Islam in Malaysia

The recognition of Islam in this part of the world has been a fact since C.E. 674, when
the Umayyad ruler Muawiyah was in power at Damascus. Two hundred years later in
C.E. 878 Islam was embraced by people along the coast of Peninsular Malaysia
including the port of Kelang which was a well-known trading centre.

Before the coming of Islam, the indigenous Malays embraced an ancient religion with
various forms of belief with some of the population belonging to the Hindu/Buddha
religion. Life was structured and arranged in ways that showed the influence of more
than one religion. This can be seen not only in the Malay's cultural patterns but is also
part of the 'power' structure of state dignitaries and princes.

At the political level, the royal ruler and the head of state in most communities in the
Malay world embraced the Islamic religion. The people were impressed and attracted by
the provision in the Qur'an and the Hadith that mankind should be ranked on a basis of
interpersonal equality.

Those who for so long had been considered of low caste saw how the different strata of
Islamic society were laid before them. They were no longer imprisoned within a religious
caste system and the notion of living in "classes". In Islam there was no discrimination,
or division on the basis of colour, class tribal affiliation, race, homeland and birthplace,
all of which gave rise to problems. Equal rights seemed the right human solution, which
in practice meant the acceptance of rights and obligation as a member of the Islamic
Community. The pious person achieved sublimity and nearness to God.

The local population saw that Islam could extricate them from this bondage and provide
the means for the extirpation of social evils. The new religion gave the small man a
sense of this individual worth - the dignity of man - as a member of an Islamic
community.

The efforts of the ulama' in implementing Islamic teachings gradually reached rulers,
officials, community leaders and the ordinary people. Their efforts left its mark in such
places as Banten (formerly Bantam), East Java, Macassar, Kalimantan, the Southern
Philippines, Southern Thailand, Malacca, Trengganu and elsewhere. The ulama' also
played a part in the administration, and some of the powerful sultans held firmly to the
teachings of Islam.

It is commonly held that Islam first exists in Malay peninsula since the 11th century,
introduced to Islam by Rowther and Marakkar (traders from tamil nadu). Soon after that,
the king of Kedah Phra Ong Mahawangsa became the first ruler to abandon the
traditional Hindu faith, and converted to Islam with the Sultanate of Kedah established in
year 1136. After conversion he took the name as Sultan Muzaffar Shah I of Kedah.
Samudera Pasai converted to Islam in the year 1267, the King of Malacca
Parameswara married with princess of Pasai, the son became the first sultan of
Malacca, changed his name as Sultan Magat Iskandar shah. soon Malacca became the
center of Islam study and maritime trade, other rulers followed suit.
Indonesian religious leader and Islamic scholar Hamka (1908–1981) wrote in 1961:
"The development of Islam in Indonesia and Malaya is intimately related to a Chinese
Muslim, Admiral Zheng He. His mission was to display the might of Chinese power and
collect tribute from the "barbarians from beyond the seas." He introduced hanafi Islam in
Malacca in 1404. But after the death of Zheng He, the Ming Chinese naval expeditions
were suspended. The Hanafi Islam that Zheng He and his people propagated lost
almost all contact with Islam in China and gradually was totally absorbed by the local
Shafi’i sect. When Melaka was colonized by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and later the
British, the Chinese community was discouraged from converting to Islam. Many of the
Chinese Muslim mosques became Zheng He temples (San bao) to commemorate
Zheng He. The influence of Chinese Muslims in Malacca declined to almost nil.

Spread of Islam

After the initial introduction of Islam, the religion was spread by local Muslim scholars or
ulama' from one district to another. Their normal practice was to open a religious
training centre called "pondok" or hut from the small sleeping quarters constructed for
the students.

In addition to giving lectures in houses, prayer houses, or mosques, they also

performed tasks such as working in padi fields, gardening and craftwork and other jobs
according to each individual's capabilities. The role of these ulama' was not merely that
of a teacher but also that of advisor for the village families and communities. The role
they played was fairly broad one by reason of their expertise and capability in more than
one field of human activity. After graduating, the pupils would go back to their
homeland, often in some remote corner of the country, forming a link in the chain
between one ulama' and another.

Islam in the Malay Archipelago in general and Malaysia in particular follows the Shafi
Madhab (school of thought). However there are many Muslims in Malaysia who do not
follow any particular school. In Perlis, the state constitution specifies that Perlis follows
the Qur'an and Sunnah and not a particular madhab. Many Muslims in Perlis therefore
do not follow any madhab, as is the case with the followers and members of the
Muhammadiyah Organisation in Indonesia.

One noteworthy feature in the religious education scene is the close relationship
between the Pondok schools, the teachers and even the pupils although the distance
between them may be quite considerable as from Kubang Pasir for example, or Kedah
to Achen, Java, Kalimantan, Kelantan and Terengganu

The unifying factor that makes strong ties among them is the uniformity of the system of
instruction, for not only are the Holy book and the language used the same but also the
socio-political problems, even though in Indonesia the Dutch were the colonial power
and in Malaysia (or Malaya) the British. The colonisers whether Portuguese, Dutch or
British attempted Christionisation by various means, in particular through their
educational systems.
There were, however, a number of Muslims who felt that the pondok schools could not
deal with the challenge of colonial education institutions. In order to overcome the
problems, the Madrasatul Mashoor al-Islamiyah was established in Pulau Pinang in the
year 1916 using Arabic as the language of instruction. The madrassahs taught Fiqh as
well as secular subjects. This institute of learning was not merely intended to enhance
the position of Muslims in Penang and northern Malaya but in Southeast Asia as well.
This school chose as its inspiration the name of Syed Ahmad Al Mashoor, alternatively
known as Ayid Mashoor, a leader of Arab descent on that Island.

After Malaya achieved independence on August 31, 1957, the growth of religious
education at government subsidised schools was a result of sustained effort on the part
of the Malay community. This can be seen at the Islamic College and the National
University of Malaysia.

The best known and reputedly oldest pondok in Malaysia is that of Tok Guru Haji
Muhammad Yusof or Tok Kenali, who constructed it himself in Kota Bahru, Kelantan.
He received his basic education in Kelantan and then like any other pondok teacher
pursued his studies in the Masjid al-Haram (the Great Mosque of Makkah).

The Tok Kenali pondok became a famous centre of learning which led to large numbers
of people from different states coming to learn at the pondok, and subsequently other
pondok schools were opened by some of the former pupils who in time became
community leaders. This teacher-pupil- teacher network spread to Southern Thailand
and Indonesia.

Some Malaysian ulama' became teachers at the Masjid al-Haram. At the time of this
writing one ulama' from Kedah, Muhammad bin Abdul Kadir, and two from Petani were
teachers there. Muhammad's father was also a teacher at the al-Haram Mosque.

Books

Chinese Muslims in Malaysia, History and Development by Rosey Wang Ma Southeast

Asia: A Concise History.by mary sommer
Mohd Taib Osman. "Islamisation of the Malays: A Transformation of Culture." By Mohd
Taib Osman. "