Open AccessTHE MIGRATION OF JAVANESE PREACHER AND ITS IMPACTS TOWARDS THE ACCEPTANCE OF ISLAM BY THE INTERIOR COMMUNITY OF SABAH
Author(s) -
Mohd Nur Hidayat Hasbollah Hajimin,
Syamsul Azizul Marinsah,
Irma Wani Othman,
Sarinab Ariffin @ Eduny
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal of education, psychology and counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0128-164X
DOI - 10.35631/ijepc.745003
Subject(s) - islam , ethnic group , geography , ethnology , sociology , history , ancient history , archaeology , anthropology
Islam arrived in Sabah through the migration of preachers. Since the 15th Century, few preachers have migrated and conveyed the Islamic preachings there. The non-religious community of Sabah began to receive religious influences through these groups’s migration. In the early Islamic development, its influence reached only the coastal communities, subsequently reaching the interior areas in the 20th Century. History has recorded that a Javanese preacher from Indonesia named Mandur Sharif was a prominent figure who brought Islam to the interior areas. This study discusses the migration of Mandur Sharif to Sabah and its impacts towards the spread of Islam in the interior of Sabah. This qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis approach and interview. The data are analysed descriptively and arranged thematically. This study found that Mandur Sharif’s migration brought huge impacts towards the acceptance of Islam by the interior ethnic Kadazadusun community. His knowledge in medical, spiritual, and good personality attracted many interior communities to embrace Islam. Indirectly, Islam was accepted and began to spread there due to the contribution by migrant preacher which was what Sabah is lacking. This study is expected to initiate more studies of preacher’s migration towards the development of Islam in Sabah.