Women and Other Islamizers

Chapter 4 uncovers the premiership of Siti Wan Kembang, the ruler of the state of Kelantan in the early seventeenth century. Her rise to power and successful reign provides an illustrative sample of the varied roles Muslim women played in the Islamization of the Malays. In addition to powerful women such as Siti Wan Kembang, this chapter also delves into the creative missionizing methods and links formed by Muslim scholars and emissaries. Networks of Islamic scholars in Malaysia who studied in Patani, the Hijaz, Cairo, and Hadramaut and the movement of Muslims along the hajj routes aided in the diffusion of Islam among the locals in mosques, suraus (prayer) places, and other religious institutions. Among the scholars prominent in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was Tok Pulau Manis. Drawing from the flourishing literary world of kingdoms in Pasai and Perlak, these scholars introduced the Jawi script into Malaysia, which soon replaced the old Pallava script from India. Finally, the chapter highlights the part played by foreigners such as the Chinese Muslims in Malaysia, who acted as emissaries of non-Muslim kingdoms cum missionaries of Islam. The efforts of Admiral Cheng Ho will be analyzed here, most notably the impact of his diplomatic trips in furthering the preaching of Islam in Melaka and other Malay states.