Hannan, Islamic Legal Thought and Practice of Aceh 17Th Century
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ISLAMIC LEGAL THOUGHT AND PRACTICES OF SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ACEH: TREATING THE OTHERS By Mohammad Hannan Hassan Institute of Islamic Studies McGill University Montreal, Quebec, Canada Winter 2014 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy © Copyright 2014 All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ………………………………………………………………………….. iv Précis ……………………………………………………………………………. v Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………. vi Notes on Transliteration and Dates ……………………………………………… xi INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………… 1 Why the Study? ………………………………………………………………. 1 Significance and Contribution of the Study ………………………………….. 2 Methodology …………………………………………………………………. 4 Sources ……………………………………………………………………….. 9 CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL FRAMING ……………………………. 11 Adat and Sharī‘ah: Conflict and Tension? ………………………………………. 11 What is Adat? ……………………………………………………………………. 29 Three Layers Meaning of Adat ………………………………………………. 31 Adat as a Worldview …………………………………………………………. 32 Adat as an Ethical System ……………………………………………………. 35 Adat as Proper Behaviors and Practices ……………………………………… 36 Adat: Common Knowledge ………………………………………………….. 38 Adat-Sharī‘ah Creative Symbiosis ……………………………………………… 40 CHAPTER TWO: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT …………. 52 Early History ……………………………………………………………………. 53 Aceh’s Political and Military Power ……………………………………………. 54 Aceh-Ottoman Relations ………………………………………………………… 57 Economic Importance and International Emporium …………………………….. 59 Political Tensions and Conflicts …………………………………………………. 63 i Aceh-Portuguese ………………………………………………………………. 64 Aceh-Dutch …………………………………………………………………… 67 Aceh-Anglo …………………………………………………………………… 69 Political Structure and Court Officials …………………………………………… 74 Appointment of the Sultan ……………………………………………………. 75 Senior Court Officials ………………………………………………………… 79 Secular Administration ……………………………………………………….. 84 Religious Administration ……………………………………………………… 87 Government Institutions ………………………………………………………. 90 CHAPTER THREE: LEGAL LIFE OF ACEH ……………………………… 97 Legal Worldview ………………………………………………………………… 97 Worldview Defined …………………………………………………………… 97 Islamic Worldview ……………………………………………………………. 99 Malayo-Islamic Worldview …………………………………………………… 103 Sultan in Acehnese Worldview ……………………………………………….. 108 Gotong-Royong, Musyawarat-Mufakat ………………………………………. 118 Communalism and Individualism …………………………………………….. 130 Malu (Shame) ………………………………………………………………… 131 Conflict Resolution, Decision Making and Sanctions ……………………….. 135 Acehnese Legal Texts …………………………………………………………… 142 Adat Aceh: Introducing the Text ……………………………………………… 142 Adat Aceh: Analysis ………………………………………………………….. 145 Mir’āt al-Ṭullāb: The Author ………………………………………………… 153 Mir’āt al-Ṭullāb: Introducing the Text ………………………………………. 156 Mir’āt al-Ṭullāb: Analysis …………………………………………………… 162 Kafā’ah ……………………………………………………………………. 162 Wilāyah ……………………………………………………………………. 164 Faithful Rendering of Shāfi‘ite Texts ……………………………………… 166 Muslims and Non-Muslims are Unequals …………………………………. 167 Who is Kitābiyyah? ………………………………………………………… 169 ii Superiority of Islam Above All ……………………………………………. 171 Imāmah ……………………………………………………………………. 171 Qāḍīship …………………………………………………………………… 172 Shahādah (Testimony) ……………………………………………………. 173 Farā’iḍ (Inheritance) and Waṣiyyah (Will) ……………………………….. 175 Ḥaḍānah (Child Custody) …………………………………………………. 176 Undang-Undang Melaka ……………………………………………………… 178 Safīnat al-Ḥukkām ……………………………………………………………. 182 The Author ………………………………………………………………… 182 The Text …………………………………………………………………… 183 Legal Methodology and Theories of Safīnat al-Ḥukkām …………………… 184 Non-Muslims in Undang-Undang Melaka and Safīnat al-Ḥukkām …………. 191 CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION: OTHERS, POWER, AND AUTHORITY …………………………………………………………………… 196 The Muslim’s Others …………………………………………………………….. 196 The Others to the Acehnese ……………………………………………………… 215 Indigenous Others …………………………………………………………….. 215 Foreign Others ………………………………………………………………… 218 Summary and Conclusion ………………………………………………………... 228 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………… 235 iii Abstract This study examines the legal thought and practices of Aceh at its arguably golden age, namely the seventeenth century. It does not only analyze the legal texts, but more importantly it attempts to elucidate its founding worldview, underlying philosophy, and the guiding ethical, moral and cultural system, that better inform readers of the legal thought and practices of the Malayo-Aceh. The study draws its elucidation primarily from the indigenous sources, which are recorded in the oral and written traditions. In a society that prized orality, Aceh recorded its history and traditions in ways unique to such a nature—the many hikayats, folk-tales, proverbs, poems, and the other kinds of expression within the literature genre. It also examines the indigenous historical sources, published and unpublished, as well as European and other sources. Such an approach provides an enriched understanding of the purported tension and conflict between Sharī‘ah and Adat, the Adat Worldview of the Malayo-Aceh, and its ethical system. Understanding the political and economic context of the seventeenth century Aceh provides a spatial and temporal background to the study, as well as an idea of power and Otherness. In examining the legal texts, two primary texts are studied—Adat Aceh of the royal decrees (sarakata) type, and Mir’āt al-Ṭullāb by al-Sinkīlī of the Islamic legal (fiqhī) type, compared with another two texts of the same types. And in examining these legal texts, the study focuses on the treating of the Others—the foreign and indigenous Others. In sum, the above investigations inform us of the idea of Power, Authority and the Others to the Acehnese of the seventeenth century, and the idea of diversity and plurality that is integral to the Malayo-Islamic worldview of Aceh. iv Précis Cette étude examine la pensée et les pratiques juridiques d'Aceh, à ce qui est considéré son âge d'or, c'est-à-dire au XVIIe siècle. Elle n'analysera pas seulement les textes légaux mais, surtout, elle tentera de préciser sa vision du monde fondatrice, fondement de la philosophie, et le système de référence éthique, moral et culturel, qui informeront davantage les lecteurs sur la pensée et les pratiques juridiques du monde malayo-acehais. L'étude tire ses enseignements essentiellement des sources indigènes qui proviennent des traditions orales et écrites. Dans une société qui privilégia l'oral, Aceh a enregistré son histoire et ses traditions de différentes façons dont la nature est unique – beaucoup d'hikayats, de contes populaires, de proverbes, de poèmes et tous les autres moyens d'expressions littéraires. Elle examine également les sources historiques indigènes, publiées ou pas, et les sources européennes ou autres. Une telle approche propose une compréhension enrichie des prétendus tension et conflit entre la charia et l'adat, la vision de monde de l'adat malayo-acehais, et son système éthique. La compréhension du contexte politique et économique du XVIIe siècle à Aceh fournit un cadre spatial et temporel à l'étude ainsi qu'une idée du pouvoir et de l'Autre. Parmi les textes passés au crible, deux fondamentaux ont été étudiés – Adat Aceh, sorte de décrêts royaux (sarakata), et Mir’āt al-Ṭullāb d'al-Sinkīlī, qui se rapporte à la loi islamique (fiqhī) – en comparaison avec deux autres textes du même type. En examinant ces textes légaux, l'étude se penche sur le traitement des Autres : les étrangers et les autres indigènes. En résumé, les enquêtes décrites ci-dessus nous informe sur l'idée de Pouvoir, l'Autorité et les Autres pour les Acehais du XVIIe siècle, ainsi que sur l'idée de diversité et de pluralité qui fait partie intégrante de la vision du monde malayo-islamique à Aceh. v Acknowledgments A great many have contributed in a significant way to where I stand now in my scholarly and intellectual journey, and specifically to this work that is the fruition of many challenging years. In each case however, it is not the size of their contribution, however small, but rather what these contributions have meant to my journey and to the realization of this dissertation. No amount of words can adequately convey my appreciation and debt to these many great people and institutions, for their thoughts, ideas, support, assistance, their great company at the many lonely times I have experienced, and for their love. So much so that writing these acknowledgments is probably more difficult than writing sections of a chapter of this dissertation. For all the guidance and mentorship, and for all the advices and ṣuḥbah, I am most indebted to Prof Wael Hallaq. His strength was the source of my strength. His high standard of intellectual excellence was my inspiration and a standard I set for myself, although I must admit my feelings of having failed to come close to his. But excellence is not a destiny, it is a journey, and I am grateful that I have been endowed in this journey with mentors like Prof Hallaq who will continue to be a source of inspiration and that standard to which to aspire. Prof Jamil Ragep, the Director of the Institute has continued to extend that same guidance and standard to me in the ensuing years. He meticulously read this work, and whose eye on details taught me the meaning of Iḥsān or excellence. To him I am indebted and most grateful. In this journey I am also beholden to Prof Robert Wisnovsky who warmly welcomed me in the summer of 2006, as the then Director of the Institute, when I set foot vi for the very first time in the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University. His