20/03/2025
*İmam Ali ibn Abi Talib and Book of Topah*
On the day of the martyrdom of our beloved İmam Ali ibn Abi Talib, İ would like to retell about him and his connection with Nusantarans.
The signs of Ahlulbayt indicate that their existence in the Nusantara archipelago from either their followers or members -- who traveled to the islands for spices and camphor -- had been around since Queen Sima of Java in 7th century, or Sultanate of Peurelak in Aceh in 9th century about a decade before the founded Fatimids, or in Sulawesi such as the tombs in Banggai dated 690 H and its oral tradition.
However, it is much clearer during the Majapahit kingdom in Java which was founded by Raden Wijaya and one of his consorts Rajapatni Gayatri. She was with her sisterwives were daughters of the last Singosari king. Contemporary with the Srivijaya kingdom in Sumatra.
The famous ancient Muslim tombs had been found in the area of Majapahit state from Singasari's era. Archaeologists also found products made from the area of Majapahit state during Singasari's era in Abbasids' capital, indicates that the Abbasids provided some materials to the factories in East Java and they sent them to Abbasids via merchants like Chinese merchants who also brought stoves, china, silk, tea, etc while the Indian brought cotton, clothing, slaves, etc to the archipelago as they bought spices and camphor or met the Chinese merchants.
Thus, some historians and local also speculated that Majapahit kingdom was not really the Hindu-Buddhist kingdom as the mainstream history taught us. Before Demak sultanate was established in 15th century by a Majapahit prince, some nobles might have gradually embraced Islam following the establishment of Samudra Pasai sultanate which replaced Peurelak in Aceh.
Most historians found the signs of Ahlulbayt are very clear in Peurelak sultanate. I have speculated that the sultanate was a kind of Kaysanite Shia which was continued by the believers among some local Aceh and West Sumatra especially those who follow Shattariya tariqa.
Yet, the signs of Ahlulbayt are no longer so clear in Java unless one diligently read ancient Javanese manuscripts.
One of them is "Topah" (Tuhfah). İn this book, it says, Sayyidina Ali (called Ngali) went to Java to teach the book for three years. There are names like Sayyidina Hasan (Kasan) and Sayyidina Muhammad Baqir (Bakir).
In the collection of İmam Ali's, Nahjul Balaghah, he said about a green peacock which was endemic in Java, according to Ki Herman Sinung.
Ki Herman Sinung also proposed that Loro Blonyo the statue of a couple in a centre room (centre senthong, usually for praying), who are called Bethara Kamajaya and Bethara Kamaratih, or Sri Sadana, is actually Saidina Ngali (İmam Ali) and Dewi Sri Pertimah (Sayyidah Fatimah).
İn West Java (Sundanese culture), there is Serat Dewi Maleka. İt is a book about how to develop sakinah mawadah warahmah household between husband and wife, inspired by Saidina Ngali and Dewi Sri Pertimah.
The famous Prince Diponegoro who led the war against the Dutch in Java War (1825-1830) was very educated in İslam, in studies of kalam, tasawuf, fiqh, etc. He usually known to be guided by the Imam Mahdi as the belief among Shias. However it is not clear which belief of İmam Mahdi he had as he was more influenced by Shattariya which he mentioned one of his must read book was "al-Tuhfat al-Mursalah ila Ruh an-Nabi" (also called Topah) by Muhammad ibn Fadlullah al-Burhanpuri, a Shattariya book.
The old manuscript of Qur'an in Java was given notes on the interpretation of surah Al-Ahzab 33 is about Ahlulbayt, i.e Sayyidah Fatimah, Sayyidina Ali, Sayyidina Hasan and Sayyidina Husein.
The belief among Shattariya in West Sumatra and Aceh is found in the famous book "Hikayat Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah", that Imam Mahdi afs was actually Sayyidina Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah son of Sayyidina Ali with Sayyida Khawla but recognised as son of Sayyidah Fatimah too.
The hikayat was usually recited to motivate the army to fight against the Portuguese in 16th century, in Malay and Javanese sultanates together with "Hikayat Amir Hamzah". Meanwhile, other hikayats also meant to tell one how to commemorate the Ashura and Arbaeen of Ashura, according to the late and beloved Sheikh Abdul Hadi WM.
The same belief appeared among some communities in Sulawesi such as the Kajang Ammatoa. The Hikayat Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah itself is still recited traditionally by some Bugis communities. Meanwhile, there are some communities in remote islands practice fiqh similar to Jafari while they do see themselves as neither Sunni nor Shia.
Those Sulawesi peoples (Bugis, Makassarese, Selayar, etc) like Javanese, Bajo, Sundanese, and Malays like in Aceh and West Sumatra and so on have local folk stories about İmam Ali bin Abi Talib, and/or Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah, themselves went to Nusantara.
Both "Hikayat Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah" and "Topah" which venerate İmam Ali and Ahlulbayt, with symbol of "tiger" for Imam Ali is found in many Nusantara's sultanates, give strong sign that at least before the colonial era the present of 'Ahlulbaytiyyah' Islam in Nusantara was more prevalent than later, and was more predominant before 16th century.
Unlike Ottoman or some other Islamic kingdoms, almost all Nusantara sultanates claim their lineage from Imam Ali ibn Abi Thalib -- either one sees it as biologically or spiritually -- even when it is considered biological matrilineally as many tribes practice bilateral kinship rather than patrilineal and often regard more on matrilineal. The biggest matrilineal tribe in the world today is still in Nusantara i.e Minangkabau from West Sumatra.
Thus, remembering the martyrdom of İmam Ali in Ramadhan month, we hope we can revive our long lost ancient Ahlulbaytiyyah Islam in Nusantara. And countries in Nusantara like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Timor Leste, and Philippines shall keep justice and wisdom practice by İmam Ali and his Ahlulbayt in their current state respectively.
Ya Ali madad!
Allahumma shalli ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad.
Sidhamastu,
Sheikha Hefzibah.
(Leader of the Dawoodiyya,
Hearth of Dawood).
