The coming of Islam to Southeast Asia: 1300-1800

“Islamization was a process not an event and it still continues as Islam seeks deeper roots and greater influence.” (Ricklefs et al., 2010)

In this essay, I will be looking at the adoption of Islam in Island South East Asia, how it spread over time and why the people of this region converted to Islam.

Islam is a religious practice dating back to the Prophet Muhammad in approximately the year 570 in Mecca, the followers of this religion are called Muslims. There are 5 central rules in Islam, called the Five Pillars, which all good Muslims should adhere to, these are: 1. Confession of Faith, 2. Pray 5 times a day, 3. Fasting during the month of Ramadan, 4. Pilgrimage to Mecca, 5. Giving a percentage of Income in Alms.

Islam is one of the largest Faiths in the world, Muslims make up 23.2% of the population of the world (Pew Research Centre, 2012), with approximately 240 million of them living in South East Asia. With around 40% of the population. Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei holding the largest majority of Muslims in South East Asia.

Islam was founded in Arabia, but soon spread across into an empire spanning North Africa, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and southern Spain, later being brought into India which enabled it’s travel into Asia and in many of these places Islam was spread by the sword. There are two rival branches of Islam, Sunni and Shi’a. Sunni accumulates around 85% of Muslims today (Cult Education, No date) and 10% are Shi’a. The rest is made up of the many other branches, such as Wahhabi as seen in Saudi Arabia which is an extremely conservative version of Sunni Islam, as well as Sufi a lighter and more mystical version of Sunni Islam.

Islam would have made contact with Island South East Asia long before the conversio...

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.... The common belief in the one Muslim god was shared by all Muslims but the backgrounds and ethnic traditions of the people of South East Asia transformed Arab Islam into a South East Asian Islam (Esposito, 1987)

Works Cited

Borthwick, M. 1998. Pacific Century. 2nd Edition. Australia: Macmillan Education

Esposito, J.L. 1987. Islam in Asia: Religion, Politics and Society. USA: Oxford University Press

Mackerras, C. 1995. Eastern Asia. 2nd Edition. Australia: Longman

Ricklefs, M.C. et al. 2010. A New History of Southeast Asia. UK: Palgrave Macmillan

Cult Education. [No date]. A Guide to Islamic Sects. [Online] [Accessed 1/12/13] Available from: http://www.culteducation.com/reference/islamic/islamic27.html

Pew Forum. 2012. The Global Religious Landscape. [Online] [Accessed 1/12/13]. Available from: http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/