الرحلةThe Journey

عبد الرؤوف السنكيلي

Abdul Rauf Singkel (RH)

'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Singkili

Also known as: Syiah Kuala, 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Fansuri

c. 1024–1105 AH · c. 1615–1693 CE

Fiqh Shafi'i Sufism

Chief judge of Aceh, author of the first complete Quran commentary in Malay.

'Abd al-Ra'uf studied for some nineteen years in Arabia, mainly in Madinah, where he joined the Shattari order. On his return to Aceh in 1661 he served as chief judge (Qadi Malik al-'Adil) under four successive queens.

He took a reconciling approach to the earlier wujudiyyah controversy. His Tarjuman al-Mustafid was the first complete commentary on the Quran in Malay, his Mir'at al-Tullab is a Shafi'i legal manual written for the queen, and his students spread the Shattariyyah across Sumatra and Java. Aceh's state university, Syiah Kuala, is named after him.

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Life journey

  1. c. 1615 CE Singkil سنكيل
  2. 1642 CE Madinah المدينة
    Studied in Arabia for about nineteen years, mainly in Madinah under Ahmad al-Qushashi and Ibrahim al-Kurani.
  3. 1661 CE Banda Aceh آتشيه
    Died 1693 CE · 1105 AH
    Chief judge of Aceh; buried at Kuala Aceh, hence his popular name Syiah Kuala.

Teachers

  • Ahmad al-Qushashi (RH) 1583–1661 CE
    'Abd al-Ra'uf studied with al-Qushashi in Madinah and received the Shattari order from him.
  • Ibrahim al-Kurani (RH) 1616–1690 CE
    'Abd al-Ra'uf studied the religious sciences with al-Kurani in Madinah.

Students

  • Burhan al-Din Ulakan (RH) c. 1646–c. 1704 CE
    Burhan al-Din studied with al-Singkili in Aceh for many years and received the Shattari path from him.
  • Tok Pulau Manis (RH) c. 1650–1736 CE
    'Abd al-Malik studied with al-Singkili in Aceh and received the Shattari path from him.

Key works

  • Tarjuman al-Mustafid ترجمان المستفيد
    The Interpretation for the Seeker
    The first complete Quran commentary in Malay.
  • Mir'at al-Tullab مرآة الطلاب
    The Students' Mirror
    A Shafi'i legal manual in Malay.

Places in their life

al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, Madinah
al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, Madinah
Photo: TheHadiRahim, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Masjid Raya Baiturrahman, Banda Aceh
Masjid Raya Baiturrahman, Banda Aceh
Photo: ROFIQOHHASAN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

  • Azyumardi Azra, The Origins of Islamic Reformism in Southeast Asia (2004)
  • Peter Riddell, Transferring a Tradition: 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Singkili's Rendering into Malay of the Jalalayn Commentary (1990)
Draft, awaiting scholarly review.
Birth year approximate.