Sha'ā 'ir Qirā 'ah Rawātib al-Haddād fīIndūnīsiyyā: Dirāsah Tamhīdiyyah

Abstract

One of the theories put forth by A.H. Johns in relation to the process of Islamisation is that Islam was introduced to the Malay-Indonesian world by nomadic Sūfīs who came to the region and converted a large number of the population of the archipelago to Islam in the early 13 th century. In the following period of development these Sūfīs played an important role in the formation of Islam with Sūfīst characteristics. It is not surprising then that tarīqah (Sūfī order) organisations, which coordinated tasawwuf teachings, appeared in the Malay-Indonesia region, and played an large role in the formation of various traditions and local cultural characteristics. Tens of kinds of tarīqah were developed in the Malay-Indonesia world. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), for example, mentions that there are approximately 45 types of tarīqah in Indonesia that can be considered to be tarīqah mu'tabarah (valid). These include Qādiriyyah, Naqshbandiyyah, Rifāiyyah, 'Ālawiyyah, and Shattāriyyah. One of the factors that ensured the success of the Islamisation process by the Sūfīs was that they presented Islam in a form that was very accommodating of the beliefs and practices of local religions. As a result, several religious rituals that were imbued with local nuances, though influenced by tasawwuf teachings, emerged in various regions of the archipelago. Amongst the local religious rituals that encompassed the tasawwuf teachings is the reading aloud of rātib, also known in various areas as ratiban/rateb. There were various types of rātib, based on the name of the prominent tarīqah figure connected with its teachings, such as rātib Sammān, which was linked to the important figure in Sammāniyyah order, Shaikh Sammān; rātib Rifā'ī, connected with the eminent figure in Rifā'iyyah order, Shaikh Ahmad Rifa'i; rātib al-Haddād, related to an author, tarīqah leader and Sūfī from Hadramī, Sayyid 'Abd Allāh ibn Alwī al-Haddād. Alongside the dissemination of tarīqah teachings in various regions in Indonesia, the tradition of reading rātib was spread wherever the tarīqah mentioned above developed. These regions include Aceh and Palembang for rātib Sammānniyyah, Banten for rātib Rifā'iyyah, and West Java for rātib Haddādiyyah, etc. In Indonesia, aside from rātib, there are also rituals that have been conducted by the followers of tarīqah, such as reading manākib, meaning the biographies of tarīqah teachers. The well-known and most read manākib is the one of Shaikh 'Abd al-Qādir al-Jailānī. The reading of rātib and manākib was carried out because of a conviction that the owners of rātib and manākib mentioned above were pure, and because they were considered to be holy they could be asked to give their blessings. This article aims to provide a picture of the traditions of one of the rātib developed by the tarīqah followers, namely rātib al-Haddād, which is often linked to one of the authors and Sūfī from Hadramī, Sayyid 'Abd Allāh ibn Alwī al-Haddād. In the Indonesian Muslim community, the tradition of reading rātib al-Haddād is believed to have its roots in the teachings of 'Ālawiyyah order. In several regions, such as Bekasi, West Java and in the Betawi community, for example, the reading of rātib al-Haddād has become a tradition that is passed down from one generation to the next, and which is included on various occasions, such as major Islamic days of remembrance, and other religious celebrations. After coming in contact with various traditions and beliefs which contained local characteristics, the reading of rātib al-Haddād became a ritual in several Muslim communities in Indonesia, with particular meanings and functions. Apart from respecting ancestors, for example, reading rātib al-Haddād aloud was performed on the building site of new houses, with the aim of chasing away evil spirits, it was also read during the religious service for the departure of Hajj pilgrims, it was read in order to obtain happiness, and at every monthly recitation of the Qur'ān. As an early study, this article doesn't not aim to explain the tradition of rātib al-Haddād in detail, only to explain that the phenomenon of the reading aloud of rātib al-Haddād is evidence of the richness of Islamic culture in Indonesia.