CERITACERITAKU.COM – The story of Wali Songo Sunan Bonang – Sunan Bonang is a propagator of Islam in Java who is famous for his expertise in integrating Islamic values into community culture. His father and student are both guardians.
Sunan Bonang or known as Raden Makdum Ibrahim is the son of Sunan Ampel and Nyai Ageng Manila. Born as a descendant of a guardian, he was educated in Islamic values since childhood.
Sunan Bonang is also friends with a fellow guardian. He had studied with Sheikh Maulana Ishak in Aceh with Raden Paku or Sunan Giri. The knowledge of Islam that he already had became a strong provision to continue his father’s da’wah in Java, especially the Tuban area.
As quoted from the book Sunan Bonang (Maulana Makdum Ibrahim), Yoyok Rahayu Basuki said that after returning from studying in Aceh, Sunan Bonang then established a boarding school in Tuban as a center for da’wah and the spread of Islam which was adapted to Javanese customs.
Da’wah by Sunan Bonang uses a cultural acculturation approach. He has skills in the arts and literature. Not a few who dub him as an artist who teaches Islam.
One of the da’wah media that he uses to attract people’s attention is gamelan. It is said that the name Sunan Bonang itself comes from the name of one of the gamelan he created.
The gamelan is made of brass which is circular in shape and has a protrusion in the middle. When hit with wood, it will produce a melodious sound. The gamelan is called Bonang.
Every time Sunan Bonang plays the instrument, people will come to listen to it. Tuban society at that time was thick with Javanese culture.
Their previous religion was also Hinduism and Buddhism. So do not be surprised if with this cultural approach their hearts become soft.
This Wali Songo has a high artistic sense. He often staged wayang performances with many composing stories in it.
The composition of the story was given an Islamic nuance. One of his stories is the story of the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
His wayang performances are always accompanied by Javanese songs complete with gamelan sounds. That’s where Sunan Bonang put Islamic values into the lyrics of the song.
Each stanza is always filled with duat sentences of the creed. This is what makes it easy for people to accept Islamic teachings without coercion.
In addition to gamelan and wayang performances, Sunan Bonang has succeeded in converting society to his literary work, namely Suluk. In Arabic, suluk means taking the path of tariqah or tasawuf. He packaged it in the form of a song.
One of the famous Suluk creations of Sunan Bonang is Suluk Wujil. This Suluk describes the atmosphere of the transition from Hinduism to Islam. In addition, this Suluk also explains the contemplation of Sufi science and teachings to know God.
The soul of art that flows in the blood of Sunan Bonang is also passed down to his student, who is none other than Sunan Kalijaga. That is why Sunan Kalijaga’s da’wah uses the same approach as Sunan Bonang.
