Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar Proceedings, The 2nd International Conference on Science and Islamic Studies (ICOSIS-2024)

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION AND STATE: REVEALING THE ROLE OF ULAMA AND UMARA IN BUILDING ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION IN THE SULTANATE OF BIMA
Aksa Aksa, Hasaruddin Hasaruddin, Surayah Rasyid

Last modified: 2025-02-09

Abstract


Ulama and Umara are two entities that have played a significant role in shaping civilization throughout the historical journey of the Islamic community, from the Arabian Peninsula to the Nusantara. The Sultanate of Bima, one of the hundreds of sultanates in the Nusantara, has recorded a close relationship between Ulama and Umara in building Islamic civilization in the eastern part of Sumbawa Island. The relationship between religion and state can be traced back to the advent of the Islamic mission (syi'ar Islam) in the Sultanate of Bima. The Islamic mission carried out by the Ulama as bearers of truth quickly took root in the beliefs of the people of Dana Mbojo. The rapid spread of Islam by the Ulama would not have succeeded without recognizing the role of the Umara. In this context, the Umara refers to the Sultan, the ruler of the Sultanate of Bima. The Sultan, with his authority, granted religious legitimacy to the Ulama to propagate Islamic teachings. Meanwhile, the Ulama, with their religious legitimacy, consistently illuminated the Sultan’s realm with the light of Islam. The intersection of religion and state illustrates the collaborative efforts of the Ulama and Umara in building a new civilization in the Sultanate of Bima, inspired by the spirit of Islam. This paper aims to explain the connection between religion and state as represented by the Ulama and Umara (the Sultan) during the Islamization of the Sultanate of Bima. The method employed in tracing sources and supporting data is the historical writing method, consisting of heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. This historical method is useful for systematically and objectively reconstructing the past to achieve comprehensive conclusions.

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