How Islam Arrived in Java

In the 16th century Islam was spread on the island of Java by traveling religious teachers. A group of nine men called the Wali Songo (The nine ambassadors of Islam) were important religious teachers who supposedly did powerful and unusual miraculous acts across the island. The histories of these men are not always clear but their tombs are often visited by local Muslims seeking supernatural help and blessing (especially the tombs of Sunan Kalijaga and Sunan Jafar Shodiq). It appears that the famous Chinese Muslim admiral Zheng He visited the island with his great fleet in 1405. It is possible the the name of the city of Semarang originated from the Chinese words "Sam Po Lang" meaning the city of Sam Po (Admiral Zheng He). The city has a significant Chinese population and a temple dedicated to Admiral Zheng He which is also considered a significant shrine by Muslims.

Semarang City

By its size and the number of its inhabitants, Semarang is the fifth largest city of Indonesia (At least 1.5 million inhabitants). It is situated on Java's northern coast just about halfway between the eastern and western extremities of the island. From the Candi hill in Semarang one can see striking panoramas in all directions: the port and the sea, the lowlands and green rice paddy fields, the city itself and several volcanic mountains in the distance. In the older part of the city, close to its ocean harbour, one can still find buildings dating back to the Dutch colonial era. Yet the heart of the city has moved to the area around the Simpang Lima Square which hosts a beautiful modern shopping centre, a huge mosque and cinema complexes. Events, activities and changes in Semarang affect the entire region.

Occultism among the Jawa

In and around Semarang live the Jawa Pesisir Lor people. They are only one of the hundreds of ethnic groups found in Indonesia but they are a very significant group because of their numbers and Islamic commitment. The Jawa Pesisir Lor number about 18,600,000 split into two main groups west and east of the coastal city of Semarang. Many Jawa Pesisir Lor view traditional Javanese culture as backward and are proud of what they consider to be their more modern world-view and stronger Islamic commitment. The vast majority of them are Sunni Muslims though there are also some Sufis among them. Unlike many other Javanese ethnic groups, they traditionally tend to prefer Islamic music to Javanese music and Qur'an readings to watching traditional shadow puppet plays. However the younger generations are being greatly influenced by the global youth culture. Occultism is still frequently practised by many Jawa Pesisir Lor, along with syncretistic elements of Hinduism and animism.

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Prayer Requests:

* It is a point of spiritual pride locally that Islam was first established in Java in this region. Pray that appropriate humbling would take place so that people could see the glory of the Lord Jesus and live in awe of Him, the true Lord of all the Earth.

* Pray for men and women of peace to open doors into the Islamic community in Semarang and among the Jawa Pesisir Lor people. While Indonesian Christians live among large populations of Muslims actually the two communities are largely separate and many Christians are fearful. Literally hundreds of church buildings have been burned and thousands of believers persecuted in Indonesia in recent years. Unfortunately Muslims often associate Christianity with the immoral behaviour of some nominal Christians. Pray that real believers would become more evident and find favour with the Muslims (Acts 2:42-47).

* Pray that more religious leaders and teachers will come to the Messiah, influencing their followers for the kingdom of God (Acts 6:7).

* Pray that the love and grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah (Isa Al Masih) would become more and more evident tearing down the proud arguments falsely set up against the Lord and His followers (2 Cor. 10:4-5 and Matthew 10:16).

* Pray that believers will be protected from curses sent from dukuns (practitioners of black magic). Spiritual darkness is very present (Ephesians 6).

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"Missy! I want the Injil. You get me one in my language, OK?" Pauline was caught off guard by the urgency of Miri's request. The headmaster of the boarding school was away for the weekend and it was just the opportunity that Miri (not her real name) had been waiting for. "My Bible's over there in the corner. You can look at it if you like," Pauline suggested. Miri picked it up, opened it and began to scan the pages. "This is English! I cannot read it. Missy, I want Injil in my language. You have?"

Pauline did have. But she'd bought a copy of the New Testament in Indonesian to give to another friend and now she was torn. "Why do you want to read the Injil so much?" she asked Miri. "I want to know! I want to know for myself what it says." Still worried, Pauline asked, "But what will you tell the Kiyai (the headmaster and Muslim religious leader) if he finds you reading it?" "Never mind. I know what to tell the Kiyai. I'll tell him I wanted to know the difference between Christian and Muslim."

Pauline considered Miri's arguments then consented, "OK, I'll give you an Injil." "When! Where?" "Right here, right now," Pauline pulled the New Testament from where she'd hidden it in her bag and before she could say anything more, Miri snatched it from her hands and began to read it hungrily on the spot.

The Madurese Peoples Outlook

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As one of the 3rd largest peoples in Indonesia, the 13 million Madurese are key to seeing God's kingdom established in Southeast Asia. The majority of the Madurese have migrated from their home on Madura Island to eastern Java in search of a more prosperous lifestyle. Those who remain on Madura tend to resist any change to their traditional way of life. The majority of Madurese live in compact villages in size), where they are fiercely loyal to Uluma, Muslim religious leaders with mystical powers. Few Madurese have embraced Christ. The social pressure of becoming a Christian, or even showing too much interest, is tremendous. Still, missionaries feel that young Madurese (ages 16 to 20) are more willing to hear the gospel than is generally believed. The lack of effort on the part of Christians may be an even greater obstacle than the force of culture or tradition.

Prayer Guide for the Madurese Peoples of Indonesia

* Please pray for Miri and others like her. Pray for national workers to make and maintain contact with her. Pray that she would be able to understand and respond to what she reads in the Word, and then share it with her family and friends.

* Pray for more short- and long-term workers to be called by God to go to the Madurese. Pray for creative strategies to get the workers into the nation. Pray for a church-planting movement to be birthed among the Madurese people.

* Pray for the further production and distribution of Madurese evangelistic literature and media.

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The Sundanese, with a population of 35 million, are the second largest ethnic group in Indonesia after the Javanese, from whom they are quite distinct. The Sundanese mainly live in the West Province of Java Island. The land is bordered to the east by the Javanese territory, and surrounded by the sea on the other three sides (Java Sea, Indian Ocean, Sunda Straits).

Sundanese Kingdoms

Around 1,000BC, there was a large wave of immigrants from South China: these immigrants were the forefathers of the Javanese, Madurese and Sundanese peoples. The first Sundanese kingdom (called "Taruma Negara") was established about AD600. This kingdom was strongly influenced by Hinduism. In 1527, its main city, Sunda Kelapa, fell to Islamic soldiers from several coastal Islamic sultanates and was renamed "Jaya Karta" or "Jakarta", meaning "Glorious Victory". This stopped much of the influence of Hinduism in the area.

Sundanese Language

The Sundanese language, one of the more complex in Indonesia, has three levels - high (polite), middle and low. However, because the Indonesian national language is studied in school the younger, urban generation do not speak Sundanese. Traditional handmade cloth called "batik" is still manufactured in specific areas. One can still see the influence of Hinduism in the batik patterns. The "angkelung", a Sunda musical instrument made of bamboo, is highly sought after by foreign tourists.

Sundanese Culture

"Whether rich or poor, the most important thing is to live together" is a saying among the Sundanese. They love to congregate during the cool evenings to relax and chat together. They also prefer living together as extended families. Most of the villages are composed of a specific extended family which has a common ancestor, either male or female.

Most Sundanese villagers are farmers or fishermen, but there are many government workers, traders and businessmen in the cities. High unemployment and low education cause many social problems. Divorce is frequent, so there are many broken and dysfunctional homes as well as unprotected children in the cities.

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Map of Indonesia

The Sundanese are 98 per cent Muslim. Many are "Santri", who adhere strongly to Islam. However, there are numerous nominal Muslims called "abangan" who still hold to pre-Islamic practices such as visiting their ancestors' tombs to pray, seeking out witchdoctors for good fortune, and reciting the Qur'an as a charm. In addition, there is a subgroup of Sundanese in a certain area which believes in its own religion (a mixture of Hinduism and animistic beliefs).

Prayer for the Sundanese of Indonesia:

* Pray for Christian workers (local and foreign) to have cultural sensitivity and wisdom in serving and reaching the Sundanese, especially in the villages (Rom 13:7-10).

* Pray for good, continuing cooperation among the Christian workers among the Sundanese.

* Pray that local non-Sundanese churches will have courage to pray for and witness to their Sundanese neighbours.

* Supernatural power is needed to counter demonic power and confirm and demonstrate the gospel (Luke 7:19-22). Pray for the Holy Spirit to move in such power.

* Pray for protection from Islamic fanatics in the area.

* There is some discussion about the government placing restrictions on Christians. Please pray that this will not be passed at national level.

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