Encyclopedia of Islam

Indonesia

  

359  J

---

saint (

wali

) and ruler of a small province of the 

Majapahit kingdom, formed the Walisongo (or 

Wali Sanga), a council composed of nine saints, in 

the late 15th century. The saints engaged in mis-

sionary activities, founding centers and 

mosqUe

s 

at Demak and Giri. Centers associated with their 

names continue to provide spiritual guidance for 

Indonesians. More than two dozen different Sufi 

orders have established themselves in the country, 

some originally from South Asia and others from 

the Middle East. The Naqshbandis and Qadiris are 

two of the leading orders in Indonesia. The tombs 

of some of the early Javanese Sufi saints have 

become pilgrimage sites. Indonesians have also 

participated in the annual 

haJJ

 to Mecca, espe-

cially after the introduction of modern forms of 

transportation in the 19th century and indepen-

dence in 1945. Contact with religious scholars in 

m

ecca

 and m

edina

 has contributed significantly 

to Islamic reform movements and 

daawa

 activities 

in Indonesia. Since the 1980s, Indonesia regularly 

sends about 200,000 pilgrims per year, more than 

any other country. Another distinction is that 

more women than men participate, unlike other 

Muslim countries.

Today more than 86 percent of the Indonesian 

population identify as Muslims (2000), making 

the country the home to the largest number of 

Muslims in the world, in excess of 200 million. 

Included in the larger Muslim community, along 

with followers of scriptural Islam and Sufis, is 

a significant number of followers of a variety of 

Islamic-inspired syncretistic religions. Many mix 

Islam with native Indonesian religions, often 

characterized by the inclusion of ancestor venera-

tion. Others are new spiritual movements such as 

s

UbUd

 and Sumarah.

On December 26, 2004, much of Aceh and 

other parts of coastal Sumatra were devastated by 

a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 Indone-

sians. Much of the damage was centered on Banda 

Aceh, the provincial capital. An international effort 

was launched to help the Indonesian government 

bring emergency relief to the survivors and rebuild 

affected areas. Islamic Relief, a London-based non-

governmental organization, was one of the agen-

cies that participated in this effort.

See also  b

Uddhism

 

and

  i

slam

; 

colonialism

; 

h

indUism

 

and

 i

slam

.

J. Gordon Melton