Malay-Archipelago Ethnic Diversity in Mecca: Jawi Scholars in the Book of al-Jawāhir al-Ḥisān by Zakariyyā Bīlā

Abstract

This study focuses on the ethnic diversity of the Malay Archipelago in Mecca. The object of this study is the compilation of Jawi scholars (ulema) in Mecca as documented in the book al-Jawāhir al-Ḥisān, written by Zakariyyā Bīlā (1329-1413/1911-1992), a prominent Arab scholar originating from the Bilah lineage in Labuhanbatu, North Sumatra. Zakariyyā Bīlā provided a comprehensive record of the scholars and teachers he met or heard in Mecca (299 people), Medina (21 people), and Jeddah (7 people) over the period spanning from the 19th century to the mid-20th century. The study results indicate that Indonesian scholars who pursued professional opportunities in the Middle East were exclusively located in Mecca, with no presence in Medina over those two centuries. Of the 299 list of Mecca scholars, 65 were Archipelago (Nusantara) scholars from Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sumbawa, Patani, and Malaysia. The significance of Mecca as a prominent destination for the Jawi people stems from the Grand Mosque’s central role in the Hajj pilgrimage, in contrast to Medina. In addition, the Archipelago’s geographical variety impacts the ethnic diversity of Jawi scholars in Mecca. Indonesian Muslim cosmopolitanism is characterized by its ability to incorporate ethnic and linguistic variety into the largest Islamic worship center worldwide. This study offers new insight into the intellectual and spiritual interactions between Indonesian scholars and Islamic science centers in Mecca. This study contributes to the strengthening of the Nusantara Muslim cosmopolitanism that brings ethnic and linguistic diversity to the largest Islamic worship center in the world.