MALDIVES

the island of the Maldives looks from above
Maldives is an archipelagic country, which consists of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean. The most famous for the beautiful scenery: white beaches, palm trees wobbling, colorful reefs and abundant sunshine. 80 percent of the average Maldivian heights are less than one meter. If sea level rise continues global climate change, this beautiful paradise will probably vanish beneath the sea sooner or later.

Sejarah Islam di Maldives

Islam was present in the Maldives for centuries. As in many areas, this religion was brought by merchants from Middle East and Gujarat to be widely accepted by the local community. So it is not surprising that Islam has become an official religion since 800 years ago.
Entering the modern era, the light of Islam does not necessarily fade. Islam continues to develop, both at government and social levels. This is for example the President (then) Mamun Abdul-Rashid showed in his July 1984 speech insistently calling, "Islam my religion."
According to him, Islam is an ideal view of life. Islam is also very dynamic and able to follow the development of the times until it will bring benefit to anyone, anywhere and anytime. "The system in Islam can reach every aspect of social life."
As a follow-up, in November 1984 the president proclaimed the construction project of the Jami Masjid complex at a cost of 7 million US dollars. This effort is expected to add more Islamic girah to all components of society.
The year 1997 was born state legislation which declared Islam as the official religion of the state. It is also stipulated that every citizen should be Muslim and the practice of religion other than Islam is prohibited under the law. Exceptions to non-Muslim foreigners may be able to practice their religion according to their belief but must be done privately and not allowed to invite the population to participate. In this case, the president is 'the supreme ruler of Islamic law enforcers'.
"Islam has become a characteristic of the Maldivian population because they believe Islam brings peace and prosperity," the 2004 report of the International Religious Freedom Report said. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom a year ago also reiterated the establishment of the country - no religion other than Islam in his country. To that end, the president then instructed the Minister of the Interior to develop measures to maintain and maintain religious unity. So formed the High Court of Islam that can provide direction in the field of religion. In addition, also prepared the guidelines and standards of the implementation of worship so that the charity of worship of the people can be accepted by Allah SWT.
The government also prohibits the circulation of any material or material that is characterized by non-Islam, but it is permissible to keep religious literature, such as the Gospel, but only for personal gain. So does the sale of non-Islamic religious trinkets - cards and Christmas trees - except only limited to foreigners and tourists alike. Other measures and policies are the prohibition of non-Islamic religious broadcasting activities as well as missionaries. The transition of religion from Islam to non-Islam is very contrary to Sharia law and can affect the loss of citizenship rights.
In 1214, almost the entire Maldivian population embraced Islam thanks to the persistence of the Arab imam, Abu Barakat Berberi. So great was his influence to the Hindu ruler there then, Dharam Sant, also converted to Islam. He then changed his name to Sultan Muhammad Ibn Abdullah.
The event became the most important milestone in the history of the Maldives' history of the country's official name. Until now, the people there always remember it as an event of "Spiritual Revolution."
It is a mystical story that also brings the Maldivians to the truth. The country of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean is inhabited by a population of almost one hundred percent are Muslims. As a country adjacent to India and Sri Lanka which are predominantly Hindus and Buddhists, the presence of Islam in a country of only 400,000 people is certainly a uniqueness. And the uniqueness is complete when looking back, the story of the beginning of Islam is present in that country. Maldish is a cluster of corals (atolls) in southern India. The number of islands scattered around it reached 1,200 pieces. Since before Christ, this archipelago has attracted many people. Its strategic location in the Asian crossing resulted in this place becoming a stopover for the merchants before continuing their journey towards the Malay lands.
The Story of Islam Rays Illuminate the Dark Maldives

The story of Islam in this country is not far from the journey of the traders and the Muslim odyssey of the Arab lands. Muhammad Ibn Batuta, a Moroccan nomad who visited the Maldives in the 14th century has a special account of Islam in the Maldives.
According to him, a cleric named Abu Barakath Yoosuf Al Barbari, a one-time stopover in the Maldives. He is on a missionary journey and wanders. When he arrived, the people of Maldives were gripped with fear. Rannamari, the ruler of the sea according to the beliefs of society at that time, out of place once a month. He came to pick up the victim in the form of a virgin young daughter. If not given, it will ramp up to cause disaster for everyone.
The victim, the poor girl, was chosen by many people. He was sacrificed by agreement with the people. Once elected, the virgin child was taken to the temple by the beach alone. Rannamari will pick her up. Tomorrow morning, the girl died in a pathetic condition. He became a victim of the ferocity of the god of the sea. The girl died in a condition that had been raped.

When the people are under tension, Abu Barakath arrives. He was staying at the house of one of the citizens who happened to have his son elected to be sacrificed to a greedy sea god.

Abu Barakath felt the sadness of the family in which he was staying. He believes it is a mystical or mythical story. And as a Muslim, he is interested in helping his family stay and free people from superstitious or shirk stories. So he was willing to be a victim.

Abu Barakath then dressed up like a girl. He was taken to the temple with a look full of local people's astonishment. The clever man who is indeed the scholar then sits in the temple without even failing from remembrance of Allah. Throughout the night he endlessly read the Koran.

The next day the crowds came to the temple. With curiosity they want to see what happens to the virgin child made. What a surprise, the locals at the sight of the 'daughter' dedicated to the sea god are still alive. Moreover, he still looks solemn reading the Qur'an. The immediate joy of encompassing the people of the Maldives. They thanked the heroes who had defeated the sea god Rannamari.

The local king heard this story. He went to Abu Barakath Al Barbari and listened to the true story. According to the king's conviction, bad power has been defeated by the holy power of the noble and the holy verses of the Qur'an. Immediately he bersyahadat and declare themselves as Islam. With his influence, he ordered all the people to follow his steps to embrace Islam. Be a Maldivian country with a majority Muslim population.
Maldives is an Islamic state that has existed since 9 centuries ago and still maintains Islam as the basis of the country even though the country has changed from a sultanate to a Republic.
The Maldives has transformed itself into a sultanate or Islamic empire since 1153. when the Maldivian King Sri Tribuvana Aditiya became the first Maldivian to convert to Islam followed by his wife and children, the Palace and in the same year the entire Maldives had switched beliefs to Islam abandoning the old religion they are Hinduism.

in the same year the king Aditya ordered the construction of the first mosque in the Maldives they call the Miskiiy Hukuru or the Jum'at mosque or the Jami Mosque along with the construction of the Ied Mosque used for the implementation of Eid prayers and Eid al-Adha. Also simultaneously with the destruction of temple shrines and statues of their old religious worship statue.

Just like Indonesia, the Maldives was once in jajah by the Europeans, the difference they only had colonized by the Portuguese for 15 years (1558-1573). In 1573 the Portuguese were knocked out of the Maldives by the defeat of the war against the Maldivian warriors under the leadership of Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Azzam.

900 years after the self-proclaimed sultanate, Maldives still cling to the Qur'an and Sunnah as a positive law of the State, although many parties, especially from the State of the West who looked negative about it.

The two old mosques of Maldives founded by their first sultans still stand and are well preserved to this day. Unesco has even included two mosques with dozens of mosques old mosques in the Maldives into the list of world cultural heritage.
In the center of Male, a small island town slightly larger than Pulau Penyengat where the egg white mosque of Sultan Riau in Riau Islands Province, now stands firmly a new mosque as well as an Islamic center maladewa assistance from the State of Arab, Pakistan, Brunei and Malaysia.

In the Maldives, Islam is Very Important

In the Maldives, Islam is so important. That's why, do not be surprised if every Friday is also so important in the Maldives. That is why, sariatu-sharia law in Dhivehi is also very important. That's why in the Maldives, from the president, the attorney general, the interior department, and the assemblies are so important.
On the island, the mosque or better known as miski, became an important symbol of the Islamic center practiced. Every Friday, shops and offices in towns and villages have closed around 11 am.

There are always mosques in some corners of the Maldives. Most buildings of the mosque are painted white and made of rock by using zinc or straw as the roof.

In Malé, the Islamic Center and Grand Mosque built in 1984 with funds from Persian Gulf countries, Pakistan, Brunei, and Malaysia, stands elegantly. In early 1991 alone, the Maldives already had a total of 725 mosques and 266 different mosques for women.
In Maldives, fifteen minutes before the call to prayer, all shops and offices are closed. During the month of Ramadan, all the cafes and restaurants are also closed, and only open before the breaking time and at night.

But the atmosphere of Maldives like that has always been isolated. The world does not know much, and the Maldives seem isolated from the center of Islamic history in the Middle East and Asia. Precisely the most widely reported is about the charm of this region that attracted many world celebrities.

What stands out in the news about the Maldives is the magical and the occult nuance. Whereas on this island for example About two years ago, Rifdha Mohammed Rasheed participated in the Quran recitation contest. Rifda, a 10-year-old girl, has memorized the entire Koran, and children like the rifdha in the Maldives, though not fully memorized by the Quran, began to appear.