Located northwest of the coastal tip of New Guinea’s Bird’s Head Peninsula, Raja Ampat is one of the most popular tourist spots in West Papua. Comprised of four main islands—Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati, and Misool—and several smaller islands, Raja Ampat is famous for its breath-taking landscape.
Human civilization in the region originated from the prehistoric era, proven by numerous archaeological evidence like rock arts, artifacts, and biofacts. Ever since then, the region has been fallen under the influence of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms as well as Islamic Sultanates of Maluku before being occupied by Dutch colonials and finally incorporated into the Republic of Indonesia in 1962.
A 2014 excavation conducted in Kampung Harapan Jaya, Misool Island, unearthed fourteen burial sites of Arabian merchants dated back to the 17th century, proving that Islamic tradition has been a part of the island’s history.
Islam in Misool Island, West Papua
There is no conclusive evidence on how or when exactly the religion first entered the island—most of the theories are derived from oral traditions with no written texts. One story accounted that a group of islanders brought a Muslim couple from Banda to teach their beliefs and tradition to the animistic people of the island. The existence of this couple is said to have been proven by their graves in Tifale cave.
Another story claimed that Islam entered Misool in the mid-14th century through one of the children of Syekh Abdul Rahman Assegaf Maulana Saniki Yarimullah, said to have founded Woni Epapua kingdom, an Islamic kingdom located in Onin.
Later, parts of Papua have been claimed under the authority of Moluccan kingdoms. Sultan Zainal Abidin Alting Syah, the 26th monarch of Tidore and former Governor of Irian Barat (West Papua), asserted that the sovereignty of his kingdom covered two main areas known as Nyili Gam and Nyili Papua.
W.C. Klein, a Dutch author, stated in his book that Bacan Sultanate once controlled Papua, including Lilinta/Misool. However, it was told that the Sultanate of Tidore held the most significance in Raja Ampat—means “four kings”—where each of the four main islands was led by a vassal king from the Sultanate of Tidore.
Islamic Influence on the Tradition of Misool Island
The discovery of the aforementioned burial sites serves as an indicator that Islam had quite an influence on the tradition of Misool residents—in this case, an Islamic funeral tradition. Other traditions influenced by Islam include:
- Mandi syafar, held on Wednesday afternoons during the Islamic month of Safar. An Imam would start the tradition by leading prayers and adults then pour water over each other as a symbol of cleansing the people and the village from bad things and ill fortunes.
- Asura or Ashura, Islamic holiday commemorating the 10th day of Islamic month Muharram. During the celebration, each family would offer gifts or homemade food to the orphaned children. Adults are not allowed to eat the food unless an orphan gives it to them.
- Barasanji, a tradition commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad in the 12th day of Islamic month Rabiul Awal. This is a celebration and spiritual display of Muslim’s love to their Prophet, which are expressed in the form of poetic recitation of his birth, life, miracles, and significant events of his life.
Regardless of how Islamic tradition established itself on the island, it indeed holds significant influence on the people of Misool Island and West Papua as a whole. Through their sovereignty over the region, ancient Indonesian Sultanates of Maluku have brought with them the belief system and tradition of Islam, integrating them with Papuan cultures and society. These intertwined history and traditions serve as a testament to the deep connection Papua shares with the Republic of Indonesia for centuries.
