dialogue between universal values with the reality of the local cultural
Theodorus Cornelis (Dick) van der
diversity. This Cultural encounter has produced Indonesia Islamic culture
Directorate General of Culture
throughout the Indonesian archipelago.
Minister of Education and Culture Meij This essay elaborates on the history of were criticized and condemned, among monism based on al-Raniri’s fatwa
Archeological evidence shows that at Islamic thinking of Indonesian ‘ulama, others by the orthodox Muslim scholar against him.
Ministry of Education and Culture,
which is characterized by its spirit of tolerance and peace. Since it was born
Hilmar Farid Deputy Editor: Republic of Indonesia Nuruddin al-Raniri (d. 1658 A.D.).
from the encounter between the Nusantara cultural character and the Islamic
th
Director General of Culture the end of the 13 or the beginning of especially those who lived during the Sharb al-Ashiqin is a summary of the
Jajat Burhanuddin
doctrine.
th
the 14 century, Sultan Malikus Salih, early formation of the Islamic-intellectual Hamzah’s understanding of mystical wahdat al-wujud, the mystical notion
Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Senayan
Jakarta 10270
Project Coordinators: formerly known as Merah Selu, had tradition in the Malay and Javanese gnosis and other mystical concepts found in Ibn ‘Arabi, Sadruddin al-Qunawi,
Senior Consultant:
With its tolerance and peace – loving orientation, Indonesian cultural has
Triana Wulandari already established the Islamic kingdom regions. The discussions on the history dominated several of his literary writings and ‘Abdul Karim al-Jili’s works. It
Taufik Abdullah
Telp/Fax: +62-21-5725539
from the early period been part of Nusantara Islamic culture. This is one of
Director of History of Samudera Pasai and had ruled it as its of thought in certain disciplines of Islamic either in prose or in poetry to such an centers on the union between God and
primary contributions of Islam in the process of strengthening the nation and
Project Assistants:
All rights reserved. No part of this
the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.
Authors: first king. 1 Amurwani Dwi Lestariningsih sciences, especially Sufism, were extent that it inspired many scholars nature, the stations needed to reach
publication may be reproduced or
Taufik Abdullah Apart from the discovery of a tombstone more detailed than in other disciplines, to undertake research on his literary the culmination of profound knowledge
transmitted in any form or by any
Isak Purba
This precious experience should be shared by the whole member of the
means, electronic or mechanical,
Jajat Burhanuddin Tirmizi because scholars paid conspicuously legacy. Many of his poems were (ma‘rifa), and the practice of the
4
national community. On one hand, the characteristics would give the right
Budi Harjo Sayoga
including photocopying, recording or
Oman Fathurahman engraved with his name, Sultan Malikus more attention to these fields because of considered original and of high literary Qadiriyah Sufi order Hamzah embraced.
understanding to the people that Indonesia Islam is a tolerant and peace
Muhamad Hisyam Salih is also remembered in two of the the adequate availability of sources. value. Moreover, the Malay language he Though the book centers on a discussion
Maemunah
any information storage and retrieval
Muhammad Wildan earliest works related to the Kingdom of system, without permission of the –loving way of life. And, one the other hand, it can offer a worthy contribution
Dwi Artiningsih
Yon Machmudi Samudera Pasai and the Sultanate of copyright owners. used is full of symbolism and thus invited of the wahdat al-wujud (existential
Bariyo
to the endless effort to create a peaceful world, the world that has been a
Setyadi Sulaiman Malaka, i.e. the Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai Early Formation of Islamic an assortment of interpretations. monism), tajalli (divine theophany), and
Haryanto
Didi Ahmadi Esti Warastika Thinking dream of every nation. ‘ishq (mystical intoxication), it also offers
National Library of Indonesia:
(Chronicle of the Pasai Monarchs) and Cataloging in Publication (CIP) Several manuscripts of Hamzah’s works the legal foundations underlining the
Dirga Fawakih
with Introduction by the Sulalatus Salatin. The latter work is The first Malay Muslim thinker was In their ‘Batu Nisan Hamzah Fansuri’ in Claude importance of the mystical stages in
A catalogue record for this book is
Art Director & Layout:
Taufik Abdullah more often called, with no clear reason, Hamzah Fansuri (d. 1527) who left Guillot & Ludvik Kalus (eds.) Inskripsi Islam Tertua undergoing vocation, i.e. the Shari‘a, the
available from the National Library of
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Bimo Trisaksono
the Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals. 2 behind a number of mystical works in di Indonesia (Jakarta: KPG, EFEO, and Forum
Indonesia.
English Translators: Muhammad Abduh the form of poems. Although not as Jakarta-Paris, 2008), pp. 71-93, they explain that mystical path (tarekat), profound reality
3
M. Anwar Syarifuddin 1. For theories about the Islamization of the English Edition based on archeological evidence Hamzah Fansuri (hakikat), and profound understanding of
Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia
Aida Fitriana Indonesian archipelago, see the first chapter in Teuku Iskandar (1995). I discussed this topic in probably passed away in Mecca in 1527. mystical gnosis (makrifat). 5
Harry Wileri Azra 1994. Fathurrahman 2012: 167-177. 4. See for example Doorenbos (1933), Al-Attas
ISBN : 978-602-1289-40-2
Muhadjir Effendy
2. See for example, Shellabear (1896), Winstedt 3. The most recent research about Hamzah (1970), Hasjmy (1975), Drewes and Brakel (1986),
(1938, 1969), Liauw Yok Fang (1993), and Fansuri’s was done by C. Guillot and Ludvik Kalus. Bukhari Lubis (1993) and Hadi (2001). 5. Hadi 2001: 147.
II Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives III