Sunan Kudus' Dakwah and Inter-religious relationship

MUTTAQIN, Zaenal, Prof.Dr. Abdul Munir Mulkhan, SU

2005 | Tesis | S2 Ilmu Perbandingan Agama

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi strategi dakwah yang diterapkan oleh Sunan Kudus ketika menyebarkan Islam di masa awal islam di Jawa dan model hubungan antar agama yang terbangun pada masa Sunan Kudus. Islam di Kudus pertama kali disebarkan oleh para pedagang dari Arab dan Cina. Sebelum kedatangan Islam, mayoritas masyarakat Kudus beragama Hindu dan Budha, selain juga masih banyak pemeluk animisme dan dinamisme. Ketika Sunan Kudus datang, dengan kondisi masyarakat yang seperti itu, dia sadar bahwa Islam harus diajarkan dengan menggunakan tradisi-tradisi lokal yang ada. Dia berusaha memahami ajaran-ajaran agama yang sudah lebih dulu ada di Kudus sehingga dia bisa berdakwah namun tetap menjaga tradisi-tradisi yang ada untuk menciptakan harmoni dalam masyrakat. Media yang digunakan Sunan Kudus untuk memperkenalkan Islam antara lain larangan menyembelih sapi sebagai penghormatan kepada ajaran Hindu, membangun menara masjid yang berbentuk candi, dan membangun tempat wudhu yang memiliki delapan panc uran sebagai apresiasi terhadap delapan jalan keselamatan agama Budha. Namun, akomodasi dan toleransi kepada agama lain tidak menyurutkan fokus utama Sunan Kudus untuk menyebarkan Islam, khususnya kepada umat agama lain. Tujuan untuk mengislamkan orang Hindu dan Budha mengindikasikan model fulfillment dalam hubungan antar umat beragama pada masa Sunan Kudus. Sunan Kudus sangat menghargai agama lain dengan perilaku tolerannya terhadap ajaran-ajaran mereka. Penghormatan kepada sapi, bentuk menara masjid yang seperti candi Hindu, dan delapan pancuran wudhu mencerminkan pengakuan Sunan Kudus bahwa ada jalan keselamatan di luar Islam, khususnya di Hindu dan Budha. Meskipun demikian, Sunan Kudus tetap berdakwah karena dia yakin bahwa hanya Islam-lah agama yang benar.

This research aims at exploring the strategy of dakwah applied by Sunan Kudus when preaching Islam in the early period of Islam in Java and the model of inter-religious relationship occurred in his lifetime. Islam was initially spread in Kudus by Muslims traders from Arab and China. In Kudus, before the coming of Islam, most people were Hindus. Others held Buddhism and local religious beliefs, i.e. animism and dynamism. Not sooner did Sunan Kudus arrive, he became aware that Islam should be taught by using local traditions. He tried to understand previous religious traditions existing in Kudus and then decided to preach Islam while still retaining traditions followed by local people to create harmony in society. The media used by Sunan Kudus to introduce Islam were the prohibition of slaughtering cow as a valuation to Hindus teaching, building temple-shape minaret of Kudus mosque as an architectural combination, and building an eight waterspouts cistern as an appreciation of eightfold path of Buddhism. However, the accommodation and tolerance to other religions did not neglect the prime focus of Sunan Kudus, i.e. preaching Islam to religious others. The goal to convert Hindus and Buddhist people to Islam in Sunan Kudus’ dakwah was indicated as the fulfillment model of inter-religious relationship. From his attitudes to other religious teachings and symbols, Sunan Kudus honored other religions. The valuation of cow as holy in Hinduism, the temple-shape minaret of Al-Aqsha mosque, and the eight waterspout cistern had become the acknowledgement of Sunan Kudus that there were any other ways of salvation within non-Islam religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. Yet he kept on his way preaching Islam since he convinced that Islam is the last and final truth and revelation.

Kata Kunci : Dakwah Agama, Sunan Kudus, Toleransi, Sunan Kudus’ tolerance, Cultural dakwah, Inter-religious harmony.