Sunan Kalijaga Biography

Biography of Sunan Kalijaga

Sunan Kalijaga is estimated to be born in 1450 under the name Raden Said. He is the son of the duke of Tuban named Tumenggung Wilatikta or Raden Sahur. Other names Sunan Kalijaga include Lokajaya, Syekh Malaya, Pangeran Tuban, and Raden Abdurrahman. Based on one version of the Cirebon community, the name Kalijaga comes from Kalijaga Village in Cirebon. When Sunan Kalijaga dwells there, he often soaks in the river, or keeps up the river. Sunan Kalijaga is married to Dewi Saroh binti Maulana Ishak, and has 3 sons: R. Umar Said (Sunan Muria), Dewi Rakayuh and Dewi Sofiah.

Before becoming Walisongo, Raden Said was a person who wanted to take results on Earth, robbing rich people. He stole it, and he would share the robbery with poor people. One day, when Raden Said was poor, he saw someone with an old stick on his back. That person is Sunan Bonang. Because the stick was like a golden, he seized the stick. He said, he would share the robbery with poor people. But, the Sunan Bonang did not justify this method. He advised Raden Said that Allah SWT would not accept bad deeds. Then, Sunan Bonang shows gold palm trees and if when Raden Said wants to get a treasure, then take the golden palm fruit shown by Sunan Bonang. Therefore, Raden Said wants to be a student of Sunan Bonang. Raden Said then followed Sunan Bonang to the River. Raden Said said that he wanted to be his student. Sunan Bonang then told Raden Said to meditate while maintaining his stick which was plugged into the river bank. Raden Said could not leave the place before Sunan Bonang arrived. Raden Said then carried out the order. Because of that, he became asleep for a long time. Because of the length of time he fell asleep, without realizing it the roots and grass had advanced himself. Three years later, Sunan Bonang came and awakened Raden Said. Because he had defended his stick which was climbed into the river, Raden Said was renamed Kalijaga. Kalijaga was then given new clothes and given religious lessons by Sunan Bonang. Kalijaga then continued his preaching and was known as Sunan Kalijaga. However, this story is much doubted by historians and scholars who adhere to the Salaf because it does not make sense and is contrary to the science of Shari'a.

Sunan Kalijaga was a close friend of Sunan Gunungjati, and is said to have lived to the age of one hundred. He witnessed the downfall of Majapahit, the kingdoms of Demak, Cirebon, Banten, and Pajang which in 1546.

Among his missionary activities (dawah), he built two mosques, Masjid Agung Cirebon and Masjid Agung Demak. His main mentor was Sunan Bonang, another of the Wali Sanga. Kalijaga's beliefs and teaching are more sufistic than salaf, applying arts and culture as medium for his dawah. He was also tolerant to local tradition. His exegesis from the Quranic perspective led him to believe that people will keep away from dakwah if their personality is questioned. In this premise one should consider a step by step approach to his people by the principle of following yet influencing. To him, if Islam is truly/fully understood, then people will gradually give up their old habits.

This method can be seen in Indonesian artworks, particularly in carvings, shadow puppets (wayang kulit), gamelan (javanese traditional musical performance), and singing. From this idea he popularized Baju Takwa (a traditional dress custom for Indonesian Moslem), Sekaten (a festivity), and Grebeg Maulud, amongst others.

When he died, he was buried in Kadilangu Village in 1513, near the city of Demak (Bintara). This tomb is still crowded with people from all over Indonesia.