Indonesian ulama and founder of PERTI
Sheikh Sulaiman ar-Rasuli (10 December 1871 – 1 August 1970), known as Inyiak Canduang, was an Indonesian "ʿālim" and founder of Union of Islamic Education ("Persatuan Tarbiyah Islamiyah", PERTI), a "kaum tua" (traditionalist) Islamic organization from West Sumatra. He was credited for popularizing the famous Minangkabau idiom, "adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah" (traditions are founded upon the [Islamic] law, and the law founded upon the Qur'an).
Biography.
Early life.
Sulaiman was born in Candung, Agam on 10 December 1871 to Muhammad Rasul, a local religion teacher, and Siti Buliah. In 1881, he was taught Qur'an by Abdurrahman Batuhampar, a well-known Naqshbandi murshid and grandfather of Mohammad Hatta, in Batuhampar, Lima Puluh Kota. After completed his study in Batuhampar, he visited various ulama in Minangkabau Highlands. One of those was Abdullah Halaban, a scholar who Sulaiman studied various subjects under him.
In 1903, Sulaiman went to Mecca for hajj and Islamic education. He studied under several scholars such as Ahmad Khatib al-Minankabawi, Mukhtar Atarid al-Bughuri, Umar Bajunaid al-Hadrami, Ahmad Shata al-Makki, and others. After completed his studies, he returned to Candung and opened a surau in 1908.
In 1923, he received Naqshbandi-Khalidi ijazah from Muhammad Arsyad, son of Abdurrahman Batuhampar.
Activities during Dutch and Japanese period.
Sulaiman ar-Rasuli engaged in several political activities in West Sumatra. The first one was in 1918 when he elected as the head branch of Sarekat Islam in Candung. In 1921, he participated in establishing "Ittihad Ulama Sumatera" (Union of Sumatran Clerics), a "kaum tua" organization led by Muhammad Saad Mungka.
In 1928, he transformed his surau into madrasa in order to compete with "kaum muda" (modernist) schools like Sumatera Thawalib. Together with other "kaum tua" clerics like Muhammad Jamil Jaho, Abbas Qadhi, and Abdul Wahid Saleh, Sulaiman ar-Rasuli founded "Persatuan Madrasah Tarbiyah Islamiyah" (Union of Islamic Education School) on 5 May 1928. The organization later changed its name to "Persatuan Tarbiyah Islamiyah" (Union of Islamic Education, PERTI).
During Japanese occupation of West Sumatra, he became one of the founders of "Majelis Islam Tinggi" (High Islamic Council, MIT), an organization founded by both "kaum tua" and "kaum muda" scholars. He was chosen as the "Ketua Umum" (general chairman) of MIT. In 1943, he became one of the representatives from Minangkabau in conference of ulama in Singapore.
After independence of Indonesia.
When PERTI held a congress on 22–24 December 1945 in Bukittinggi, ar-Rasuli approved the plan to transformed PERTI into political party. He also established "Lasykar Muslimin Indonesia", a paramilitary wing of PERTI during the national revolution in 1945–1949.
In the 1955 Indonesian Constitutional Assembly election, he was elected as the member of "Konstituante" (Constitutional Assembly). When "Konstituante" held the first session on 10 November 1956, he became the head of the session.
Owing to his experience as a qadi in Candung, he was appointed as the Head of "Mahkamah Syariah" (Sharia Court) in Central Sumatra on 17 January 1947. He held the position until 1958.
Death.
Sulaiman ar-Rasuli died on 1 August 1970 in Candung, Indonesia. He was buried in his madrasa, Madrasah Tarbiyah Islamiyah (MTI) Candung. Harun Zain, Governor of West Sumatra, instructed flags in West Sumatra to be flown at half-mast.
Views.
Islam.
Sulaiman ar-Rasuli was widely known as one of great scholars among "kaum tua" in West Sumatra. Some of his well known writings are his commentaries about "uṣallī" recitation before salah, Quran translations, and Ahmadiyya. Two of his books about Ash'ari creed, "Jawāhir al-Kalāmiyyah" and "Aqwāl al-Marḍiyah", are still regularly taught in MTI Candung.
As a Naqshbandi, he became an ardent defender of the Sufi order. He argued that Naqshbandi "dhikr" practices and "rābiṭah" do not violate the sharia. On the other hand, he criticized other Sufi master who he considered had violated the Sunni creed and jurisprudence, such as in his conflict with Haji Jalaluddin of PPTI.
Minangkabau "adat".
ar-Rasuli played major role in introducing the relation between Islam and "adat". He popularized the idiom "adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah" (traditions are founded upon the [Islamic] law, and the law founded upon the Qur'an). Six of his writings are related to this theme.
Personal life.
Sulaiman ar-Rasuli married 17 times and had 19 children. Three of his children were also Islamic scholars: Baharuddin, Syahruddin, and Muhammad Noer.
Literary works.
He wrote several books and articles regarding "fiqh", "ʿaqīdah", "taṣawwuf", "tafsīr", "sīrah", and Minangkabau "adat".
References.
Citations.
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Bibliography.
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