NUSANTARA AND MIDDLE EASTERN ASTRONOMY SCHOLARS (NETWORK, GENEALOGY, AND WORKS)

Abstract

In the social and intellectual history of Nusantara and Middle Eastern astronomy scholars, Mecca and Medina became important centres that produced a network of knowledge and scientific traditions. The chain of the Nusantara and Middle Eastern scholar network was born from the intense interaction of students, scholars, and pilgrims with scholars in Haramain as shown by Nuruddin ar-Raniri, Abdurrauf as-Singkili, Ahmad Khatib Minagkabau, and Muhammad Mukhtar bin 'Atharid. In addition, the Indonesian astronomy network was formed through the scientific travel of several Nusantara falak figures to Egypt, such as Muhammad Thahir Jalaluddin, Ahmad Dahlan Tremas, and Muhammad Hasan Asy'ari. Thus, Nusantara astronomy has a close relationship with the Middle East. In the Nusantara, alums of Haramain who mastered astronomy developed their knowledge by transferring it to students and the community, some through direct preaching in the community, some through exceptional learning in Islamic boarding schools or mosques, and some developed it in the form of writing works. Next, from what these astronomy scholars did, they eventually produced students who also mastered astronomy. These students also then developed their knowledge so that astronomy continued to grow, form networks of genealogies, and create many works.