نور الدين الرانيري
Nuruddin al-Raniri (RH)
Nur al-Din al-Raniri
Also known as: Nur al-Din al-Raniri, Syeikh Nuruddin
c. 998–1068 AH · c. 1590–1658 CE
Fiqh Shafi'i Theology
Shaykh al-Islam of Aceh, author of the first major Malay work of Shafi'i law.
Al-Raniri was an Indian scholar of Hadrami descent who came to Aceh and, under Sultan Iskandar Thani, became Shaykh al-Islam from 1637 to 1644. He wrote prolifically in Malay.
His al-Sirat al-Mustaqim was the first comprehensive book of Shafi'i law in Malay, and his Bustan al-Salatin is an encyclopaedic history. He strongly opposed the wujudiyyah teachings of Hamzah Fansuri and Shams al-Din al-Sumatra'i, and during his time some of their followers were persecuted and their books burned. He left Aceh abruptly in 1644 after losing a debate with a rival scholar.
Life journey
- c. 1590 CE Rander (Gujarat) رانيرBorn in Rander, a port in Gujarat; studied in Tarim and the Hijaz.
- 1637 CE Banda Aceh آتشيهShaykh al-Islam of Aceh under Sultan Iskandar Thani.
- 1644 CE Rander (Gujarat) رانيرDied 1658 CE · 1068 AHLeft Aceh suddenly in 1644 and returned to Rander.
Key works
- al-Sirat al-Mustaqim الصراط المستقيمThe Straight PathThe first comprehensive book of Shafi'i law in Malay.
- Bustan al-Salatin بستان السلاطينThe Garden of KingsAn encyclopaedic history in Malay.
Places in their life
Photo: ROFIQOHHASAN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
- Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, Raniri and the Wujudiyyah of 17th Century Acheh (1966)
- Azyumardi Azra, The Origins of Islamic Reformism in Southeast Asia (2004)