Note 40 — Chapter XII · THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO.

In the annals of Queda, one of the northernmost of the states of the Malay Peninsula, we have a curious account of the introduction of Islam into this kingdom, about A.D. 1501,40 which (divested of certain miraculous incidents) is as follows: A learned Arab, by name Shayk͟h ʻAbd Allāh, having come to Queda, visited the Raja and inquired what was the religion of the country. “My religion,” replied the Raja, “and that of all my subjects is that which has been handed down to us by the people of old. We all worship idols.” “Then has your highness never heard of Islam, and of the Qurʼān which descended from God to Muḥammad, and has superseded all other religions, leaving them in the possession of the devil?” “I pray you then, if this be true,” said the Raja, “to instruct and enlighten us in this new faith.” In a transport of holy fervour at this request, Shayk͟h ʻAbd Allāh embraced the Raja and then instructed him in the creed. Persuaded by his teaching, the Raja sent for all his jars of spirits (to which he was much addicted), and with his own hands emptied them on the ground. After this he had all the idols of the palace brought out; the idols of gold, and silver, and clay, and wood were all heaped up in his presence, and were all broken and cut to pieces by Shayk͟h ʻAbd Allāh with his sword and with an axe, and the fragments consumed in the fire. The Shayk͟h asked the Raja to assemble all his women of the fort and palace. When they had all come into the presence of the Raja and the Shayk͟h, they were initiated into the doctrines of Islam. The Shayk͟h was mild and courteous in his demeanour, persuasive and soft in his language, so that he gained the hearts of the inmates of the palace. The Raja soon after sent for his four aged ministers, who, on entering the hall, were surprised at seeing a Shayk͟h seated near the Raja. The Raja explained to them the object of the Shayk͟h’s coming; whereupon the four chiefs expressed their readiness to follow the example of his highness, saying, “We hope that Shayk͟h ʻAbd Allāh will instruct us also.” The latter hearing these words, embraced the four ministers and said that he hoped that, to prove their sincerity, they would send for all the people to come to the audience hall, bringing with them all the idols that they were wont to worship and the idols that had been handed down by the men of former days. The request was complied with and all the idols kept by the people were at that very time brought down and there destroyed and burnt to dust; no one was sorry at this demolition of their false gods, all were glad to enter the pale of Islam. Shayk͟h ʻAbd Allāh after this said to the four ministers, “What is the name of your prince?” They replied, “His name is Pra Ong Mahāwāngsā.” “Let us change it for one in the language of Islam,” said the Shayk͟h. After some consultation, the name of the Raja was changed at his request to Sultan Muzlaf al-Shāh, because, the Shayk͟h averred, it is a celebrated name and is found in the Qurʼān.41