History of the Entry of Islam in Central Java in Indonesia

 History of the Entry of Islam in Central Java

 

The spread of Islam in Central Java has become very rapid thanks to the role of the guardians. Even the wali group known as Wali Sanga is believed to be the pioneer of Islamic religious broadcasting on the island of Java. Wali Sanga do not live at the same time, but they are related by blood or teacher-student relationship. Maulana Malik Ibrahim or Sunan Gresik was the first wali to spread his influence on the north coast of East Java. Starting from Gresik, the spread of Islam began to move westward through Lamongan, Tuban, until finally entering Central Java. The Central Java region became the center of the development of Islamic culture towards the end of the 15th century, when the Demak Kingdom was established.

The Emergence of the Kingdom of Demak Before Demak emerged as an Islamic kingdom, its territory was under the control of the Majapahit Kingdom, so that many of the population adhered to Hinduism or Buddhism. The Kingdom of Demak was founded by Raden Patah, the son of Prabu Brawijaya, the last ruler of the Majapahit Kingdom around 1478. Raden Patah built the Kingdom of Demak with the help of the Wali Sanga, including his teacher, Sunan Ampel. The Sultanate of Demak proved to be the first Islamic-style kingdom in Java that encouraged the development of Islam taught by the saints. In the 16th century, Jepara, Kudus, Pati, Juwana, and Rembang became maritime trading centers and important ports for the Kingdom of Demak, thus enabling the spread of Islam to be more massive. The existence of the Demak kingdom also helped the guardians to socialize Islam to the interior to the southern part of Central Java. Islamization efforts in rural areas are usually carried out by local missionaries who succeed the guardians. Among these local guardians are Sunan Gesang in Magelang and Sunan Bayat in Klaten. In his time, the people of Central Java could live prosperously and peacefully under the rule of the Sultanate of Demak. The law applied at that time was also based on Islamic law. The success of the Islamic rulers in Demak can also be seen from the Great Mosque of Demak, which is considered a symbol of the greatness of this kingdom.

Da'wah of the saints in Central Java In spreading Islam, the saints carried out various approaches to the community. The strategy in question includes trade, marriage, education, as well as the actualization of the teachings of Sufism. This method is carried out according to the demands of the atmosphere, which means incorporating Islamic teachings into the community by taking into account the existing socio-cultural conditions. That way, the presence of Islam can be well received, without any resistance or conflict. For example, Sunan Kalijaga, who preached in Central Java by including Islamic teachings in wayang stories. At that time, the people of Central Java, both nobles and intellectuals, were fans of wayang, so the spread of Islam became easy. The spread of Islam was also carried out by Sunan Kudus, who had been a warlord for the Sultanate of Demak. Sunan Kudus taught Islam by composing short stories containing religious philosophy. In 1530, Sunan Kudus founded a mosque in the village of Karyasan which became known as the Great Mosque of Kudus. Meanwhile, Sunan Muria, who was counted as one of the supporters of the Demak Kingdom, focused more on spreading Islam in villages that were far from the city center. Sunan Muria educates the people along the slopes of Mount Muria by holding courses for traders, fishermen, sailors, and commoners.