Haj and Fortress of Solidity in the Past

Kompas

The Grand Mosque, photographed from the top of one of the rock hills not far away. In the middle is the Kaaba. The part of the mosque that extends in front is the mas\'a (place of performing sa\'i), which stretches over 400 meters, connecting Safa and Marwa. This photo was taken in December 1974.

“... I feel like I\'m going back to my mother’s womb. The storm from left was thrown to the right, and from right hit the left side. Then, all the belongings and crates, mats, pillows were thrown off. Then all came into the water trap, spraying out, soaking wet. "

That was the expression of tension described by Abdullah bin Abdulkadir Munsyi, a pioneer of modern Malay literature during the haj trip in 1854. The cargo ship he was traveling in at that time was hit by big storms while passing through the waters of Gamri, southern India. It was said that at that time, many ships disappeared while passing through these waters (Chambert-Loir, 2013).

Well organized trips were not the norm during ancient times. Pilgrims had to go through a long struggle, especially for those who had to use a sailboat to reach the port in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

There is no definite record when the first pilgrimage was carried out by residents in Indonesia. However, in the notes of Ludovico Di Varthema, a traveler from Italy, there were many pilgrims from Lesser India, including Indonesia, in the early 1500s. The note is the first record of the pilgrimages performed by the Indonesian people during ancient times (Azra, 1994).

Also read: Hajj Proceeds with Strict Health Protocols

The record from Di Varthema is acceptable considering that Islam in the archipelago (another world for Indonesia) had grown rapidly in the 16th century. Many Islamic kingdoms were established during the period such as Samudera Pasai (Aceh), Demak (Central Java), to Gowa-Tallo (South Sulawesi). The development progress in the kingdoms drove many residents to go on the haj.

Sailboat

Before steamships were introduced in the 19th century, pilgrims relied on sailboats to go to Mecca. The departure was largely determined by the seasonal winds that could move the ship to the destination port.

There was no shipping service linking the archipelago and Mecca. Emsoe Abdurrahman, in Hadji Tempo Doeloe (2016) (Haj in the Past), wrote that pilgrims had to stop at several transit ports on the way to Mecca without any certainty of departure time.

In such condition, the pilgrimage journey could take up to three years. There was no guarantee that prospective pilgrims would get a bedroom or proper food while on the ship. Everyone must bring sufficient supplies to meet needs until the next stop.

Upon arrival at the transit port, prospective pilgrims also had wait to continue their journey according to the seasonal winds that supported the movement of the sailing ship. If there was no ship passing the pilgrimage route, the pilgrims must also wait for another ship. This factor was one of the causes of the length of time required to perform the pilgrimage by using a sailboat.

Haj service

The high interest of the people in the archipelago to perform pilgrimage became a concern of the colonial government. In 1825, the colonial government banned Muslims in the archipelago from performing the pilgrimage without a passport.

Each pilgrim was required to pay a passport fee equivalent to the price of a large house at that time. As for those, who did not have a passport, the fine was doubled and had to be paid after they returned from Mecca. Although strictly regulated, the requirement to get a passport did not reduce the enthusiasm of the people to perform the pilgrimage (Shahab, 2002).

In 1858, a British-flagged steamship served Batavia to transport the pilgrims. Haj travel time was getting shorter with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

The transportation for the pilgrims began to improve in late 18th century with the increase in number of steam ships. In 1858, a British-flagged steamship served Batavia to transport the pilgrims. Haj travel time was getting shorter with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

Henri Chambert-Loir, in the book Naik Haji di Masa Silam Tahun - 1482-1890 (2013) (Performing Haj in the Past - 1482-1890) wrote that the pilgrimage finally gained more serious attention from the colonial government in the field of transportation in 1874 when the Dutch East Indies officially provided a special transportation service for the pilgrims.

Kompas

Hajj pilgrims who were boarded before the time of their departure would use a ship that was enshrined by Kompas journalists, late in 1972.

Monopoly licenses were granted to Kongsi Tiga, which consisted of Rotterdamsche Lloyd, Stoomvaart Matchappij Nederland and Stoomvaart Matchappij Ocean. Since then, transportation for pilgrims was better than using a sailboat.

Until 1884, Kongsi Tiga controlled the haj transportation services in the archipelago. As many as 40 percent of pilgrims were transported by ships operated by Kongsi Tiga. While other worshipers traveled with British-owned ships through the Malay Peninsula.

However, even though the transportation had improved, the pilgrimage trip was still difficult. The round trip took up to four months. In addition, pilgrims were also required to pay extra payment in addition to the official fees set by the colonial government. This condition was revealed in a report made by the Dutch Indies government’s aid Snouck Hurgronje, to the governor general of the Dutch East Indies in 1889.

Solidity

The struggles encountered by people in performing the pilgrimage in the past helped establish a strong sense of solidity among fellow pilgrims, especially for pilgrims from the same region. However, the colonial government considered this condition as a threat to their existence.

Such a concern had arisen since the era of the VOC dominance in the 18th century. In 1716, Dutch ships were banned from transporting pilgrims from around the archipelago. The VOC also banned several regional leaders from sending religious figures to Mecca.

The concern of the colonial government towards the pilgrims was also recorded in the notes of Thomas Stamford Raffles, the governor general of the Dutch East Indies in 1811-1816. In his book The History of Java, Raffles wrote that someone who just returned from Mecca to perform the pilgrimage received high respect from the local community, especially on in Java.

KOMPAS/KARTONO RYADI

The book History of Java by Sir Stamford Raffles, Governor-General of England, was once the ruler of the land of Indonesia, especially in Java. Published by The Oxfort University Press.

The honor gave the pilgrims a high social position after leaving their hometowns for months or even years to perform haj. With their high social position and knowledge they gained during the pilgrimage, the colonial government was worried that the haj figures in the area could lead a movement against colonialism.

This concern was not mere fantasy. In some movements in the country that opposed colonial rule, some pilgrims played as the intellectual actors. Some resistance to the colonial government had been carried out by a number of religious organizations such as Sammaniyah in Palembang in 1819 and Qadiriyah wa Naqsyabandiah in Lombok in 1891-1894.

One of the movements that were considered to be massive was the resistance of Banten farmers in 1888. In the book Pemberontakan Petani Banten Banten (2015) (Banten Peasant Rebellion), Sartono Kartodirdjo revealed that the event was a revolutionary movement that involved the haj figures as important actors. They included Haji Abdul Karim, Haji Tubagus Ismail and Haji Wasid.

The reformists consisted of haj figures who had just returned from Mecca, namely Haji Miskin, Haji Abdurrahman and Haji Muhammad Arif.

Besides in Banten, the haj figures were also the actors behind the resistance in the Padri War in West Sumatra in 1803-1832. Initially, this resistance occurred between the traditionalists and the reformists who wanted every side of life to return to the teachings of Islam. The reformists consisted of haj figures who had just returned from Mecca, namely Haji Miskin, Haji Abdurrahman and Haji Muhammad Arif. However, as the conflict was also supported by the colonial government, it expanded into a war against colonialism.

Apart from social and political variables that led to the emergence of resistance, the presence of the haj figure became an embryo for the solidarity to fight the invaders. Even though it was still regional in nature, the growing solidarity had threatened the existence of colonial rule in the archipelago.

Such a condition reflected the importance of the role of the pilgrims in social life. Haj at that time was not only a perfection of the pillars of Islam, but also built up the social responsibility among pilgrims along with the knowledge they gained during the trip to go Mecca and to return back to their respective regions. (Kompas Research and Development).