Pan-Islamism and Islamic Resurgence in the Netherlands East Indies: the role of 'Abd Allah Alwi Al-Attas (1840-1929)

Abstract

The role of Arabic people in spreading Islam in the Indonesian archipelago or Nusantara has been well known. Though some scholars suggest that Islam came to Indonesia through India, many other scholars strongly argue that Islam came directly from Arabia. Some of them also believe that Arabic Muslim traders had come to Western part of Nusantara in the 7th century CE. Not only doing business, several of them also introduced their religion to the indigenous people. They did this through frequent interaction, even through marriage. However, the spreading of Islam in Nusantara was very slow for several centuries. Islam began to spread rapidly in Nusantara in the 13th century. The reason for this, according to Azyumardi Azra, was the coming of da'i-sufi to Nusantara. Not like their previous counterparts, this da'i-sufi came only for spreading Islam, not for trading. Islamic Kingdoms had been established since the end of the 13th century. When Western colonization began in the 15th century, it could not stop the flourish of Islam in Nusantara. Many local people kept converting to Islam through the hand of da'is whom some of them were believed as Arabs in origin. However, the Nusantara had been or walis gradually colonized by the Dutch. Many Sultans and their people were subjected to the colonizer since then.