Does Mudalovers know who Sunan Kalijaga is? Or have you even heard of his name but don’t know who he is? If so, that ‘s okay , because the following description will definitely make Mudalovers know about one of these Walisongo. Sunan Kalijaga is one of the famous figures in the Walisongo ranks, who played a major role in spreading Islam, especially on the island of Java.
Yep, the existence and spread of Islam in the archipelago did not just come out of nowhere, but was also carried out by several people who were not random. One of them is Sunan Kalijaga who is still respected by Muslims. In fact, his grave is never empty of pilgrims. So what was the life span of Sunan Kalijaga? Is Sunan Kalijaga still related to other Walisongo sunans? How will his works still be preserved today? So, so that Mudalovers understands who he is and knows what his works are, let’s look at the following review!
Biography of Sunan Kalijaga: Childhood
Sunan Kalijaga was born around the 1400s to a Tuban noble family, namely to a Tuban regent named Tumenggung Wilatikta and his wife, Dewi Nawangrum. At that time, his nickname was Raden Sahid (in some literature, spelled Raden Said). Since he is of royal descent, he has a number of names, namely Lokajaya, Sheikh Malaya, Pangeran Tuban, Ki Dalang Sida Brangti, and Raden Abdurrahman.
Regarding his origins, it turns out there are two different opinions. The first opinion says that Sunan Kalijaga is of native Arab and Javanese descent. Meanwhile, another opinion, based on the Babad Tanah Jawi, reveals that Sunan Kalijaga was an Arab. Even if we trace his genealogy from his grandfather, Sunan Kalijaga still has a genealogy with Abbad bin Abdul Muttalib, uncle of the Prophet Rasulullah SAW.
Since childhood, Sunan Kalijaga was introduced to the religion of Islam by his religious teacher. The aim is that the basic Islamic values from the Al-Quran and Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad SAW can become guidelines for a good religious life for him. Apart from that, since childhood he has also been taught to have a leadership spirit, especially in solving problems. It is proven that he is always the leader or originator of ideas when playing with his peers. However, he never felt arrogant and remained humble, so he was liked by his friends.
Short Biography of Sunan Kalijaga
In several sources, there are two versions of Sunan Kalijaga’s youth. In the first version, it is said that Sunan Kalijaga, who at that time was still using the name Raden Said, was like a thief. However, he carried out this robbery and theft not for his own enjoyment, but for the sake of the little people. At that time, Raden Said, who had received religious education since childhood, was worried about the condition of the people of Tuban, which was always filled with poverty and made his soul rebel. Raden Said of course had conveyed his concerns to his father, but his father was only a subordinate king of the central Majapahit Kingdom.
Then, Raden Said’s sense of solidarity and sympathy for the people of Tuban made him take reckless action in the form of stealing food from the Duchy’s warehouse. After committing the theft, Raden Said secretly distributed it to the people of Tuban. However, this action was discovered by the Duchy guards and resulted in him being punished in the form of expulsion from Tuban.
After the expulsion, Raden Said wandered without a definite goal but still with the same mission, namely robbing and stealing for the benefit of the small people. Then he settled in the Jatiwangi forest, becoming a thug who robbed rich people who passed through the forest area. Meanwhile, the second version reveals that since childhood, Raden Said was a naughty figure and grew up to become a sadist. He is even said to have killed people and earned the nickname Brandal Lokajaya .
Long story short, Raden Said’s mischief stopped after meeting Sunan Bonang and repenting. According to Serat Lokajaya , at that time Raden Said was hiding in the forest while stalking potential prey who were passing by. Coincidentally, at that time there was an old man wearing sparkling clothes who was none other than Sunan Bonang. Then, Raden Said immediately approached and took possession of Sunan Bonang’s treasure, but Sunan already knew about his intentions and released his supernatural powers by transforming into four forms. Seeing this, Raden Said felt frightened and ran away. However, wherever he went, he was always blocked by Sunan Bonang. Until he was cornered, Raden Said felt afraid and repented to the Almighty.
After this incident, Raden Said was appointed as a student of Sunan Bonang, with the condition that Raden Said had to wait for Sunang Bonang on the river bank while guarding his stick. Raden Said’s waiting on the edge of the river is what made him known as Kalijaga , which means guarding the river.
According to history, Sunan Kalijaga had three wives, namely Dewi Sarah, Siti Zaenab, and Siti Hafsah.
- From his marriage to Dewi Sarah, he had 3 children, namely Raden Umar Said (Sunan Muria), Dewi Rukayah, and Dewi Sofiah.
- Meanwhile, from his marriage to Siti Zaenab (daughter of Sunan Gunungjati), he was blessed with 5 children, namely Ratu Pembayun, Nyai Ageng Panegak, Sunan Hadi, Raden Abdurrahman, and Nyai Ageng Ngerang.
- Then from his marriage to Siti Khafsah it is not yet clear what the name of his son is. Please note that Siti Khafsah is the daughter of Sunan Ampel.
Sunan Kalijaga’s life span is estimated to have been more than 100 years, namely around the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century. Thus, he also experienced the end of the reign of the Majapahit Kingdom, precisely in 1478. He even took part in designing the construction of the Great Mosque. Cirebon and the Great Mosque of Demak. Sunan Kalijaga then died around 1680 at the age of 131 years. He was buried in Kadilangu Village which is located in Demak.
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Teacher Sunan Kalijaga
In several historical records, Sunan Kalijaga also had many teachers, especially in his efforts to spread Islam on the island of Java. Well, some of these teachers are:
1. Sunan Bonang
Previously, Mudalovers would have known that Sunan Bonang was the teacher who gave the name Sunan Kalijaga to Raden Said. Yep, Sunan Bonang plays the role of a teacher who is able to change Sunan Kalijaga’s delinquency into a figure worth emulating to this day. At that time, due to the preaching of Sunang Bonang, who was able to show his supernatural powers in turning palm fruit into gold, Raden Said repented and tried to become a better person. In fact, because of this, Raden Said, who changed his nickname to Sunan Kalijaga, also became a member of Wali Songo.
Seeing the wisdom of Sunan Bonang’s knowledge made Raden Said want to study with him. Sunan Bonang was of course willing to accept Raden Said to become his student, on the condition that he had to meditate on the bank of the river until Sunan Bonang met him again. After waiting by the river, Sunan Bonang met Raden Said again and took him to Ngampel Gading to receive religious instruction.
2. Sheikh Siti Jenar
Sheikh Siti Jenar is a teacher who taught Sunan Kalijaga the science of Ilafi. He was also the first person in Pondong Giri Amparan Jati.
3. Sheikh Sutabaris
Sheikh Sutabaris was a religious teacher who lived on Pulau Upih which was located in the city of Malacca as well as being a trading center at that time. On the island, Sunan Kalijaga received an order from him to return to Java and build a mosque at the same time as the fulfillment of Wali Songo. Upon Sunan Kalijaga’s return to Java, he then settled in Cirebon and met Sunan Bonang. The village where he met is known as Kalijaga village.
4. Sunan Gunung Jati
Based on Hikayat Hasanuddin, Sunan Kalijaga’s presence in the Cirebon area was to spread Islam and at the same time seek knowledge from Sunan Gunung Jati. It is even stated that Sunan Bonang and his family, Sunan Kalijaga, and Prince Kadarajad (Sunan Drajad) also studied with Sunan Gunung Jati. Then, Sunan Gunung Jati’s daughter, Siti Zaenab, married Sunan Kalijaga and was blessed with 5 children.
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Sunan Kalijaga’s Da’wah Strategy
Please note , Mudalovers, that at that time, Indonesian society still believed in dynamism, animism and Buddhism. So the main strategy in the process of spreading the message of Islam carried out by Sunan Kalijaga was the use of wayang performances. At that time, wayang performances were very popular among people who still adhered to old religious beliefs. Remembering that the Islamic teachings that are to be conveyed to the public must be given little by little so that it will be easy for them to practice the teachings of the Islamic religion.
His preaching strategy began by teaching the community to read the creed first with a sincere heart so that they could convert to Islam religiously. Then during preaching, Sunan Kalijaga introduced Islam to the community through puppet shows. With his ability to act in puppets, Sunan Kalijaga preached using pseudonyms, one of which was Ki Dalang Bengok in the Tegal district.
Sunan Kalijaga’s popularity in spreading the teachings of Islam using wayang plays has really attracted the attention of many people. Even if he performs in a village, people will flock to watch his performance. He also never charged money for his puppet shows. So, in exchange for the payment, he asked all the people who came to watch to make the shahada and take an oath of confession that there is no god but Allah SWT and at the same time admit that the Prophet Muhammad SAW was His messenger.
Sunan Kalijaga’s method of preaching seemed very flexible, so that the Javanese people, who at that time still largely adhered to old beliefs, did not feel that his preaching presence was against customs. Moreover, Sunan Kalijaga also approached the public in a subtle way, including wearing clothes that were not robes so that people would not feel “afraid” of his presence. The clothes worn by Sunan Kalijaga were not large robes, but everyday Javanese traditional clothes. Apart from that, he also used folk art and songs as a tool for preaching. In Javanese society, Sunan Kalijaga is considered the most popular saint and great teacher.
Sunan Kalijaga’s Works
While spreading Islam in Java, Sunan Kalijaga always used Javanese cultural arts and left behind many works. Even in certain places, these teachings are still studied and used today. So, here are some works by Sunan Kalijaga that are no longer foreign to the people of the archipelago, namely:
1. Puppetry Art
The process of spreading Islam in Javanese society carried out by Sunan Kalijaga utilizes local culture in the form of puppets. Previously, wayang kulit in Java was always based on the story of Ramayana and Mahabarata. Well, for the sake of this da’wah, Sunan Kalijaga gave wayang shows with Islamic patterns so that wayang plays such as Jimat Kalimasada, Dewa Ruci, and Punakawan appeared. The Kalimasada talisman is a symbolic form of the creed, in which there is the singing of Kidung Rumekso Ing Wengi.
Sunan Kalijaga made the wayang play a medium for preaching the spread of Islam. In this wayang, almost all of them stage stories about Sufism and morals related to spirituality. Since the people at that time were Buddhists or Hindus, teaching about mysticism was appropriate.
2. Carving Arts
In spreading the religion of Islam, Sunan Kalijaga also produced works in the form of carvings in the form of leaves. Since these Guardians came to the archipelago and developed Islamic preaching, the art of carving in the form of humans and animals was no longer used. This art of leaf carving was created by Sunan Kalijaga and to this day can still be found on gamelan musical instruments and traditional houses around Demak and Kudus.
3. Gamelan Art
Sunan Kalijaga also created a gamelan musical instrument in the form of a sekaten gong and was named Syahadatain, meaning the pronunciation of the two sentences of the Creed. Nowadays, the gong is played during the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday in the courtyard of the Great Mosque of Demak. The aim is to invite people to gather at the mosque to listen to religious lectures.
4. Sound Arts
Sunan Kalijaga also creates many works in the form of sound art, his songs have even been used as traditional songs in certain areas. Some of them are Ilir-Ilir, Gundul-Gundul Pacul, Kidung Rumeksa ing Wengi, Lingsir Wengi , and Suluk Linglung . In fact, Sunan Kalijaga also participated in the creation of the Dhandhanggula macapat place which has a collaboration of Arabic and Javanese melodies.
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5. Piety clothes
Sunan Kalijaga is one of the members of the Wali Songo who has the characteristic of tending to be accommodating to Javanese traditions. Even in the way he dresses, Sunan Kalijaga always wears a blangkon. This is clearly different because other saints tend to wear robes. Sunan Kalijaga is also believed to be the creator of the piety shirt which was later perfected by Sultan Agung. Until now, this piety shirt is used as traditional clothing and is used when holding weddings. Currently, taqwa clothes are better known as Surjan.
So, that’s a review of the biography of Sunan Kalijaga as one of the Wali Songo ranks who participated in the spread of Islam in the archipelago, especially in Java.