The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia. Kazuhiro ARAI*

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Kazuhiro ARAI* This article discusses the relationship between the Sayyids and the people in contemporary Indonesia, with special attention paid to the role of print media. The ulama of Sayyid descent have been extending their influence in the religious scene of Indonesia, the world s biggest Muslim country. Today, one can observe yet another increase in the attention given to them. One of the reasons for this is the success of a new generation in da wa (call to Islam) activities. I would argue that one of the key elements in their attaining fame is the Indonesian Islamic magazine alkisah. In the discussion, the overview of the Sayyids in Indonesia is presented. Then, some aspects of alkisah, such as the background of its publication, character of its content, and reaction from the Sayyids are discussed. Finally, the role of the magazine as the transmitter of the Sayyids information to the people is located in historical context. Rather than emphasizing new aspects of Sayyids promotion by a print media, I attempt to draw a parallel between the activity of alkisah and that of storytellers in the propagation of saints legends. Finally, I suggest that the Sayyids, the magazine, and the readers act in a longstanding structure of what can be termed as a Saints promotion system. Keywords: Print media, Hadramawt, sayyid, Saint, Commodification of Islam I. Introduction This article discusses the relationship between the Sayyids and the people in contemporary Indonesia, with special attention paid to the role of print media. 1 The ulama of Sayyid descent have been extending their influence in the religious scene of Indonesia, the world s biggest Muslim country. Today, one can observe yet another increase in the attention given to them. One of the reasons for this is the success of a new generation in da wa (call to Islam) activities. Young Sayyids who received religious education started Majelis Ta lim (Islamic study group) and Pesantren (religious boarding school). Qur an recitation and religious * Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University Vol. XLVI 2011 51

study sessions (pengajian) organized by a leading figure of that generation in Jakarta can attract thousands of participants. While I do not question that they have established themselves as religious figures in their own right, I would argue that one of the key elements in their attaining fame is the Indonesian Islamic magazine alkisah. It frequently covers the religious activities of the Sayyids in Indonesia, and in doing so has survived for more than seven years. What is the magazine s strategy to promote the Sayyids? Is there something new in the process of promoting the Sayyids because of the magazine? What kind of perspective should we have when examining the whole phenomenon? This article consists of three parts. First, the overview of the Sayyids in Indonesia is presented. Then, some aspects of alkisah, such as the background of its publication, character of its content, and reaction from the Sayyids are discussed. Finally, the role of the magazine as the transmitter of the Sayyids information to the people is located in historical context. One is tempted to think that the promotion of religious figures by print media is a new phenomenon. However, what I attempt to suggest in the article is that the Sayyids, the magazine, and the readers act in a longstanding structure of what can be termed as a Saints promotion system. II. Sayyids in Indonesia The Sayyids are the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima. They are to be found in almost every area of the Muslim world and beyond, and Indonesia is no exception. The salient feature of the Sayyids in Indonesia is that most of them originate from a South Arabian region of Hadramawt (currently in the Republic of Yemen). The people of Hadramawt are known for migration to the regions around the Indian Ocean. A large scale migration started in the eighteenth century due to aggravating political situations and periodical famine. Maritime Southeast Asia, of which Indonesia occupies a considerable part, became the most important destination for them after the nineteenth century. Among such migrants were the Sayyids, and many members of the clan still have a strong identity as the descendants of the Prophet and attachment to Hadramawt, their homeland. The whole clan has been producing ulama and Sufis in both Hadramawt and Southeast Asia, and those we discuss in this article are such religious figures. However, the sphere of activity of the Sayyids is not limited to religion. There have been politicians, entrepreneurs, government officials, researchers, and professional singers of Sayyid descent. In the past, there were Sultans of Hadrami Sayyid descent in Pontianak in Kalimantan and Siak in Sumatra. In terms of social life, they are assimilated to 52 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Indonesian society, and their Arabness is usually not immediately obvious. It should be noted that in terms of number, non-sayyid Hadrami immigrants must have been more numerous than the Sayyids. However, the Sayyids tend to attract more attention from society and researchers. 2 There are some reasons for this. First of all, the history of the Sayyids is relatively well documented when compared to non-sayyids. Much of the religious and scholarly activities in Hadramawt have been assumed by the Sayyids, and their writings naturally focus on the activities of their own clan. The tradition of scholarly activities and writing is maintained by the Sayyid migrants and their descendants, who are active in publishing the life histories of scholars and saints of their clan. The second reason is that the Sayyids are more united than other Hadrami Arabs, and therefore are easy to treat as a coherent group of people. Until now, the Hadrami Sayyids in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and other parts of Southeast Asia, have communicated with, visited, and married each other. The unity of the Sayyids is reinforced by a distinct marriage pattern and the existence of detailed records of genealogy. Throughout history, the Sayyids have tried not to marry their daughters to non-sayyids. This restriction has been eased, however, due to the diversification of values among them. Many Sayyids are conscious of their special genealogy that goes back to the Prophet, and there are currently at least two organizations, Rabithah Alawiyah 3 and Naqobatul Asyrof Al-Kubro, 4 that record the genealogy of the Hadrami Sayyids. The records make it possible for the Sayyids to maintain their identity. On the other hand, other Hadrami groups seem to assimilate into their host societies faster than the Sayyids, and it is more difficult to grasp an overall picture of them. The third reason is that the Sayyids are more visible than others. Some religious figures of Hadrami Sayyids came to be considered as saints, and ceremonies commemorating their achievements are held in Hadramawt. In many cases, shrines are built on the tombs of the saints and maintained by their descendants. In a sense, the existence of the saints is visualized in this way and has become part of the landscape of everyday life for the people. Although such saint veneration has been a target of criticism, it continues to be practiced today. In Southeast Asia, especially in Java, one can see a similar pattern. The shrines of saints of Hadrami Sayyid descent exist in many places, including Singapore, Jakarta, Bogor, Tegal, Pekalongan, Surabaya, and Banjarmasin. Some of them attract many visitors who seek baraka (blessing), and ceremonies commemorating the saints are held. In any case, the field in which their genealogy matters most is that of Vol. XLVI 2011 53

religion. They are proud of the achievements of their ancestors in the religious field, such as the establishment of schools, donation of land for Muslims graveyards, and da wa. Many of them believe that Southeast Asia was Islamized by their ancestors. This does not mean that they take advantage of their noble descent, as the Sayyids are in general well-educated, and this is the reason why they have produced prominent figures in various fields. It appears the Sayyids success in Indonesian Islam is likely to continue if one looks at the recent development of their religious activities. As mentioned above, some Sayyids of the current generation actively receive religious education and, after completing the study, become committed to propagating their messages and the knowledge of Islam among the people. Such desires often take the form of founding religious schools and study groups. These are frequently covered by alkisah, as discussed later in this article. One of the reasons for this trend is the emergence of Hadramawt as a place of religious education after the 1990s. Many young Sayyids received education in Tarim, a town of inland Hadramawt known as a center of learning in South Arabia, and to where Hadramis abroad used to send their sons to get an education. Under the socialist regime of the 1970s and 1980s, however, entry into Hadramawt became very difficult, and religious education in the region was suppressed. After the unification of Yemen in 1990, Hadramawt became open to outsiders (including Hadramis living abroad) again, and restrictions on religious education were eased. The result was the revival of the education in Hadramawt, and especially in Tarim. Ribat Tarim, a school founded by wealthy Hadrami migrants to Southeast Asia, started to operate at full scale again. In addition to the existing schools, new educational institutions were also founded in the town. Dar al-mustafa, a school founded by a charismatic religious figure, Umar Bin Hafiz, started operating in 1993 at his house, and the campus was officially opened in 1997. 5 Another institution is the faculty of Shari a (Islamic law) at Al- Ahgaff University. 6 All three of these institutions are founded and/or presided by the Sayyids. They actively recruit students from abroad, with most coming from Southeast Asia. At first, many of the students were the descendants of Hadrami immigrants, but the numbers of those with no Hadrami background are increasing, especially in recent years. However, it seems that those who became, or are in the process of becoming, religious leaders after returning to Southeast Asia are predominantly the Sayyids. The publication of alkisah should be understood in this context. Ismail Fajrie Alatas discusses the role of alkisah in his research on the recent success of the Ba Alawi Sayyids (i.e. the Hadrami Sayyids) (Alatas 2008). He mentions 54 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia that young Sayyids effectively utilize media such as websites and periodicals in order to appeal to the public. However, the differences between the two types of media do not seem to be fully taken into consideration in the discussion. Although both can be powerful tools for advertising the Sayyids activities, there are major differences. The first is commercial concern. The cost of operating a website is relatively low, and the number of viewers is not directly related to the economic base of the operator. That means one can write what he/she wants without worrying too much about the number of visitors. Conversely, a magazine needs a certain level of circulation in order to survive because its sales are the source of income for the owner and the editors. That means it needs to ensure the contents reflect the taste of the readers. The second point is controllability. Although a Sayyid can propagate his information and thought through both his own website and a magazine, he usually has no control over the contents of a magazine he does not own. At times the content will not exactly reflect his view, even if based on an interview with him. Thus although both media are important tools to put forward information on the Sayyids, they operate with different dynamics. This article focuses more on the commercial concern of alkisah, and its influence on the contents. I have already conducted research on alkisah (Arai forthcoming). My main concern in that research is the meaning of being the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. At first, I assumed that alkisah was a part of the Sayyids joint project for propagating their view on the history of Indonesian Islam. After interviewing leading religious figures in the Sayyids community, it became clear that alkisah was published mainly with a commercial motive. My conclusion was that the Sayyids can be a marketable commodity. In that study, I focused on the way alkisah presented images of the Sayyids. However, its role in forming the relationship between the Sayyids and the people was not fully discussed. The present study tries to analyze the role of alkisah as a commercially successful magazine in the transmission of knowledge, or information, on the Sayyids to the people. Also, alkisah can be studied in the context of Islamization in contemporary Indonesia. In this regard, Fealy discusses the recent commodification of Islam and the change to Muslims life, referring to Islamic banking, publishing, fashion, health service, tourism, education, and web-based services (Fealy 2008). In the discussion of Islamic publishing, he takes up Hidayah and Sabili as mass-based magazines, but alkisah is not included. I believe that the analysis of alkisah, which has a characteristic of focusing on a particular clan, can contribute to a broader understanding of what is going on in Indonesian Islam on Vol. XLVI 2011 55

the level of everyday life. III. Sufis, Sayyids and Saints In order to proceed, it is necessary to explain the relationship between the Sayyids, Sufis, and saints, because this volume is dedicated to the discussion on Sufis and saints whereas the main concern of the present article is the Sayyids. In principle, they are not interchangeable. The Sayyids are defined not by saintship or association with Sufism but by genealogy. It needs to be pointed out that the Hadrami Sayyids have their own Tariqa named al-tariqa al- Alawiyya ( Alawi Tariqa). The organization, membership, center, and thought of the Tariqa has not yet been fully studied, but the life and activities of most, if not all, saints of Hadrami Sayyid descent are understood in relationship to the Alawi Tariqa. However, as we have already seen, the Sayyids are in general a diverse group of people. Muslims usually show respect for the prophetic genealogy, but it does not mean they consider every Sayyid as a saint. Also, as Tonaga demonstrates, non-sufi saints are not uncommon in Islam (Tonaga 2004). However, I use all three almost interchangeably in the discussion. I would argue that a Sayyid covered in alkisah is more often than not put in the context of Sufis and saints. He may be a person who runs a religious organization but has not been trained as a Sufi. However, his relationship with Sufis and/or saints is often mentioned in the article in the form of genealogy, kinship, or the chain of transmission of knowledge. This gives readers the impression that he is on his way to becoming either (or both) of the two in the future. It is not unusual for alkisah to run the story of a departed Sayyid saint and that of a young Sayyid in the same issue. It is as if there is a Sayyid-Sufisaint complex, and the readers of an article on a Sayyid are reminded of the other two automatically. IV. AlKisah: An Indonesian Islamic Magazine 1. General Information AlKisah is an Islamic biweekly magazine in the Indonesian language. The title alkisah (an Indonesian cognate of the Arabic term qissa with the definite article al) means story or tale. It began in July 2003 and continues to be published at the time of writing (November 2010). The subtitle read Bacaan Keluarga Islam (Reading of Muslim Family) and Majalah Kisah & Hikmah (Magazine of Story and Wisdom) until year three (2005), and Majalah Kisah Islami (Magazine of Islamic Stories) after year four (2006). The magazine is around 15.5 cm x 21 cm, approximately the same size as Hidayah and Sabili, other 56 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Islamic magazines. Each edition consists of around a hundred and fifty color pages. The price of an ordinary edition is fifteen thousand rupiah (around US$ 1.70), which rises to slightly less than twice as much when it comes with special bonus, such as a DVD or calendar. The magazine aims to provide readers with information on Islam in the form of stories, rather than thought-provoking writings or treatises. It is difficult to calculate the actual readership and circulation of a magazine in Indonesia. According to the editorial office, the circulation of alkisah in August 2009 was around sixty thousand copies for each edition. It fluctuates during the Islamic calendar year, with the peak time being maulid season (the Prophet Muhammad s birthday) when it rises by around twenty percent. Relatively speaking, the circulation is neither large nor small. The minimum circulation needed for a magazine to survive in Indonesia is said to be around thirty thousand copies, therefore alkisah clears that hurdle (Syamsul Rijal 2005, 444). At its peak, the circulation reached as high as a hundred thousand copies (a hundred and twelve thousand at the time of maulid), but it had to be reduced due to the recent economic situation. 7 Whether this official figure is reliable or not, that alkisah survived for more than seven years can be considered a success in terms of business. According to Ismail Fajrie Alatas, who analyzed the magazine s Sahabat alkisah (Friends of alkisah) section, the active readership of alkisah is characterized as mostly young people, living in Java, educated (or being educated) in high schools or university, with little or no background of training at religious institutions (Alatas 2008, 103-104 and 169-172). 8 The target market of alkisah is probably the same as that of Sabili (my way) and Hidayah (guidance). The founding editor of alkisah is Harun Musawa, who has worked longterm and full-time in the publishing business. He is a descendant of Arab immigrants from Hadramawt, and, in terms of genealogy, a member of the al- Musawa family of Hadrami Sayyid. His descent almost certainly came to influence the content of the magazine, but one should bear in mind that he is a professional editor rather than a religious figure. His most notable career before publishing alkisah was as an editor of the Tempo, an Indonesian magazine that was banned during the New Order era for threatening national stability. After resigning from the Tempo, he started several short-lived magazines by himself. In the meantime, Islamic publishing was blossoming, and Harun Musawa decided to enter that market by starting alkisah, the most successful magazine he has published by far. Vol. XLVI 2011 57

Other members of Harun Musawa s family are also engaged in publishing. His wife, Nuniek H. Musawa, is the chief director (directur utama) of Aneka Yess!, a popular Indonesian magazine for adolescent females. His children also publish periodicals such as B Girl, Keren Beken and Tabir, all of which are intended to be light reading for young people. In this light, alkisah can be seen as a part of Musawa s family business. The origins of alkisah contrast starkly with those of Sabili. This was started in order to realize the founders ideas of propagating knowledge of Islam among the people, while Harun Musawa decided to publish an Islamic magazine after checking out the direction of the market. The editors of Sabili experienced hardships due to their lack of basic know-how of publication. However, it continued to be published because it was a part of their mission (Syamsul Rijal 2005, 432-435). The success of alkisah is ascribed to the owner s analysis of market trends, and experience in the publishing industry. 2. Contents An issue of alkisah consists of various kinds of articles, but stories (kisah) occupy the principal parts of the magazine. The topics of the stories include al- Qur an, life (hayat), faith (iman), defender of the faith (mujahid), companions of the Prophet (sahabat), student of Islamic school (santri), ulama, Sufi, and saint (wali). Every edition has a main story (Kisah Utama) that features matters related to Islam, such as marriage, testimony of the Prophet Muhammad in the Old and New Testaments, importance of humbleness, miracle of al-qur an, and so on. In addition to this series of kisah, the section touching one s heart (sentuhan kalbu) tells stories about the ethical conduct of Muslims in which right persons are rewarded and evil ones punished. Every story comes with vivid illustrations that are probably influenced by those in Hidayah (Fealy and White 2008, color plate 1). In addition to the stories, alkisah contains articles related to religious matters. Stories of saints and other great religious figures are popular topics. For example, there is a section of Manaqib, a biography of a saint with special emphasis on his virtuous conducts and miracles. Another section related to saints is that of Haul, a yearly ceremony commemorating a departed religious figure (often considered as a saint). The number of Hauls organized in Indonesia is limited, and therefore insufficient to be covered in every edition, but the editorial office seems to follow as many Hauls as possible, especially those in Java. In addition to the religious figures of the past (i.e. saints), alkisah also covers those in the present in sections including Figure (figur), Islamic study 58 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia group (Majelis Ta lim), and Islamic boarding school (Pesantren). There are sections in which readers are involved. In the Reader s letter (surat pembaca) section, letters are introduced with reaction from the editorial office. The Friends of alkisah (sahabat alkisah) section contains small portraits and profiles of readers who seek friends. Besides these, there are sections of consultation (konsultasi) on religion (agama), dream (mimpi), and spirit (spiritual), in which readers send questions concerning these problems, and the consultant answers accordingly. The consultant is Lutfi Bin Yahya, a member of the Sayyid family of Bin Yahya who runs a religious school of his own in Pekalongan, a town of the northern coast of Java. The magazine used to give information on the time of prayers, names of preachers during Friday prayers at major mosques, and the schedule of Haul and religious gatherings organized by Majelis Ta lim. This seems to have been replaced by another section that introduces historical events of the Islamic calendar month. Also, alkisah previously had sections on Muslim women s fashion and the local cuisines of Indonesia and other places in the Muslim world, in an attempt to attract female readers. Both sections have disappeared, but that on women s fashion has returned as a separate booklet titled Gaya Muslimah (Muslim woman s style). On the whole, it is intended to be light reading and seems to target a wide range of people, including those who are not well informed about religious matters. As mentioned above, most of the content is meant to provide the readers with information rather than enlighten them. Partly because of that, it does not take up political issues of Indonesia or criticize the government. 9 This is another difference between alkisah and Sabili. One of the characteristics of alkisah is that every issue comes with added bonuses. This typically consists of a small booklet of prayers (wirid, doa, and ratib), a portrait of a religious figure, a sticker of prayers, and a small poster with prayers. Occasionally, a DVD/VCD is added to these bonuses. The last edition of each year (in Common Era) comes with a calendar. Year by year, the bonuses have become more luxurious. At first, a small booklet was the only bonus that came with the magazine. However, a portrait was added as a perforated page within the magazine after No. 19, year two (September 2004). Edition No. 8, year three (April 2005), a special edition for maulid, came with a CD of a prayer. The portrait became a separate item after No. 17, year four (August 2006). The first appearance of small poster with prayers was in No. 15, year four (July 2006). After No. 7, year five (March-April 2007), a VCD/DVD came with the magazine occasionally. A sticker joined this already luxurious set Vol. XLVI 2011 59

of bonuses after No. 1, year seven (January 2009). After No. 25, year seven (December 2009), the size of the portrait grew to 21 cm x 27.5 cm, far exceeding that of the magazine itself, and another booklet, this one dedicated to Muslim women s fashion, was added. The editorial office believes that people will buy alkisah partly because of these bonuses, and is concentrating on them. 10 3. Characteristics: Emphasis on Hadrami Sayyids The most remarkable characteristic of alkisah is its emphasis on the Sayyids in Indonesia. For example, many of the saints covered in the magazine are Sayyids who are famous in their community, such as Alawi b. Tahir al-haddad (No. 24, year four), Muhammad b. Aqil Bin Yahya (No. 20, year five), and Ahmad b. Hasan al- Attas (No. 8, year eight). Many of the Hauls covered are for Hadrami Sayyids, such as Ahmad b. Abd Allah b. Talib al- Attas (Pekalongan) and Muhammad al-haddad (Tegal). In other sections, too, Sayyids enjoy special treatment: they appear frequently in the Figure section, and many of the Majelis Ta lims covered are run by the Sayyids. Even if a Majelis Ta lim is run by a non- Sayyid, its connection to Sayyid scholars is frequently mentioned. Indeed, there is virtually no edition after that of No. 19, year two, 11 which does not include any content about the Sayyids. It is remarkable considering they are a minority group within a small minority of Hadrami (or Arab) Indonesians. It should be noted that putting emphasis on the Sayyids does not mean the magazine excludes non-sayyid religious figures. Every issue contains the biographies, activities, and/or the thoughts of figures native to Indonesia. Saints who are not Hadrami Sayyids, such as Abd Allah Arfan Baraja (non-sayyid Hadrami, No. 15, year five) and Sayyid Amin Kutbi (non-hadrami Sayyid, No. 21, year six) are occasionally covered. The Hauls of non-hadrami and non- Sayyid figures, such as Muhammad Arsyad al-banjari, a famous religious scholar from South Kalimantan, are covered by the magazine. Indeed, the sections of various stories, the principal part of the magazine, seem to be where non-sayyid figures are usually covered. Although I cannot give an exact figure, I do not think that the number of articles (or number of pages) related to the Sayyids far exceeds, if at all, that of other articles. Therefore, why do we believe that the Sayyids are given special treatment in the magazine? First of all, the extent of coverage of the Sayyids by alkisah is far more than in other Islamic magazines. Even if the ratio of the coverage of the Sayyids is less than half of the magazine s total pages, their relative prominence is obvious. Secondly, the Sayyids always occupy prominent places in the 60 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia magazine. The cover of most editions features portraits of the Sayyids. The portraits of non-sayyid religious figures appear on the front page with the Sayyids, but as a small picture (around 3 cm x 4 cm.). In other words, the best spots in the magazine are reserved for the Sayyids, who are also highly visible in the bonuses. Most portraits are those of the Sayyids, such as Umar Bin Hafiz, Zayn Bin Sumayt, Ali al-habshi, Ali b. Husayn al- Attas, and Munzir Almusawa, among others. The contents of the DVDs in 2009 were recitations of prayers and preaches by Shaykh b. Abd al-qadir al-saqqaf, Abd al-rahman Ba Surra, Jindan Bin Jindan, Muhammad al-bagir al- Attas, Ahmad b. Abd Allah al-kaf, and K. H. Saifuddin Amsir. All but the last is a Sayyid, and what K. H. Saifuddin Amsir, the non-sayyid performer, recites is the Ratib composed by Abd Allah b. Alawi al-haddad, one of the most famous Sufis in Hadramawt. Those who appear in calendars are all Sayyids. That the elements that decide the marketability of the magazine, such as the front cover and bonuses, are dominated by the Sayyids indicate that they are the front men of alkisah (Arai forthcoming). They visually represent the magazine. In parallel with the Sayyids special treatment, the news on Hadramawt, the place of origin of the Sayyids in Indonesia, is also covered in the magazine. Visit of the tombs of saints is one of the most famous themes of articles on Hadramawt. For example, the visit of the tomb of Hud, a pre-islamic prophet in South Arabia, was covered three times in 2008. 12 The last article of the series contains pictures of the tombs of other famous saints in Hadramawt such as Ahmad b. Isa al-muhajir, 13 Muhammad b. Ali al-faqih al-muqaddam, 14 Abd Allah b. Alawi al-haddad, 15 Ali b. Muhammad al-habshi, 16 Umar b. Abd al- Rahman al- Attas, 17 and al-shaykh Abu Bakr b. Salim. 18 All of these saints are Sayyids. Another popular topic concerning Hadramawt is the activities of religious educational institutions in Tarim, especially Dar al-mustafa. The yearly visit of Umar Bin Hafiz, the founder-director of the school, to Southeast Asia is covered in more than one article. As is the case with the teacher, the graduates of the school are popular subjects of coverage in the magazine. If one follows the articles of alkisah, he/she will be well informed about the religious life of Hadramawt. AlKisah holds a unique position in the history of periodicals published by Arabs in Southeast Asia. It is well known that Arabs, of whom Hadramis were overwhelming majority, were actively involved in the publishing industry. The periodicals published by Arabs in the pre-war period can roughly be divided into two groups: those directed towards the Arab community and those aimed at the general public. Periodicals for the Arab community contained articles on various Vol. XLVI 2011 61

issues within the community and the news of Hadramawt. 19 This was at a time when there was a heated dispute between the Sayyids and non-sayyids over the modernization of their community in Southeast Asia and Hadramawt, and many Arab periodicals functioned as media to propagate the thoughts of both sides. On the other hand, one can find few, if any, such articles in periodicals for the general public, even if Arabs (or Hadramis) were actively involved in the publication. Oetoesan Hindia (Surabaya, 1914-1923) and Warta Malaya (Singapore, 1930-1941) fall into this category. After World War II, one cannot see, except for a few exceptions, the publication of periodicals that had the characteristics of the Arab periodicals in pre-war period. Looking at it from this perspective, alkisah can be considered as a periodical covering the situation of the Hadrami community in Southeast Asia and Hadramawt that appeared after a long interval of silence. However, there are some differences between the prewar Arab periodicals and alkisah. Firstly, Hadramis covered in alkisah are almost exclusively religious figures from the Sayyid clan. The information on Hadramawt given in the magazine is related to the activities of Sayyids, or other kinds of religious life, while pre-war periodicals took up social and political matters. However, the most striking difference is that alkisah is directed primarily towards non-sayyids or non-arabs. It is quite remarkable a magazine that so heavily features the activities of Hadrami Sayyids can survive for such a long time. 20 AlKisah has the potential to become a medium by which non-arab Indonesians familiarize themselves with the religious activities of the Sayyids. V. The Impact of alkisah Given its decent circulation size, alkisah has some influence over young Indonesian Muslims who want to learn about Islam. It is not clear to what extent the magazine has a presence in the wider picture of Indonesian Islam, but for the Sayyids, especially young ones, its impact is enormous. It is not surprising that saints who originated from Hadramawt are widely known among the people of Indonesia. Typical examples of such Sayyid saints are Ali al-habshi in the Kwitang district, Jakarta, and Ali b. Husayn al- Attas in the Condet district of the same city (both are mentioned in the discussion on the bonuses above). Their life histories are circulating among the people, including non-sayyids, in Jakarta and beyond in the form of oral tradition and writings. AlKisah frequently covers such proven religious figures, but the content of such articles are more or less reaffirmation of their fame. What is new to alkisah is the coverage of young Sayyids. As an example, let us consider an article on Muhammad b. Alawi Bin 62 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Shihab, a young Sayyid of the Bin Shihab family (alkisah 5 (10), 64-65). The title of the article is Yang Muda, Yang Berdakwah (A young one who conducts da wa). He is still in his twenties (he was born in 1981 in Palembang) but has already been running the south Jakarta branch of Majelis Ta lim al-yusrain for nearly five years. In the article, his activities and education are introduced, and although the schools he studied at were not always run by Hadrami Sayyids, all of his teachers mentioned in the article are from that clan. In the article, he is placed into the network of religious figures of Hadrami Sayyid through genealogy and the transmission of knowledge. His relationship with Hadramawt is also brought up in the article. This does not mean that he studied in Hadramawt, the place where many young Sayyids in Indonesia prefer to receive religious instruction today. Actually, he did not go there, but the article goes on to explain the reason for not doing so. According to the narrative, his sister, who was studying at Hadramawt, consulted a teacher about the brother s career. The teacher, after studying his career, said that his education was sufficient, and advised that he go to the next level (i.e. starting his da wa activities). The purpose of this kind of article is to locate young Sayyids in the network of religious figures of Hadrami Sayyid descent. If one examines the network of his immediate teachers, he/she will soon come across persons considered as saints. Muhammad Bin Shihab himself is not introduced as a proven religious figure, let alone a saint. He probably needs another fifty years or so to be recognized as such, and then only if he succeeds in his career. However, the article makes a promising, yet too young to be a prominent, religious figure a part of the Sayyid- Sufi-saint complex. The effect of this kind of article is obvious. Once young Sayyids are introduced in the magazine, they become known across the boundary of regional communities. The impact is relatively large, as the editorial office receives inquiries about their contact information or the possibility of asking them to attend religious functions. Thus, alkisah promotes those who would have remained in obscurity had they not been covered. It is also worth mentioning that with the publication of alkisah, the Sayyids exposure to the public increased. Every two weeks, the new issue with a Sayyid s portrait on the cover hits book stores and magazine stands and is seen by passers-by. It is not possible to evaluate the real impact of the magazine in this way. However, it is certain that the Sayyids channels to the people increased after the publication of alkisah. VI. Response From the People and the Sayyids Vol. XLVI 2011 63

AlKisah seems to be successful in promoting religious figures of Sayyid descent, but the way it is received by the readers and the Sayyid community must be examined. I could not fully investigate the reaction from non-sayyid Indonesians to the magazine, but it is probable that the great emphasis on the Sayyids is not considered a problem. Rather, an Indonesian researcher of Islamic history pointed out that ordinary people would be pleased with the stories of Sayyids and saints. 21 The fact that most readers are non-sayyids confirms this observation. However, there is criticism for what alkisah is doing, and most of it comes from the Sayyids themselves. Why do they criticize the magazine that propagates information on their religious activities? First, many people point out that there are misinterpretations of facts in alkisah. For example, an article in alkisah stated that the family name al- Attas, among others, came to be familiar to the people of Indonesia around the fourteenth or fifteenth century. However, the eponymous founder of the family, Umar b. Abd al-rahman al- Attas, lived in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and there is no way the family was known in Hadramawt before that time, let alone in Indonesia. 22 This kind of mistake results from a lack of research, and I do not think that the editors intentionally mislead the readers for a certain purpose. I personally know that the editors are collecting information on the history of the Sayyids with enthusiasm, and this kind of error will decrease in the future. For the Sayyids who know more about the history of their clan than those in the editorial office, however, such mistakes are unacceptable. Secondly, some people think that Sayyids should not be promoted in the way alkisah does it. One of the virtues of the Sayyid is humbleness, and appearing in the media as a religious leader contradicts this. Even though some Sayyids of the younger generation have become known nationwide, this does not mean that his instant popularity helped him in a positive way in his career. In other words, they have much to do before getting the attention of society. Recognition by the people as a religious teacher/ scholar, they insist, should be achieved by themselves without the help of any media. In other words, they should follow the way of their predecessors. This opinion is typical amongst the older generation who know how hard a Sayyid in the past studied and worked without any attention from society. Thirdly, there are people who point out that the content of the magazine is biased toward the Sunni-Shafi i line of Islam, to the detriment of other groups. This opinion is held mainly by the Sayyids who converted to Shi a, or have sympathy for the sect. According to them, an Islamic magazine should encompass all variants of Islam (i.e. Shi ia, Wahhabism, and others) in 64 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia Indonesia, and devote more pages to groups other than the Sunni-Shafi i line. 23 Finally, some believe that the Sayyids should not be understood in connection with saints and miracles only. The scholarly and religious activities of the Sayyids are diverse, and putting too much emphasis on the life histories of saints and miracles will obscure the rich tradition of the Sayyids other intellectual activities. This kind of reaction from educated Hadrami Sayyids in Indonesia is a typical reaction to the commercialization of Islam, as Fealy says that traditionalist Islamic scholars and intellectuals are not pleased with the new form of religious practice and shallow commercialization of faith (Fealy 2006, 35). Interestingly, although many complain about the content of alkisah, few Sayyids cut their connection with the magazine completely. It has been said that certain people have refused to be interviewed by the magazine because of its editing policy, but in most cases such rumors are groundless. One of the reasons is that, as many Sayyids said to me, it was the virtue of a Sayyid to be generous and give information to the seeker of knowledge, no matter who he was. This means that some Sayyids covered by alkisah may be those who are critical of the magazine. Another reason, presumably, is the fact that the owner and some of the editors of alkisah are Sayyids. It is natural to assume that they are related to many of the clan s important figures by kinship, and it is difficult for the critics to actually end their relationship with the magazine. In spite of the controversial aspects, most Sayyids, including the critics, recognize the benefit of publishing a magazine that covers their activities. They admit that, whether in a proper way or not, it spreads information on their thought and religious activities. It can be said that the existence of criticism itself indicates that the Sayyids are aware of the influence of the magazine, and try to improve the information and message it conveys. It should also be noted that criticism of alkisah usually comes from the older generation of the Sayyid community. The younger Sayyids, who are close in age to the active readership of alkisah, seem to accept the magazine without question. VII. Ongoing Process of Saint-making? The discussion above indicates the characteristics of alkisah as a magazine that is intended to give information on Islam with a special emphasis on religious figures of Hadrami Sayyid descent. It is an agent of constructing the image of the Sayyids among the people. It aims to attract readers, including those with little expertise in religious science, and the popular motif of its articles is the life of a saint and miracles. This is the reason why many educated Sayyids, including those covered by alkisah, frown upon the most powerful propagator Vol. XLVI 2011 65

of their history and activities. A question arises, however, as to whether we conclude that the magazine is not worthy of attention because the articles do not reflect, if we agree with the critics, the diverse aspects of the Sayyids religious activities, or can we still get something out of it? How can we understand the whole phenomenon? The operation of alkisah can be understood in the context of Sufism, especially that of the cult of saints. As mentioned above, most saints of Hadrami Sayyid are related to Alawi Tariqa. Tonaga suggests a three-axis framework of Sufism: 1. Ethics, 2. Mysticism, and 3. Popular cult (Tonaga 2006). Following this analytical framework, the domain of alkisah is understood as a typical popular cult. In the magazine, one can hardly find deep consideration of mysticism or ethics. By contrast, tales of the Sayyids lives are abundant, and the readers demand more of that kind. 24 The readers are probably not so wellinformed about the details of the thought of Sayyids covered in the magazine. Instead, they see such religious figures as upright Muslims and want to know more about their lives and great achievements. Because of alkisah, the followers of the Sayyids seem to increase, so in this sense the magazine is a driving force of popular cult. It does not mean, however, that the most prominent nature of the Alawi Tariqa is popular cult. The point is that the main focus of the magazine is that particular aspect of the Tariqa. Another possible way of understanding the phenomenon is to draw parallels between the activities of alkisah and those who propagated the stories of saints in the past. There are numerous life histories of saints in the Muslim world. They are more often than not based on oral tradition of a saint s deeds, and it took a certain period of time before they were written down. For example, the biography of Abd al-qadir al-jilani (d. 1166), one of the most famous saints in the Muslim world, appeared more than a century after his death. It is reasonable to assume that the original information transmitted among the people was changed in the process. Thus at the time it was fixed on paper, it came to reflect the expectations people had in a saint. In other words, in the process, a historical figure came to embody the people s ideals. Contributing to this process were people called qussas (sg. qass), or storytellers. They were originally people who commented on the narratives in al- Qur an. They also told other stories of the past, especially those of great figures in the history of Islam. Such stories were, however, often influenced by non- Islamic elements such as Judeo-Christian legends and pre-islamic stories. They even falsified historical events in order that their stories were well-received by the audience. Because of that, they came to be criticized by scholars and Sufis, 66 ORIENT

The Media, Saints and Sayyids in Contemporary Indonesia and their activities sometimes banned by the authorities. Despite the criticism and attacks, they succeeded in gaining popular support because of their narrative skill and attracted bigger audiences than rival scholars. Also, they were used by religious factions as a useful means of spreading their ideas among the masses (Pellat 1976). These professional storytellers were involved in the making of saints stories. Some aspects of this process of making a saint s legend can be observed in alkisah s activities. Interestingly, both of the word alkisah and qussas come from the same radicals of Arabic language, and the latter literally means those who tell a kisah (story). First of all, however, I need to state that I do not think alkisah is comparable to qussas in the sense that it fabricates stories. As mentioned above, the members of the editorial office are motivated by the best intentions and collecting as much information as they can, consulting various kinds of documents including academic papers. The reason for the criticism of the magazine is not that it intentionally leads people in the direction of a particular faction, but that the point of focus does not facilitate deeper thinking about the religion. What alkisah is doing instead is making the style and points of emphasis of the stories acceptable to the people. The reason for doing this is the market. Being a commercial magazine, the content of alkisah is dictated, or at least considerably influenced, by the market dynamics. And market in this case means the readers. As typical readers of the magazine are young people without the background of religious education, Sayyid saints may be the best way to win their hearts and minds. The absence of a particular intention on the editors part, unlike fellow magazine Sabili, means that the contents of alkisah are a reflection of what the readers expect. During more than seven years of operation, the editorial office must have received reactions from readers and distributors, and changed the content of the magazine to something more marketable. It is a kind of natural product, formed through interaction between the editorial office and the readers in the market. Likewise, the reason why storytellers in the past made up various episodes of a saint s life was to attract the audience. Other common characteristics of alkisah and past storytellers are that they gain popularity among the people, are considered as the means to reach a large number of people, and are criticized by rigid scholars. It can be said that the processes of story-making in both cases have much in common. It may not be a proper medium to enlighten the people, if one follows the logic of the critics. But its operation shows the typical way of how Sayyids became famous among the people. The effect of alkisah is new in that it propagates information on Vol. XLVI 2011 67

young and rising religious figures of Sayyid descent on an unprecedented scale. However, its role as a medium by which popular stories of great figures are transmitted is not so different from the past. VIII. Concluding Remarks This article started with a discussion of the recent increase in the influence of Hadrami Sayyids in Indonesian Islam. It continued into the role print media, namely the Islamic magazine alkisah, played in that phenomenon. The operation of alkisah and reaction from the readers, both Sayyids and non- Sayyids, reveals various issues regarding Islam in contemporary Indonesia, such as commodification of religion, the role of Islamic publishing in the post- Soeharto era, Islamization at the grass-roots level, generational difference in thinking within the Sayyid community, and other interesting aspects of the everyday life of Muslims. While these problems need to be discussed in the future (and I plan to do so in separate papers), what I try to focus attention on in this article is the stable structure in which the relationship between the Sayyids and the people has been built throughout history. Being a commercially oriented magazine, alkisah tries to provide stories on the Sayyids that suit the taste of the public. As the target readers of alkisah are average Muslims, it is natural that the articles in the magazine should be fun to read, easily accepted by the public, and at the same time criticized by the more educated and religiously-minded people. I do not believe that the commercially oriented nature of alkisah is to be taken as a negative aspect. Rather, it helps the magazine reflect the expectation of readers more directly than a magazine that has a clear mission. As a result, it succeeded in finding a new market for coverage of the Sayyids. Even if alkisah sometimes fails to give the readers accurate information, it still demonstrates how the Sayyids gained popularity among the people by way of popular stories. In other words, the magazine embodies the ongoing process of the production of the Sayyids legends. Notes 1 This article is based on the presentation I gave at World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) Barcelona on July 20, 2010. I would like to thank the participants, the coordinator, the commentator, and presenters of the panel for making valuable comments. My thanks go as well to the National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU) for funding my travel to the conference. Also, I would like to inform that this article is intended to be a part of the series of studies on the Islamic magazine alkisah. The first paper on the magazine, that shares some parts with this article though the focus is different, was presented at the international conference: The Role and Position of Sayyid/Sharifs in Muslim Societies in September 2009, 68 ORIENT