Abd al-Rauf ibn Ali al-Fansuri al-Sinkili (spelling variation ''Abdurrauf Singkil'', 1615–1693 CE) was a well-known
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic scholar,
spiritual leader
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
of the
Shattari
The Shattari or Shattariyya are members of a Sufi mystical tariqah that originated in Persia in the fifteenth century C.E. and developed, completed and codified in India. Later secondary branches were taken to Hejaz and Indonesia. The word S ...
yya
tariqa
A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth".
...
and the
mufti
A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important rol ...
of
Aceh Sultanate
The Sultanate of Aceh, officially the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam ( ace, Keurajeuën Acèh Darussalam; Jawoë: كاورجاون اچيه دارالسلام), was a sultanate centered in the modern-day Indonesian province of Aceh. It was a major ...
.
He was the confidant of
Sultana Safiyat al-Din. He was considered the first person to spread the
Shattari
The Shattari or Shattariyya are members of a Sufi mystical tariqah that originated in Persia in the fifteenth century C.E. and developed, completed and codified in India. Later secondary branches were taken to Hejaz and Indonesia. The word S ...
Sufi order in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. Many of his students also became
disseminators of Islam.
He is commonly known as Shaikh Abd al-Rauf al-Sinkili, and also known posthumously in Aceh as Teungku Syiah Kuala, which translates to "Sheikh in the Estuary".
Al-Sinkili was believed to be a native of
Singkil
Singkíl (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao depicting one of the episodes in the Philippine epic poetry, epic poem ''Darangen'', which was popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Compa ...
, a town on the western coast of Aceh. Beside being called Al-Sinkili, his other attribution (Arabic: ''
nisba
The Arabic word nisba (; also transcribed as ''nisbah'' or ''nisbat'') may refer to:
* Nisba, a suffix used to form adjectives in Arabic grammar, or the adjective resulting from this formation
**comparatively, in Afro-Asiatic: see Afroasiatic_lang ...
'') was Al-Fansuri, which relates him to the town of
Barus
Barus is a town and ''kecamatan'' (district) in Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra Province, Sumatra,
Indonesia. Historically, Barus was well known as a port town or kingdom on the western coast of Sumatra where it was a regional trade center ...
. He could be related to another prominent Sufi poet and writer from that town,
Hamzah Fansuri
Hamzah Fansuri ( Jawi: حمزه فنسوري ; also spelled Hamzah Pansuri, d. 1590 ?) was a 16th-century Sumatran Sufi writer, and the first writer known to write mystical panentheistic ideas in the Malay language. He wrote poetry as well as pros ...
.
Early life
His full name is ''Amin al-Din Abd al-Rauf ibn Ali al-Jawi tsuma al-Fansuri al-Sinkili.'' His family came from
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
or
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
to
Singkil
Singkíl (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao depicting one of the episodes in the Philippine epic poetry, epic poem ''Darangen'', which was popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Compa ...
,
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
in the 13th century, but this is not certain due to lack of the historical records, as well as the fact that his family name is not
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
.
Some experts believe he was an ethnic
Minang from
Singkil
Singkíl (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao depicting one of the episodes in the Philippine epic poetry, epic poem ''Darangen'', which was popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Compa ...
, while others say he is a
Batak
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, ...
.
Al-Sinkili's first teacher was probably his own father, Sheikh Ali Fansuri, a well known
Acehnese scholar at the time.
Later, he went on to study with
ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
in
Fansur and
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh ( Acehnese: ''Banda Acèh'', Jawoë: كوتا بند اچيه) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of . The city covers an area of and had ...
.
After completing his studies in Banda Aceh, Al-Sinkili went to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
for
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
and to further his education.
Education
Al-Sinkili was thought to depart to Arabia around 1642. He studied various knowledge of Islamic teaching for around twenty years in many places, including in
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
,
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
,
Jeddah
Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...
,
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
, and mostly
Madina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
.
While Al-Sinkili was in the Middle East, he became acquainted with Sufi scholars Ahmad Kusyasyi and Mula Ibrahim Kurani, who taught Al-Sinkili to study
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
.
He listed in his book ''Umdat al-Muhtajin ila Suluk Maslak al-Mufridin'' 19 teachers and 27 other scholars with whom he had personal contacts. His two most respected teachers were
Ahmad al-Qushashi Safi al-Din Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Dajani al-Qushashi ( ar, صفي الدين أحمد بن محمد الدَّجاني القُشاشي ,1583-1661) was a prominent Sufi master (''murshid'') of the Shattariyya tariqa, order, who was born in Medina in ...
and
Ibrahim al-Kurani
Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn Hassan ibn Shihab al-Din al-Kurani al-Madani ( ar, برهان الدين إبراهيم بن حسن بن شهاب الدين الكوراني المدني, 1023-1101 AH, or 1615-1690 CE), was a Gorani Kurdish Sufi maste ...
. Al-Qushashi gave Al-Sinkili authorization (''ijazah'') as the formal successor (''khalifa'') for Shattariyya and Qadiriyya. After Al-Sinkili went back to Aceh, he maintained correspondence with Al-Kurani, and asked for Al-Kurani's opinions regarding religious matters.
Islamic missionary activity
After finishing his studies of Arabic and Sufism, Sheikh Abd al-Rauf went back to
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
around 1083
AH/1662, where he established a school. Students came from Aceh and other areas in the Indonesian Archipelago. Some of his students included Sheikh Burhanuddin Ulakan (from
Pariaman
Pariaman ( Jawi: ), is a coastal city in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Pariaman covers an area of , with a coastline. It had a population of 79,043 at the 2010 Census and 94,224 at the 2020 census. "Pariaman" means "safe area".
History
According to th ...
,
West Sumatera
West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5,534,472 at the 2020 ce ...
), Sheikh Nur Qadim al-Baharuddin (from Semende Panjang,
South Sumatera
South Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Selatan) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southeast of the island of Sumatra, The province spans and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 Census. The capital of the province is Palembang. The prov ...
), and Sheikh Abdul Muhyi Pamijahan (from
Tasikmalaya
en, Neaty City
, nickname = nl, Delhi Van Java en, Delhi of Java
, image_skyline =
, imagesize =
, image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Great Mosque of Tasi ...
,
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
).
Shattariyya tariqa
Based on
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
Syed Muhammad al Naquib bin Ali al-Attas ( ar, سيد محمد نقيب العطاس '; born 5 September 1931) is a Malaysian Muslim philosopher. He is one of the few contemporary scholars who is thoroughly rooted in the traditional Islamic sci ...
, Sheikh Abd al-Rauf received an
ijaza
An ''ijazah'' ( ar, الإِجازَة, "permission", "authorization", "license"; plural: ''ijazahs'' or ''ijazat'') is a license authorizing its holder to transmit a certain text or subject, which is issued by someone already possessing such au ...
(permission to teach) from Sheikh Ahmad al-Qusyasyi in
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
after studying for twenty years. Sheikh Abd al-Rauf became the first person to introduce
Shattari
The Shattari or Shattariyya are members of a Sufi mystical tariqah that originated in Persia in the fifteenth century C.E. and developed, completed and codified in India. Later secondary branches were taken to Hejaz and Indonesia. The word S ...
yya
tariqa
A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ''haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth".
...
to the Indonesian Archipelago. His name is also connected with the translation and interpretation of the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
in
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
language on
Al Baydawi's work ''
Anwar al-Tanzil Wa-Asrar al-Ta'wil'', which was first published in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
in 1884.
Works
Al-Sinkili wrote in
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
and
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
, with topics including Qur'anic
interpretation (''tafsir''),
scholastic theology
Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that employed a critical organic method of philosophical analysis predicated upon the Aristotelian 10 Categories. Christian scholasticism emerged within the monastic schools that translate ...
(''kalam''),
sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
(''tasawwuf''), and
Islamic jurisprudence
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and e ...
(''fiqh''). He wrote around twenty-two books. One of his famous book was titled ''Mir'ât al Thullab fi Tasyil Ma'rifah al Ahkâm al Syar'iyyah li al Mâlik al-Wahhab''. The book discusses the many aspects of ''fiqh'', such as rules and issues concerning marriage, financial transactions, and inheritance.
Some of Shaikh Abd al-Rauf works were published by his students after his death.
Some selected titles of his works, as follows:
* ''Mir'ât al Thullab fi Tasyil Ma'rifah al Ahkâm al Syar'iyyah li al Mâlik al-Wahhab'' (
fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
rules for various activities), as requested by
Sultanah
Sultana or sultanah (; ar, سلطانة ') is a female royal title, and the feminine form of the word sultan. This term has been officially used for female monarchs in some Islamic states, and historically it was also used for sultan's consor ...
Safiyatuddin from
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
.
* Umdat al-Muhtajin ila Suluk Maslak al-Mufridin'' (sufism)
* ''Lubb al-Kashf wa al-Bayan li Ma Yarahu al-Muhtadar bi al-'Iyan'' (
dhikr
''Dhikr'' ( ar, ذِكْر}, , also spelled ''Zikr'', ''Thikr'', ''Zekr'', or ''Zikar'', literally meaning "remembrance, reminder" or "mention") is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to reme ...
prayer for death preparation)
* ''Kitab al-Fara'idh'' (inheritance law)
* ''Tarjuman al-Mustafid'' (Qur'an exegesis, mostly from
tafsir al-Jalalayn
''Tafsīr al-Jalālayn'' ( ar, تفسير الجلالين, lit=Tafsir of the two Jalals) is a classical Sunni interpretation (tafsir) of the Qur'an, composed first by Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli in 1459 and then completed after his passing by Jala ...
), first complete of
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
interpretation in
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
language.
* ''Al-Arba'in Haditsan li al-Imam al-Nawawiyah'' (explanation of
Al-Nawawi
Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī ( ar, أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف النووي; (631A.H-676A.H) (October 1230–21 December 1277), popularly known as al-Nawawī or Imam Nawawī, was a Sunni Shafi'ite jurist and h ...
's forty hadiths)
* ''Al-Mawa'iz al-Badi (
hadith qudsi
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
collection), contains a number of important advice in moral development.
* ''Kifayat al-Muhtajin ila Masharab al-Muwahhidin al-Qa'ilin bi Wahdat al-Wujud'', explanation about
''wahdatul wujud'' concept.
* ''Daqa'iq al-Huruf'', teaching about Sufism and theology.
* ''Risalah Adab Murid akan Syaikh'' (sufism)
* ''Risalah Mukhtasarah fi Bayan Shurut al-Shaykh wa al-Murid'' (sufism)
* Translate of ''Hadits Arba'in'' work of Imam Al-Nawawi, as requested by
Sultanah
Sultana or sultanah (; ar, سلطانة ') is a female royal title, and the feminine form of the word sultan. This term has been officially used for female monarchs in some Islamic states, and historically it was also used for sultan's consor ...
Zakiyyatuddin from
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
.
* ''Tanbih al-Masyi'', contains about
tasawwuf
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
.
Teaching
His interpretation shows tendency of neo-sufism, and combining exoteric and esoteric aspects of Islam.
As a sheikh of the Shattariyya, Al-Sinkili did not approve of ''
wujudiyya'' (pantheism) teaching, but he did not openly oppose it like
Al-Raniri.
Death
Shaikh Abd al-Rauf al-Sinkili died in 1693 at the age of 73. His tomb is located in Deah Raya, around 15 kilometres from
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh ( Acehnese: ''Banda Acèh'', Jawoë: كوتا بند اچيه) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of . The city covers an area of and had ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abd al-Rauf al-Sinkili
1615 births
1693 deaths
People from Aceh
Indonesian people of Iranian descent
Indonesian Sufis
Indonesian Sufi religious leaders