Nahrasiyah: Journal of Aceh and Malay Archipelago Heritage

Mandailing Ulama in the Early 20th Century: The Meaning and Typology

2024-01-16T10:01:06+00:00

Abstract: This article examines the meaning and typology of Mandailing ulama. This study follows a literature study with a historical approach. The Kuntowijoyo historical research model will be utilized to discover the meaning and typology of the Mandailing ulama. The research data were obtained from written sources, especially the works of the Mandailing ulama in the era discussed. This study shows that the Mandailing ulama are interpreted as people from the Mandailing ethnic group who have learned religious knowledge in depth. During the early 20th century, the Mandailing ulama were classified into lineage (nasab) ulama and non-lineage (non-nasab) ulama; tarekat ulama and non-tarekat ulama; madrasah ulama and ulama from Islamic boarding school; political ulama and non-political ulama. This study enriches the study of Islam and Mandailing which so far has received little attention from both national and international researchers.

Abstrak: Artikel ini mengkaji makna dan tipologi ulama Mandailing. Studi ini merupakan studi kepustakaan dengan pendekatan sejarah. Model penelitian sejarah ala Kuntowijoyo akan dimanfaatkan sedemikian rupa dalam menemukan makna dan tipologi ulama Mandailing. Data penelitian, dengan demikian, berasal dari sumber-sumber tertulis terutama karya para ulama Mandailing pada era yang dibahas. Studi ini menunjukkan bahwa ulama Mandailing dimaknai sebagai orang-orang dari kalangan etnis Mandailing yang menguasai ilmu-ilmu agama secara mendalam. Ulama-ulama Mandailing sepanjang awal abad ke-20 bisa dibagi menjadi: ulama nasab dan ulama non-nasab; ulama tarekat dan ulama non-tarekat; ulama madrasah dan ulama pesantren; ulama politik dan ulama non-politik. Studi ini memperkaya kajian tentang Islam dan Mandailing yang sejauh ini kurang mendapat perhatian dari para peneliti baik dari dalam negeri maupun dari luar negeri.

East Sumatra and South Tapanuli Ulama on Religious Sciences at the Turn of the 20th Century

2023-11-02T09:58:39+00:00

Abstract: This paper aims to discuss the scientific orientation of Mandailing ulama (Islamic Scholars) at the beginning of the 20th century. This study was conducted through library research with a historical approach. Kuntowijoyo’s historical research model was applied in this study. The data were obtained from documents related to the great works of Mandailing Islamic scholars. This study found that Mandailing Islamic scholars in both Tapanuli and East Sumatra Residency produced written works in various Islamic fields, especially in the field of the Qur’an/tafsir, hadith, theology, morals and spirituality (tashawwuf), jurisprudence, social culture and politics, Arabic, and history. The scholarly works were written in Indonesian, Arabic, and Malay (Jawi script). The findings of this study indicate that the theoretical orientation of Mandailing Ulama is in the Islamic sciences. Unfortunately, most of their works have not been republished, yet they are all part of the intellectual heritage of Islam in the modern Malay world. Thus, this study is expected to enrich local Islamic studies in Indonesia.

Keywords: Islamic religious science, classification of Islamic sciences, Mandailing Islamic scholars, Indonesia

Malay Ulama in Deli Land: The Life, Manuscripts, and Intellectual Networks of Shaykh Hasan Ma‘sum (d. 1936)

2024-01-16T09:46:45+00:00

Abstract: This article examines the life, manuscript legacy, and intellectual network of Shaykh Hasan Ma‘sum, one of the most influential Malay scholars in the early 20th century in East Sumatra. He was one of the finest disciples of Syekh Ahmad Khatib al-Minangkabawi at Masjidil Haram and the esteemed mentor of the founders and scholars of Al Washliyah, Al Ittihadiyah, and Nahdlatul Ulama in East Sumatra. This study adopts a biographical research approach within a historical framework. The primary sources for this research are the works of Shaykh Hasan Ma‘sum, which are subsequently analyzed using content analysis methodology. The findings of the study reinforce Azra’s thesis regarding the pattern of intellectual relations among Nusantara scholars, where Shaykh Hasan Ma‘sum studied under several prominent scholars in Haramain, and later had numerous disciples in East Sumatra. Shaykh Hasan Ma‘sum also enriched the traditional Islamic literature by writing and publishing numerous manuscripts. All of his works, which were penned in Malay with Arabic script, and some in Arabic, encompass various fields including creed, jurisprudence, mysticism, and astronomy.

Keywords: Malay, ulama, East Sumatra, manuscripts, intellectual networks

Ulama and Knowledge in Modern Aceh: Abu Teupin Raya on Religious Sciences

2024-01-16T09:44:23+00:00

Abstract: This article examines the intellectual tradition of Abu Teupin Raya in Aceh. The researcher utilizes the theories of Martin van Bruinessen, Zamaksyari Dhofier, and Azyumardi Azra on pesantren and the tradition of yellow books (kitab kuning), as well as the theory of Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas on the classification of knowledge. This study is a literature review with a historical approach. Primary data, including the writings of Abu Teupin Raya and various biographical notes, are analysed using content analysis methods. The study argues that Abu Teupin Raya is an Acehnese scholar who successfully transmitted traditional Islam as found in yellow books written by several scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah and Shāfi‘i schools. Additionally, he expanded the treasury of traditional Islam by composing his own books, some of which were written in Malay using Arabic script. Abu Teupin Raya is a traditionalist scholar who preserved elements of traditional Islam and actively safeguarded religious knowledge through teaching and writing yellow books during the Aceh conflict. This study contributes to the study of Islam in Aceh.

Keywords: ulama, Aceh, religious sciences, dayah, intellectual networks

Mandailing Ulama in Modern Malaysia: The Intellectual Network and Works of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Mandīlī

2024-01-16T09:54:42+00:00

Abstract: This article examines the intellectual network and manuscript legacy of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Mandīlī, a scholar from South Tapanuli, Indonesia, who dedicated his knowledge abroad in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. The study employs a literature review approach with a historical perspective. Primary sources for this research consist of all works authored by the scholar, written entirely in Malay with Arabic script. The study demonstrates his dissemination of reformist ideas through religious education in both Malaysia and the Haramain, alongside the composition of numerous yellow books (kitab kuning). He fostered relationships with various scholars and attracted numerous students in both the Haramain and Malaysia. All his scholars are prominent figures in the Shāfi‘ī and Ash‘ari schools. Additionally, he propagated neo-Sufism by harmonizing between Shariah and Sufism. This study further corroborates Azyumardi Azra's theory on the network of scholars.

Keywords: ulama, Mandailing, Malaysia, intellectual networks, Islamic manuscripts