Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Minangkabau, Renowned Sheikhul Islam of Perak
Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Minankabawi (died in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 12 March 1933) was a prominent Minangkabau scholar. He once served as the 3rd Sheikh al-Islam or Mufti of the Perak Darul Ridzuan Government. It is believed he held the position from 1 January 1925 until his passing in 1933.
There are some questions regarding the background of this famous scholar from Minangkabau that have caused confusion. There are two names cited for his father: Abdullah and Muhammad Thaiyib. The name Abdullah was used in three of his works, while the name Muhammad Thaiyib was used during his tenure as Sheikh al-Islam of Perak Darul Ridzuan.
Sheikh Muhammad Saleh was born in Kampung Tungkar, Luak Tanah Datar, West Sumatra. One of his students, Muhammad Saleh Mandahiling, who wrote his biography, stated that Sheikh Muhammad Saleh was born in the year 1266 Hijrah. However, there is doubt regarding this claimed year, as several facts contradict his life story. Sheikh Muhammad Saleh passed away on 17 Zulkaedah 1351 Hijrah / 12 March 1933 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In his student's book, it is recounted that Sheikh Muhammad Saleh was friends with Sheikh Ahmad Khatib Minangkabau (born 1276 Hijrah), Sheikh Mukhtar Jawa/Bogor (born 1278 Hijrah), and Sheikh Nawawi Bantan (1230 Hijrah). Based on a comparison of the birth years of these scholars with that of Sheikh Muhammad Saleh (1266 Hijrah), it is concluded that Sheikh Muhammad Saleh was not a peer of Sheikh Nawawi Bantan, but rather his student. Sheikh Muhammad Saleh left for Mecca at the age of 6 and received religious education from his father, Sheikh Muhammad Thaiyib (or Sheikh Abdullah), who was also a Hajj Sheikh in Mecca. He also had the opportunity to study under great and famous scholars in Mecca, namely:
- Saiyid Ahmad bin Zaini Dahlan
- Sheikh Abu Bakar Syatha
- Sheikh Muhammad bin Sulaiman Hasbullah al-Makki
- Sheikh Abdul Hamid asy-Syarwani
- Saiyid Umar Ba Junaid
- Saiyid Muhammad Said Babshai
- Saiyid Abdullah Zawawi
- Pontoh Ular Lidi
His biography does not explicitly mention any teachers from the Malay world, but it indicates that Sheikh Muhammad Saleh also studied under famous Malay scholars who were in Mecca at that time. It is recounted in the book that when Sheikh Muhammad Saleh was studying astronomy (ilmu falak) with several friends, his friends only attended four lessons because their teacher was too fierce. The name of the astronomy teacher is not mentioned in the book. However, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh successfully completed his studies under that strict teacher. After studying for 17 years in Mecca, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh returned to Minangkabau. He spent about four years in Minangkabau traveling to every corner of the region, and at certain times, he assisted his teacher, Sheikh Muhammad Jamil, in teaching religion. He used his travels in Minangkabau to preach and teach through the reading of books in both Arabic and Malay.
While in Minangkabau, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh also had the opportunity to learn martial arts and various forms of self-defense skills that were highly necessary at that time. It is said that in martial arts, he reached the level of a master (pendekar). In medicine, he was also said to be capable of curing several types of illnesses. Sheikh Muhammad Saleh later returned to Mecca because he felt his knowledge was still lacking in certain fields, such as astronomy, logic (mantiq), exegesis (tafsir), and others. After several years of studying and teaching in Mecca, a friend who was also his student, Engku Kudin, the son of the King of Deli-Serdang, invited him to spread Islam in that East Sumatran kingdom. After completing his Hajj in 1309 Hijrah / 1892 AD, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh traveled with pilgrims by ship from Jeddah to Penang. He then traveled throughout the Malay Peninsula, starting from Penang to Perak, Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu, and Johor. Wherever he went, he was always well-received not only by the common people but also by the Sultans of each state.
From his interactions with the Malay Sultans, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh concluded that Sultan Abdur Rahman Mu'azzam Syah, the Sultan of Riau-Lingga, was the most stern. He prioritized the beauty of clothing and ornaments and enjoyed fine food and drink. Sultan Abu Bakar, the Sultan of Johor, was a clever sultan who loved his people and prioritized the interests of his kingdom. Sultan Zainal Abidin III, the Sultan of Terengganu, was, in his view, a sultan with very deep knowledge of Islam and was very pious towards Allah. Before Sheikh Muhammad Saleh became the Sheikh al-Islam of Perak, he served as a Judge in the Riau-Lingga kingdom. His appointment as a Judge in Riau-Lingga was at the request of Yam-Tuan Muda Raja Muhammad Yusuf al-Ahmadi. One of the reasons Sheikh Muhammad Saleh was asked by Yam-Tuan Muda Raja Muhammad Yusuf al-Ahmadi to become a Judge in Riau-Lingga was to maintain the authority of his son, Sultan Abdur Rahman Mu'azzam Syah, who was the Sultan of Riau-Lingga at the time. Yam-Tuan Muda Raja Muhammad Yusuf al-Ahmadi had felt uneasy for several years because many matters in court could not be resolved, with some delayed for up to three years. Through the wisdom and integrity of Sheikh Muhammad Saleh, these issues were resolved. Sheikh Muhammad Saleh then had to move from Riau, Pulau Penyengat, to Pulau Lingga to carry out his duties as a Judge. It was while Sheikh Muhammad Saleh held the position of Judge in Riau-Lingga that a member of the Perak Royal Family named Engku Raja Mahmud, or titled Imam Paduka Tuan of Perak, came to know him. Raja Mahmud admired Sheikh Muhammad Saleh's wisdom in resolving various issues, especially since the scholar from Minangkabau could combine worldly and spiritual knowledge. Raja Mahmud tried various ways to persuade the scholar to work in his state of Perak Darul Ridzuan. Raja Mahmud finally succeeded in convincing Sheikh Muhammad Saleh to move to Perak after he had served as a Judge in Riau-Lingga for two years. When Raja Mahmud returned to Perak, he was appointed as the Chief Kadi of the Perak Government. Sheikh Muhammad Saleh began teaching various Islamic books, especially Malay/Jawi books, in Kuala Kangsar in 1318 Hijrah / 1900 AD. From the beginning of his arrival in Kuala Kangsar, he received the blessing of Sultan Idris, the Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan at the time. In addition to teaching books for adult education, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh also succeeded in establishing Madrasah Al-Ihsaniyah, which was the first modern madrasah in the Malay Peninsula, in Teluk Anson. The Sultan of Perak's ambition to appoint a Sheikh al-Islam began in 1922 AD, but Sheikh Muhammad Saleh al-Minankabawi was officially appointed to the position on 6 Jamadil Akhir 1343 Hijrah / 1 January 1925 AD.
Among the collection of religious works or books written by him is Mawa'izhul Badi'ah, completed on 24 Muharam 1335 Hijrah. It was printed by Mathba'ah Al-Ahmadiah in 1344 Hijrah. Its content consists of advice and ethics summarized from Mawa'izhul Badi'ah by Sheikh Abdur Rauf bin Ali al-Fansuri. The book Kasyful Asrar was completed on Tuesday, 27 Safar 1344 Hijrah. The first to the 29th editions were by Maktabah wa Mathba'ah Al-Ahmadiah, Singapore. Its content discusses Sufism (tasawuf) or philosophical Sufism. This work was verified (tahqiq) by Sheikh Haji Muhammad Wali al-Khalidi under the title Tanwirul Anwar fi Izhhari Khalal ma fi Kasyfil Asrar, published by Al-Maktabatut Taufiqiyah, Jalan Perdagangan No. 4 Atas, Banda Aceh. Kasyful Asrar was also translated into Indonesian under the title Menyingkap Rahasia Agama dan Tasawuf, published by Yayasan Dakwah Islam, Surabaya. Then there is the book Jalan Kematian, completed on 14 Jumadil Akhir 1344 Hijrah. It was printed at the end of Kasyfur Asrar by Maktabah wa Mathba'ah Al-Ahmadiah, Singapore. Finally, the book Nashihatul Mubtadi. The first edition was by Maktabah wa Mathba'ah Al-Ahmadiah, 1346 Hijrah / 1927 AD. Its content contains various pieces of advice towards strengthening one's adherence to Islam and faith. He had many students throughout the Malay Peninsula, including Sultan Iskandar Syah, the Sultan of Perak. Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Mandahiling, who wrote his biography, was a student who had a long-standing relationship with him. The book is titled Izalatul Hairan fi Qshshah Syaikhil Islam Darir Ridhwan, which translates to 'Removing Confusion in Stating the Story of the Sheikhul Islam of Perak Darul Ridzuan'.
Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al Minangkabau passed away on 17 Zulkaedah 1351 Hijrah / 12 March 1933 AD in Kuala Lumpur due to a road accident and was buried at the Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur.
