goodmorningpapua.com – Even though having a majority Christian population, Papua is also one of the areas in which Islam has spread in the country. It is said that Islam began to spread in the Land of Papua since the 14th century or to be exact on August 8, 1360. Based on the book History of the Arrival of Islam in Fakfak by the Fakfak Local Government Expert Team (2006), Islam first entered through Fakfak. This religion was introduced by preacher Abdul Ghaffar from Aceh to Fatagar Lama, Kampung Rumbati.
At that time, Abdul Ghaffar had served for 14 years or from 1360 to 1374 in Rumbati and its surroundings. He then passed away and was buried in the courtyard of the Kampung Rumbati Mosque in 1374. August 8, 1360 is said to be the beginning of the spread of Islam in Fakfak based on oral tradition conveyed by the youngest son of King Rumbati XVI, Muhammad Sidik Bauw, and King Rumbati XVII, Ismail Samali Bauw. Meanwhile, an orientalist from England, Thomas W Arnold, in his book The Preaching of Islam, believes that tribes and islands in northwestern Papua, such as Waigeo, Misool, Waigama, and Salawati, were subject to Sultan Bacan, king of Maluku, in the 19th century. 16.
After that, Sultan Bacan extended his power to Fakfak through the influence of Muslim traders. Even so, Thomas said, Islam only developed in coastal areas, while inland residents still adhered to animism. Meanwhile, Koentjoroningrat said that based on folklore, Biak was under the control of the Tidore Islamic Sultanate in the 15th century.
This was marked by a local community leader named Gurabesi who was appointed as an official of the empire and appointed as the son-in-law of the Sultan. Based on these sources, Rustam Lengkas in his article, The Early Process of Islamization in the Land of Papua, concluded that there are five locations that can be used to trace the history of Islamic propagation in Papua.
First is the Raja Ampat Islands. Geographically, Raja Ampat is considered a bridge that connects Papua with Islamic areas in eastern Indonesia. Second is Fakfak, known throughout the region, is thick with Islamic nuances. Third is Biak-Numfor. It is known that there are people from Biak who have lived in the North Maluku region for generations.
Fourth is Manokwari, for a written document about Islam was found, the truth of which must be investigated further. Fifth, Jayapura, because there are a number of regional names with Islamic nuances. Some of them are Tobati, Hamadi, and Nafri villages. Not to forget the village of Gurabesi, which is believed to be taken from the name of one of the commanders of the Sultan of Tidore in the 15th century.