A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF SUFISM NETWORKING IN ASIA: FROM INDIA TO INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO

Abstract

This article discusses the development dynamics of the Sufism network in Asia, especially from India to Indonesia from the 15th until the 17th century. Historically, the process of Islam dissemination in Indonesia conducted by traders has started since the Sriwijaya Kingdom era in the 7th century. The development of Islam grew rapidly during the era of Samudera Pasai and Aceh Kingdoms. Islam was not only introduced by traders but also by Muslim scholars who came from various countries with the mission to preach and spread Islamic teaching. Most of those Muslim missionaries have a Sufism network originating from India. One of Islam reformer Sufi figures in Indonesia who came from India is Nuruddin Al-Raniri. Other Sufi figures who also influenced the Sufism tradition in Indonesia were Abdurrauf Singkel, Syamsuddin who came from Pasai, and Hamzah al-Fansuri. In India, Sufism has been developing since the 12th century. The Sufism tradition brought by them originally came from the thought of Muiniddin Chisti, Bahauddin Zakaria, Qutbuddin, Nizamuddin Aulia, and Fariduddin. Most of them came from the Chistiyya order group. Then, Sufism in India transformed with mystical Hinduism traditional values into “Sikhism”. In the 14th to 16th century, Sufism grew rapidly in Java regions which still had a network with Sumatera and India. Islam disseminators such as “Wali Songo” (nine clerics) in Java were considered to be the representation of “insan kamil” or the perfect and sacred humans who became the role models of society. Their missionary activities were carried out through arts such as leather puppet shadow play whose stories were adopted from India.