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The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia

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The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Kazuhiro ARAI* This article discusses the relationship between the Sayyids and the people in contemporary Indonesia, with special attention paid to the role of print media. The ulama of Sayyid descent have been extending their influence in the religious scene of Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim country. Today, one can observe yet another increase in the attention given to them. One of the reasons for this is the success of a new generation in da‘wa (call to Islam) activities. I would argue that one of the key elements in their attaining fame is the Indonesian Islamic magazine alKisah. In the discussion, the overview of the Sayyids in Indonesia is presented. Then, some aspects of alKisah, such as the background of its publication, character of its content, and reaction from the Sayyids are discussed. Finally, the role of the magazine as the transmitter of the Sayyids’ information to the people is located in historical context. Rather than emphasizing new aspects of Sayyids’ promotion by a print media, I attempt to draw a parallel between the activity of alKisah and that of storytellers in the propagation of saints’ legends. Finally, I suggest that the Sayyids, the magazine, and the readers act in a longstanding structure of what can be termed as a “Saints’ promotion system.” Keywords: Print media, Hadramawt, sayyid, Saint, Commodification of Islam I. Introduction This article discusses the relationship between the Sayyids and the people in contemporary Indonesia, with special attention paid to the role of print media.1 The ulama of Sayyid descent have been extending their influence in the religious scene of Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim country. Today, one can observe yet another increase in the attention given to them. One of the reasons for this is the success of a new generation in da‘wa (call to Islam) activities. Young Sayyids who received religious education started Majelis Ta’lim (Islamic study group) and Pesantren (religious boarding school). Qur’an recitation and religious * Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University Vol. XLVI 2011 51 study sessions (pengajian) organized by a leading figure of that generation in Jakarta can attract thousands of participants. While I do not question that they have established themselves as religious figures in their own right, I would argue that one of the key elements in their attaining fame is the Indonesian Islamic magazine alKisah. It frequently covers the religious activities of the Sayyids in Indonesia, and in doing so has survived for more than seven years. What is the magazine’s strategy to promote the Sayyids? Is there something new in the process of promoting the Sayyids because of the magazine? What kind of perspective should we have when examining the whole phenomenon? This article consists of three parts. First, the overview of the Sayyids in Indonesia is presented. Then, some aspects of alKisah, such as the background of its publication, character of its content, and reaction from the Sayyids are discussed. Finally, the role of the magazine as the transmitter of the Sayyids’ information to the people is located in historical context. One is tempted to think that the promotion of religious figures by print media is a new phenomenon. However, what I attempt to suggest in the article is that the Sayyids, the magazine, and the readers act in a longstanding structure of what can be termed as a “Saints’ promotion system.” II. Sayyids in Indonesia The Sayyids are the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima. They are to be found in almost every area of the Muslim world and beyond, and Indonesia is no exception. The salient feature of the Sayyids in Indonesia is that most of them originate from a South Arabian region of Hadramawt (currently in the Republic of Yemen). The people of Hadramawt are known for migration to the regions around the Indian Ocean. A large scale migration started in the eighteenth century due to aggravating political situations and periodical famine. Maritime Southeast Asia, of which Indonesia occupies a considerable part, became the most important destination for them after the nineteenth century. Among such migrants were the Sayyids, and many members of the clan still have a strong identity as the descendants of the Prophet and attachment to Hadramawt, their “homeland.” The whole clan has been producing ulama and Sufis in both Hadramawt and Southeast Asia, and those we discuss in this article are such religious figures. However, the sphere of activity of the Sayyids is not limited to religion. There have been politicians, entrepreneurs, government officials, researchers, and professional singers of Sayyid descent. In the past, there were Sultans of Hadrami Sayyid descent in Pontianak in Kalimantan and Siak in Sumatra. In terms of social life, they are assimilated to 52 ORIENT The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Indonesian society, and their “Arabness” is usually not immediately obvious. It should be noted that in terms of number, non-Sayyid Hadrami immigrants must have been more numerous than the Sayyids. However, the Sayyids tend to attract more attention from society and researchers.2 There are some reasons for this. First of all, the history of the Sayyids is relatively well documented when compared to non-Sayyids. Much of the religious and scholarly activities in Hadramawt have been assumed by the Sayyids, and their writings naturally focus on the activities of their own clan. The tradition of scholarly activities and writing is maintained by the Sayyid migrants and their descendants, who are active in publishing the life histories of scholars and saints of their clan. The second reason is that the Sayyids are more united than other Hadrami Arabs, and therefore are easy to treat as a coherent group of people. Until now, the Hadrami Sayyids in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia, have communicated with, visited, and married each other. The unity of the Sayyids is reinforced by a distinct marriage pattern and the existence of detailed records of genealogy. Throughout history, the Sayyids have tried not to marry their daughters to non-Sayyids. This restriction has been eased, however, due to the diversification of values among them. Many Sayyids are conscious of their special genealogy that goes back to the Prophet, and there are currently at least two organizations, Rabithah Alawiyah3 and Naqobatul Asyrof Al-Kubro,4 that record the genealogy of the Hadrami Sayyids. The records make it possible for the Sayyids to maintain their identity. On the other hand, other Hadrami groups seem to assimilate into their host societies faster than the Sayyids, and it is more difficult to grasp an overall picture of them. The third reason is that the Sayyids are more “visible” than others. Some religious figures of Hadrami Sayyids came to be considered as saints, and ceremonies commemorating their achievements are held in Hadramawt. In many cases, shrines are built on the tombs of the saints and maintained by their descendants. In a sense, the existence of the saints is visualized in this way and has become part of the landscape of everyday life for the people. Although such saint veneration has been a target of criticism, it continues to be practiced today. In Southeast Asia, especially in Java, one can see a similar pattern. The shrines of saints of Hadrami Sayyid descent exist in many places, including Singapore, Jakarta, Bogor, Tegal, Pekalongan, Surabaya, and Banjarmasin. Some of them attract many visitors who seek baraka (blessing), and ceremonies commemorating the saints are held. In any case, the field in which their genealogy matters most is that of Vol. XLVI 2011 53 religion. They are proud of the achievements of their ancestors in the religious field, such as the establishment of schools, donation of land for Muslims’ graveyards, and da‘wa. Many of them believe that Southeast Asia was Islamized by their ancestors. This does not mean that they take advantage of their noble descent, as the Sayyids are in general well-educated, and this is the reason why they have produced prominent figures in various fields. It appears the Sayyids’ success in Indonesian Islam is likely to continue if one looks at the recent development of their religious activities. As mentioned above, some Sayyids of the current generation actively receive religious education and, after completing the study, become committed to propagating their messages and the knowledge of Islam among the people. Such desires often take the form of founding religious schools and study groups. These are frequently covered by alKisah, as discussed later in this article. One of the reasons for this trend is the emergence of Hadramawt as a place of religious education after the 1990s. Many young Sayyids received education in Tarim, a town of inland Hadramawt known as a center of learning in South Arabia, and to where Hadramis abroad used to send their sons to get an education. Under the socialist regime of the 1970s and 1980s, however, entry into Hadramawt became very difficult, and religious education in the region was suppressed. After the unification of Yemen in 1990, Hadramawt became open to outsiders (including Hadramis living abroad) again, and restrictions on religious education were eased. The result was the revival of the education in Hadramawt, and especially in Tarim. Ribat Tarim, a school founded by wealthy Hadrami migrants to Southeast Asia, started to operate at full scale again. In addition to the existing schools, new educational institutions were also founded in the town. Dar al-Mustafa, a school founded by a charismatic religious figure, ‘Umar Bin Hafiz, started operating in 1993 at his house, and the campus was officially opened in 1997.5 Another institution is the faculty of Shari‘a (Islamic law) at Al- Ahgaff University.6 All three of these institutions are founded and/or presided by the Sayyids.
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