Episode 2
Sheikh Hamzah Fansuri — the Sufi Poet of Aceh
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Hamzah Fansuri, who lived around the end of the 16th century, is known as one of the greatest sufi scholars and poets in the history of Malay literature. He came from the region of Fansur (Barus) on the coast of Sumatra, an area that had long been a gateway for Islam and trade. His greatest contribution was developing verse as a medium for preaching and teaching sufism. He is regarded as the founder of the "syair" form in Malay literature — the four-line rhymed stanza that became a heritage of the archipelago. Through his poems he taught love of God and the purification of the soul in beautiful, deeply felt language. His profound sufi teaching, emphasising nearness to God, later stirred debate among the scholars who followed. Yet his influence on the development of Malay Islamic thought and literature is undeniable. Reflection: knowledge and beauty can be joined. Hamzah Fansuri shows that longing for God can be poured into a form that touches the heart and enlightens the mind at once. Sources & Notes: Hamzah Fansuri's existence and thought are documented through his still-studied works such as Asrar al-'Arifin, Syarab al-'Asyiqin, and al-Muntahi, together with his collected poetry. His birth and death years are not known precisely and are estimated by historians from the context of his work. The debate over the wahdat al-wujud teaching associated with him is also recorded in the history of Malay Islamic thought.
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Sheikh Nuruddin ar-Raniri — Mufti and Historian of Aceh