Islam in Malaysia

The recognition of Islam in this part of the world has been a fact since C.E. 674 (forty-two years
after the death of Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)) when the Umayyad ruler
Muawiyah was in power at Damascus. Two hundred years later in C.E. 878 Islam was embraced
by people along the coast of Peninsular Malaysia including the port of Kelang which was a wellknown trading centre.
Before the coming of Islam, the indigenous Malays embraced an ancient religion with various
forms of belief with some of the population belonging to the Hindu/Buddha religion. Life was
structured and arranged in ways that showed the influence of more than one religion. This can be
seen not only in the Malay's cultural patterns but is also part of the 'power' structure of state
dignitaries and princes.
At the political level, the royal ruler and the head of state in most communities in the Malay
world embraced the Islamic religion. The people were impressed and attracted by the provision
in the Qur'an and the Hadith that mankind should be ranked on a basis of interpersonal equality.
Those who for so long had been considered of low caste saw how the different strata of Islamic
society were laid before them. They were no longer imprisoned within a religious caste system
and the notion of living in "classes". In Islam there was no discrimination, or division on the
basis of colour, class tribal affiliation, race, homeland and birthplace, all of which gave rise to
problems. Equal rights seemed the right human solution, which in practice meant the acceptance
of rights and obligation as a member of the Islamic Community. The pious person achieved
sublimity and nearness to God.
The local population saw that Islam could extricate them from this bondage and provide the
means for the extirpation of social evils. The new religion gave the small man a sense of this
individual worth - the dignity of man - as a member of an Islamic community.
The efforts of the ulama' in implementing Islamic teachings gradually reached rulers, officials,
community leaders and the ordinary people. Their efforts left its mark in such places as Banten
(formerly Bantam), East Java, Macassar, Kalimantan, the Southern Philippines, Southern
Thailand, Malacca, Trengganu and elsewhere. The ulama' also played a part in the
administration, and some of the powerful sultans held firmly to the teachings of Islam.
Spread of Islam
After the initial introduction of Islam, the religion was spread by local Muslim scholars or ulama'
from one district to another. Their normal practice was to open a religious training centre called
"pondok" or hut from the small sleeping quarters constructed for the students.

In addition to giving lectures in houses, prayer houses, or mosques, they also performed tasks
such as working in padi fields, gardening and craftwork and other jobs according to each
individual's capabilities. The role of these ulama' was not merely that of a teacher but also that of
advisor for the village families and communities. The role they played was fairly broad one by
reason of their expertise and capability in more than one field of human activity. After
graduating, the pupils would go back to their homeland, often in some remote corner of the
country, forming a link in the chain between one ulama' and another.
Islam in the Malay Archipelago in general and Malaysia in particular follows the Shafi Madhab
(school of thought). However there are many Muslims in Malaysia who do not follow any
particular school. In Perlis, the state constitution specifies that Perlis follows the Qur'an and
Sunnah and not a particular madhab. Many Muslims in Perlis therefore do not follow any
madhab, as is the case with the followers and members of the Muhammadiyah Organisation in
Indonesia.
One noteworthy feature in the religious education scene is the close relationship between the
Pondok schools, the teachers and even the pupils although the distance between them may be
quite considerable as from Kubang Pasir for example, or Kedah to Achen, Java, Kalimantan,
Kelantan and Terengganu.
The unifying factor that makes strong ties among them is the uniformity of the system of
instruction, for not only are the Holy book and the language used the same but also the sociopolitical problems, even though in Indonesia the Dutch were the colonial power and in Malaysia
(or Malaya) the British. The colonisers whether Portuguese, Dutch or British attempted
Christionisation by various means, in particular through their educational systems.
There were, however, a number of Muslims who felt that the pondok schools could not deal with
the challenge of colonial education institutions. In order to overcome the problems, the
Madrasatul Mashoor al-Islamiyah was established in Pulau Pinang in the year 1916 using Arabic
as the language of instruction. The madrassahs taught Fiqh as well as secular subjects. This
institute of learning was not merely intended to enhance the position of Muslims in Penang and
northern Malaya but in Southeast Asia as well. This school chose as its inspiration the name of
Syed Ahmad Al Mashoor, alternatively known as Ayid Mashoor, a leader of Arab descent on that
Island.
After Malaya achieved independence on August 31, 1957, the growth of religious education at
government subsidised schools was a result of sustained effort on the part of the Malay
community. This can be seen at the Islamic College and the National University of Malaysia.
The best known and reputedly oldest pondok in Malaysia is that of Tok Guru Haji Muhammad
Yusof or Tok Kenali, who constructed it himself in Kota Bahru, Kelantan. He received his basic
education in Kelantan and then like any other pondok teacher pursued his studies in the Masjid
al-Haram (the Great Mosque of Makkah).
The Tok Kenali pondok became a famous centre of learning which led to large numbers of

people from different states coming to learn at the pondok, and subsequently other pondok
schools were opened by some of the former pupils who in time became community leaders. This
teacher-pupil- teacher network spread to Southern Thailand and Indonesia.
Some Malaysian ulama' became teachers at the Masjid al-Haram. At the time of this writing one
ulama' from Kedah, Muhammad bin Abdul Kadir, and two from Petani were teachers there.
Muhammad's father was also a teacher at the al-Haram Mosque.