Islam, with all its aspects, successfully brightened and became the torch of civilization. Despite the doctrine, Islam, which we understand, akidah and syariat, could also mean as social regulation, a beacon of civilization, treasure of knowledge and culture. Islam presence in worldwide society has an excellent archaeology-theology history relies on local culture. Moreover, Islam development and dakwah has a tremendous interesting pattern and strategy, which was the key to the successful spread of Islam in Indonesia.
In this article, I want to discuss the well-known legendary book in the nahdliyin society. This book successfully became the fundamental resource for Nahdlatul Ulama society for studying, learning, analyzing, and searching for accurate data about the history of the prominent Kanjeng Sunan. Inevitably, this book has successfully drowned its reader into the content since the data provided were collected from a massive number of resources. Hence, the objectivity is unquestionably strong and – moreover – is became a reference for all levels of society.
No wonder the book Atlas Wali Songo; Buku Pertama yang Mengungkap Wali Songo Sebagai Fakta Sejarah is the first book about Wali Songo’s existence in a lot of historical sites and Indonesia predecessor struggle legacies, including mosques, schools, et cetera. Furthermore, Atlas Wali Songo attempted to answer the hesitation among readers about the validity of Wali Songo as an existing history, not just a myth.
A Nahdlatul Ulama historian wrote this fantastic book. KH Agus Sunyoto discussed a little about Nusantara, implemented Islamic Wali and dakwah, Majapahit kingdom setback, and the presence of Islamic empire in the old java territory. Additionally, Agus Sunyoto also displayed the detail of Wali Songo arrival, origin, dakwah strategy, and science development.
Agus Suntoyo, in his book, outlined a few names of legendary Wali Songo, which are Sunan Ampel, Sunan Giri, Sunan Bonang, Sunan Kalijaga, Sunan Gunung Jati, Sunan Drajat, Syaikh Siti Jenar, Sunan Kudus, Sunan Muria, and Raden Patah. Their presence was always adorned by hospitality, excellent capacity to understand the local culture, wisdom guidance, and ma’ruf method for doing Islamic dakwah in Nusantara. For that reason, Kanjeng Sunan role achieves a successful output on making Nusantara residents recognize Islam as religion, well until the present.
Then there is no wonder why Agus Suntoyo, in the book preface, mentioned that Wali Songo was an essential stakeholder in the spread of Islam in Java and Nusantara in the 15th until the half of the 16th century. But why is that?
Due to that statement, the theory that Islam was brought to Nusantara by Muslim traders is indisputable. However, it’s a fact that Nusantara inhabitants did not necessarily observe the arrival of those traders in the 6th century until the arrival of the Islam propagator on Java.
Hence, the opinion that Islam successfully spread is given credit to Gujarat traders is not valid. The successful spread is precisely due to the dakwah touch that Kanjeng Sunan used by arranging local culture and Islam values to get along together beautifully.
Kanjeng Sunan Bonang as an example. In doing dakwah, Radeng Makhdum Ibrahim is well-known for his competence in using art and culture devices to attract the sympathy of Javanese people. One of them was the Java music instrument that so-called Bonang. Bonang itself is a round-shaped music device made of brass with a slight bulge in its middle, pretty similar to a small Gong. Back in the era, this music device was used as a Gamelan accompaniment instrument in the wayang (traditional Javanese puppet show). Village officials also used it to gather citizens to make a wara-war, an announcement, from their government. (Page 238-239).
According to the writer, it is an ahistorical move, if it is not appropriate to say naïve when some historians and intellectuals gathered and discussed Islam of Indonesia without mentioning Wali Songo in their discussion with the consideration of different understanding and thought. This ahistorical and naïve fact is a crystal discovery you could found by reading Ensiklopedia Islam (Islam Encyclopedia) published by Ikhtiar Baru Van Hoeve.
The book never, even once, mentioned Wali Songo, a religious propagator in their era, science development and cultural wealth during the Wali Songo era. Such as literary works, music art, fine art, art shows, beacon art design, architectures, philosophies, Sufism, law, state administration, ethics, astrology, calendar system, and medical science development in the Wali Songo era and after that era.
It reaches the climax when Zainal Abidin Bin Syamsudhuha publish his book entitled Fakta Baru Wali Songo (New facts about Wali Songo), which contains unilateral and unobjective assumptions toward Wali Songo. The analysis of the book relies on a lot of inaccurate resources to conclude that Wali Songo never exists. In one of its chapters, this book explained the Islamification of Java, the build of the Muslim community, Java origin religion, Java culture and tradition. In the last section of the book, the writer attempted to argue the existence of Wali Songo with an interesting sub-chapter: New facts about Wali Songo!
Eventually, both books arguments can be disputed by the advent of another well-known legendary book. Inside Historiografi Jawa, it is mentioned that in the early 14th century, two brothers were coming from Champa, the elder brother name is Ali Murtadho, and the younger one is Ali Rahmatullah, together with their cousin Abu Hurairah they took a trip to Java.
With the help from their aunt, Darawati, who was married by Sri Prabu Kerta Wijaya, the king of Majapahit (1447-1451), Ali Rahmatullah was chosen to be an imam in Surabaya. His elder brother was appointed to be King Pandhita in Gresik. Starting from this Champa family, the Islam dakwah began to spread in Majapahit territory. Especially after their descendants, relatives, and students began to do dakwah systematically through the dakwah network, the so-called Wali Songo. (Introduction Pg.VI)
On the other hand, Agus Sunyoto cites the Historiograf Jawa, Cirebon, dan Banten by depicting every figure of Wali Songo with a sacred story. Each of the figures was illustrated to have the superhuman ability. This beautiful and fascinating karomah attracted a lot of people from society to convert to Islam. Meanwhile, history fact shows that after the Islam dakwah done by Wali Songo, Islam starts to develop in the inhabitant community successfully. Tome Pires, a medical expert who became the Portugal ambassador in China, visited Java in 1515. According to the Suma Oriental book, the territory of North Java coastwise is managed and controlled by Muslim dukes. The same fact was witnessed by A Pigafetta, who visited Java in 1522.
Because of that, at the end of this article, I want to invite you all – readers – to be wise in analyzing every aspect of history. Especially when researching Islam and is spread in Java island, like Marcus Garvey, a well-known Jamaica Journalist, says A people without the knowledge of their history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Wallahu A’lam.