Chapter Eight - Concluding Remarks

Summary

As this book draws to its end, the conclusion has to be that religious practices in contemporary Bima reveal a variety of expressions of ‘being Muslim’. The historically distinct practices of religion observed in the society have not faded away, despite the influence of the religious purification propagated by the reformist ideas of the Muhammadiyah since the 1940s and Hajj pilgrims since the early 1900s. The observation of religious festivals in public life, the religiosity of everyday experiences and popular life-cycle rituals retain their vibrancy in present-day Bima. This is not to say there has not been change, local Muslims have reinterpreted their traditions within the Islamic framework and now conceptualize their religiosity and piety in response to current needs. Although the influence of the royal family undoubtedly colours the religious landscape of Bima, the everyday faith practices of Bima Muslims are very diverse.

Religiosity

After weighing up the evidence, the book attributes the coming of Islam to Bima was the fruit of its trading connections with various Malay Sultanates, predominantly in Sumatra, and, most prominently, with the Gowa Sultanate of Makassar. As Islam was first propagated to the rulers, the picture of Islam in Bima did not differ greatly from that in Makassar. That is, Islam spread out from the royal centre in which it had penetrated the political system of the Bima kingdom. Conversion to the new religion affected the religious practices, politics and culture of the people of Bima. The kingdom of Bima become the Sultanate of Bima and the title raja change to that of sultan. The book has shown conclusively that Bima Muslims must be counted among the practicing Muslims (Muslim taat) in Indonesia. However, this public religious expression (PRE) is not always connected to Islamist ideology.

Nevertheless, this book cautions not jumping to the conclusion and assessing traditions of the Bima Muslims as syncretic. Instead it introduces a new perspective by which to understand the present Islamic outlook of Bima as the product of adaptations past and present. Since Islam was first introduced to the kings by Malay preachers from Minangkabau in the early seventeenth century, Bima has been a key site of Islamization.