The Origins of Javanese Sufi Theology: A Study of Javanese Manuscripts Associated with the Wali Songo, PR2

This research examines the development of Sufi theology in Java through the study of three Javanese manuscripts held at Leiden University Libraries: Or. 1928, Or. 3050, and Or. 8657. These manuscripts have been associated with prominent figures of the Wali Songo tradition, but this research does not assume that these figures were their authors or that the texts directly reflect their teachings.

The study focuses on the theological ideas found in the manuscripts and examines them in their local historical context and within the wider intellectual traditions of Islam. It combines textual analysis with historical contextualisation to explore how Islamic theological and Sufi ideas were understood and expressed in Javanese texts. The preliminary analysis of Or. 1928, also known as Kitab Pangeran Bonang, has examined discussions of faith, the attributes of God, knowledge of God, and religious practice. These discussions suggest connections with broader Islamic theological and Sufi traditions, particularly the thought of al-Ghazali.

By examining these manuscripts, this research aims to understand how Sufi theology was articulated in Java and how Javanese Muslim thought can be situated within the wider history of Islamic intellectual traditions.

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