NUSANTARA'S ISLAM (The Archipelago of Islam in Indonesia)

NUSANTARA'S ISLAM (Archipelago of Islam in Indonesia)

Nusantara is the term of island in Indonesia that stretching from Sabang in Sumatra to Marauke in Papua. This word was firstly recorded in Javanese literature in Majapahit era and was reappeared by Ki Hajar Dewantara by the term of Indonesia. Islamic histopography  in Indonesia often is shortened to The history of Islam in Indonesia, , even thought in the reality, it is the study that was associated with Islamic effect and contribution to the culture if Indonesia (Komaruddin Hidayat, 2006:XV). Atlas Walisongo written by Agus Sunyoto, he explained a manipulation in telling Islamic history in Indonesia such as the reality how the Islamic spirit be able to change the backward society of Nusantara and able to rise up to get the freedom form Dutch colonialism.

According to Winstedt and Geertz, Islam in Indonesia is acculturation between Islamic value and Hindu Buddhist belief (R.O. Winstedt, 1951: 71-73). In the book

A. The arrival of Islam in Indonesia

After presented by Prophet Muhammad SAW in Arab to improve Arabic life from Jahiliyah to be more human and in Indonesia, Islam came to Nusantara from trading way (Agus Sunyoto, 2012: 46). Beside Arabian, The Persian people came to Indonesia from religious way. The spread of Islam to Nusantara is under Majapahit's kingdom by getting royal member with an Islamic Persian, Ibrahim Asmarakandi (Agus Sunoto, 2012: 93-95). He was a scholar and he had two children from this married named Ali Rahmatullah and Ali Murtadho. Ali Murtadho was asked by his uncle in law to be Imam in Gersik's mosque under new nickname Pandita and Ali Rahmatullah was asked to be Imam in Surabaya's mosque with new javanese nickname Sunan Ampel. From Sunan Ampel, Sunan Bonang and Sunan Drajat were birth and Sunan Giri and Raden Patah appeared (Agus Sunyoto, 2012: 95). Several Wali Songo members uncover from Ali Rahmatullah.

The Missionary movement of Wali Songo  refer to the effort of presenting Islamic value toward peace way like polite language, good behavior, assimilation and syncretization, so that shock culture and rejection on the value of Islam are not happened. One of the education process of Islamization done by Wali Songo is an attempt to take over the camp of Syiwa to become an Islamic boarding school (Agus Sunyoto, 2012: 128).

B. Pro and Contra of Islam Nusantara

Pros and cons in encountering Nusantara's islamic issue is reasonable thing. those are influenced by education level, cultures and religion, therefore Muslims are divided into 3 groups (Abdul Karim, 2014: 157), there are:

1. Modern groups: they want to apply Islam as applied by the Arabs and all of  decisions are from al-Quran or Hadis.

2. Traditional groups: they apply Islamic value as adjusted with the local culture of Indonesia society.

3. Critical groups: they adjust the value contextually in some practices and textually like Quran and Hadis  in another.

C. Reflection of Islam Rahmatan Lil 'Alamin

A motto of Islam as the religion of rahmatan lil 'alamin is right, according to the phenomena of Islam in Indonesia. Because of the peace ways were used by Wali Songo in spreading Islam, it does not break old culture in Indonesia frontally. The value is engraved in the soul of Islamic society and non-Islamic society in Indonesia. The phenomena of Islam in Indonesia become studies center for Islamic countries and Middle East countries such as Academic activist from Egypt, Afghanistan, and Rusia.
The studies are evidence that all this time, the beautiful application of Islam is in Indonesia. This beauty is not only in a social aesthetic but also in a logical mindset practiced by western people. Arab as the origin of Islam can't convince the western group because the characteristic of Islam and the dogma  applied are tend to be stiff and awkward. But it is different of Islam in Nusantara which is more friendly and flexible than Islam in Arab.

Reference List

Komaruddin Hidayat dan Ahmad Gaus AF. (ed.). Menjadi Indonesia: 13 Abad Eksistensi Islam di Bumi Nusantara, Jakarta: Yayasan Festifal Istiqlal dan Mizan, 2006

R. O. Winstedt, The Malay Magician: Being Shaman, Saiva, and Sufi, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1951

Agus Sunyoto, Atlas Wali Songo, Cet. II, Depok: Pustaka Ilman, 2012.

M. Abdul Karim, Islam Nusantara,  Yogyakarta: Gramasurya,  2014