The Author
Peter Riddell, Ph.D. (1985), Australian National University, is Vice Principal Academic at Melbourne School of Theology and Professorial Research Associate in History at SOAS. He has published widely on Islam in Southeast Asia, including Islam and the Malay-Indonesian World (Hurst, 2001).
Presentation
In Malay Court Religion, Culture and Language: Interpreting the Qurʾān in 17th Century Aceh Peter G. Riddell undertakes a detailed study of the two earliest works of Qur’anic exegesis from the Malay-Indonesian world. Riddell explores the 17th century context in the Sultanate of Aceh that produced the two works, and the history of both texts. He argues that political, social and religious factors provide important windows into the content and approaches of both Qur’anic commentaries. He also provides a transliteration of the Jawi Malay text of both commentaries on sūra 18 of the Qur’ān (al-Kahf), as well as an annotated translation into English. This work represents an important contribution to the search for greater understanding of the early Islamic history of the Malay-Indonesian world.
Table of contents
DEDICATION
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND MAPS
ABBREVIATIONS
PART ONE
CHAPTER 1: ONE CENTURY, TWO COMMENTARIES
SETTING THE ISLAMIC STAGE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Early Arrivals
Empires and Rivalry 1511-1607
The Dutch, the British and New Alliances
THE EARLIEST QURʾĀNIC COMMENTARIES IN MALAY
Tafsīr Sūra al-Kahf
Tarjumān al-Mustafīd
GOING ABOUT OUR TASK
CHAPTER 2: THE WUJŪDIYYA ENVIRONMENT OF TAFSĪR SŪRA AL-KAHF
EARLY MALAY ISLAMIC LITERATURE
ACEHNESE RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH TAFSĪR SŪRA AL-KAHF
Ḥamza Fanṣūrī: conceptualising waḥdat al-wujūd
Shams al-Dīn al-Samaṭrāʾī: furthering waḥdat al-wujūd
The Wujūdiyya View of God according to Ḥamza and Shams al-Dīn
Ingredients for a polemic
The use of Qurʾanic verses by Ḥamza and Shams al-Dīn
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3: THE REFORMIST ENVIRONMENT OF TARJUMĀN AL-MUSTAFĪD
NŪR AL-DĪN AL-RĀNĪRĪ: CHALLENGING ḤAMZA AND SHAMS AL-DĪN
The Sharīʿa-minded contribution
Other Factors: Doctrine versus Power
ʿABD AL-RAʾŪF OF SINGKEL: SEEKING RECONCILIATION
Returning to Aceh
Writings on Qurʾān, Ḥadīth, Law
Writings on Sufism
CONCLUSION
PART TWO
CHAPTER 4: THE SIGNIFICANCE AND PRAGMATIC ROLES OF SŪRA AL-KAHF
ITS GENESIS: THE SEVEN SLEEPERS OF EPHESUS
FROM CHRISTIANITY INTO ISLAM
ITS ESCHATOLOGICAL ROLE
ITS INTERCESSORY ROLE: THE ISSUE OF TAWAṢṢUL
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 5: NARRATIVE EXPLICATION BY THE 17TH C. ACEHNESE COMMENTATORS
UNNAMED SOURCES
Tafsīr al-Baghawī (the core of MS Ii.6.45)
Tafsīr al-Jalālayn (the core of Tarjumān al-Mustafīd)
NAMED SOURCES
Tafsīr al-Khāzin
Tafsīr al-Bayḍāwī
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri
Manāfiʿ al-Qur’ān
Additional sources named in Camb. MS Or. Ii.6.45
Additional sources named in Tarjumān al-Mustafīd
ISSUES ARISING FROM THE CHOICE OF SOURCES
The Issue of the Isrāʾīliyyāt
Camb. MS Ii.6.45 and the Isrāʾīliyyāt
Other Potential Problems?
The Circumspection of ʿAbd al-Raʾūf
CHAPTER 6: STUDY OF THE QIRĀ’ĀT IN 17TH CENTURY ACEH
IDENTIFICATION OF THE CANONICAL QIRĀʾĀT
DATA ON THE QIRĀʾĀT IN CAMBRIDGE MS OR. II.6.45
DATA ON THE QIRĀʾĀT IN ʿABD AL-RA’ŪF’S TARJUMĀN AL-MUSTAFĪD
The various Fāʾida and the Named Readers
VERIFYING THE DATA ON THE QIRĀʾĀT IN THE 17TH COMMENTARIES
BROADER OBSERVATIONS
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 7: COMPARING THE TEXTS
FOCUSING ON SOURCE TEXT OR TARGET AUDIENCE: Q18:1-3
HINTS OF SUFI INFLUENCE: Q18:7
EXTRAVAGANCE OR ECONOMY OF STYLE: Q18:9
Narrative Style and Theological Perspectives
CONSIDERING PEOPLE’S CONCERNS ABOUT THE LAST JUDGEMENT: 18:47-49
THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN MOSES AND KHIḌR: Q18:75-82
CONSIDERING DHŪ L-QARNAYN’S JOURNEY TO THE EAST AND THE WEST: Q18:83-92
CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS
AUTHORS AND COPYISTS
PART THREE
APPENDIX A: ROMANISED MALAY TEXT OF CAMB. MS OR. II.6.45
A NOTE ON THE METHOD OF ROMANIZATION AND TRANSLITERATION
SŪRA AL-KAHF
APPENDIX A: ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF CAMB. MS OR. II.6.45
INTRODUCTION: A WARNING FOR THE CHRISTIANS
THE ACCOUNT OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE CAVE
ORDERS AND PROHIBITIONS
THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARDS
THE PARABLE OF THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD
WARNINGS OF JUDGEMENT AND PROMISES OF REWARD
THE ACCOUNT OF MOSES’ QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE
THE ACCOUNT OF DHŪ L-QARNAYN
APPENDIX B: ROMANISED MALAY TEXT OF ʿABD AL-RAʾŪFʾS COMMENTARY ON SURA AL-KAHF
SŪRA AL-KAHF MAKIYYA
APPENDIX B: ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF ʿABD AL-RAʾŪF’S COMMENTARY ON SŪRA AL-KAHF
SŪRA AL-KAHF (MECCAN)
A WARNING FOR THE CHRISTIANS
THE ACCOUNT OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE CAVE
ORDERS AND PROHIBITIONS
THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARDS
THE PARABLE OF THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD
WARNINGS OF JUDGEMENT AND PROMISES OF REWARD
THE ACCOUNT OF MOSES’ QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE
THE ACCOUNT OF DHŪ L-QARNAYN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MANUSCRIPTS CONSULTED