Episode 3
Sheikh Nuruddin ar-Raniri — Mufti and Historian of Aceh
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Nuruddin ar-Raniri was a great scholar active in the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam in the 17th century, during its golden age under Sultan Iskandar Thani. He came from Ranir (Rander) in Gujarat, India, yet devoted much of his life to Islamic scholarship in Aceh. He served as Shaykh al-Islam (mufti) and became the religious advisor to the sultanate. Ar-Raniri was highly prolific; among his most famous works is "Bustanus Salatin" (The Garden of Kings), an encyclopedic work covering history, statecraft, and religious teaching — one of the important historical sources of the archipelago. Ar-Raniri was known as a defender of Ahl al-Sunnah teaching and took a firm stance in the sufi debates of his time. His role affirmed that Aceh was then not only a centre of power but also a respected centre of Islamic scholarship. Reflection: a scholar not only guards worship but also orders thought and records history so the community has firm ground. Knowledge written down becomes a living legacy long outlasting its author. Sources & Notes: ar-Raniri's career is strongly documented through his surviving works, especially Bustanus Salatin, and the historical records of the Sultanate of Aceh. He wrote dozens of works in Malay and Arabic. Some of his debates with the followers of particular teachings are recorded in history, and modern scholars debate the assessment of them — as is normal in the study of the history of ideas.
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Sheikh Abdurrauf as-Singkili — Pioneer of the Malay Qur'an Commentary