How Islam Entered Indonesia

Indonesia is considered one of the largest Islamic countries in the world, and Islam reached Indonesia through trade. Muslim Arab traders from the Arabian Peninsula, specifically from Oman, Hadhramaut, and the western coast of Yemen, arrived in Indonesia and settled on the western coast of the island of Sumatra, which is considered the largest Indonesian island. The Arabs referred to it as “Samudra.” These traders established their trading centers on the shores of Samudra and began teaching the indigenous population the Islamic religion.

The Arab traders who settled on the coast of Samudra followed the Shafi’i school of thought. Muslims from India, who followed the Hanafi school of thought, also came to Indonesia. Thus, Islam entered Indonesia and spread. However, there are historical narratives indicating that the entry of Islam into Indonesia preceded this period, during the Abbasid Caliphate, specifically during the reign of Harun al-Rashid. This was through Indonesian traders who visited Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid state, where they learned the Islamic religion and taught it to Indonesians upon their return, leading to the peaceful spread of Islam in Indonesia through trade and movement to and from the region.

Introduction to Indonesia

Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia, in the archipelago of the Malay Islands. It shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. It is the largest country with the largest number of islands in the world. Indonesia was called the “green land,” and it is mentioned in historical books that the name Indonesia is divided into “Indo,” meaning India, and “nesia,” meaning islands, hence it was called the Indian Islands.

Indonesia consists of a large number of islands, totaling over 17,000 islands. It ranks fourth globally in terms of population, and it enjoys great diversity in natural resources. Its climate has contributed to the diversity of agricultural activities and trade in the region, making it a commercial destination for many countries.

History of Indonesia

While Islam was spreading in the islands of Indonesia, several countries attempted to control them, citing the need for spices to enter the islands and establish trade zones. Portugal was the first Western country to attempt to control Islamic trade. They encouraged exploratory expeditions to the islands to achieve their goals, managing to gain many supporters with the help of the Ethiopians and worked on spreading Christianity among the population. The Muslims resisted Portuguese occupation and staged multiple revolts until they managed to rid themselves of them.

After the Spanish state took control of Portugal and seized all its possessions, and due to the destruction of the Spanish naval fleet, the power of the Dutch state increased, and they began navigating the seas forcefully and reached Indonesia. The Dutch East India Company was established there, and they imposed their control forcibly on the Indonesian lands. Muslims resisted this intervention and attempted to rid themselves of it. The attempt to control Indonesia was not limited to Portugal and the Netherlands alone; Japan and Britain also played their roles in the country. Indonesia gained its independence after World War II.