| Keramat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alternative names | Makam keramat |
| General information | |
| Status | Worship |
| Type | Mausoleum, grave or shrine (sometimes it can be all three) |
| Country | Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore |
A keramat, or makam keramat, is a type of shrine in the Malay Peninsula, usually associated with pseudo-Islamic beliefs. A typical shrine is often centred around a grave which is venerated and cared for by devotees.
The word Keramat is derived from the Arabic term Karāmāt, which refers to miraculous, supernatural abilities performed by Muslim ascetics and saints. [1] [2] The word is also considered synonymous with the subcontinental term Dargah, as well as the Arabic term Maqām, all used to denote shrines that are centred around graves. [1] [2] Sometimes, the shrine is named with Makam keramat, derived from the Arabic words Maqām and Karāmāt. [1] [2]
An orthodox Islamic view, adhered to mostly by Hanbalis and Salafists, is that any form of grave veneration is forbidden in Islam, including the construction of mausolea. [3] [4] [5] The Shafi'i school of thought forbids the construction of shrines in publicly owned land. [6] [7] However, some Muslim scholars have argued that it is permissible to construct a dome over one's grave for veneration, for example Ismail Haqqi Bursevi in Rūḥ al-bayān argues that constructing a mosque over graves is permissible to honour the deceased. [8] Shi'ite scholars also believe it is permissible to build shrines for the deceased and worship them, as long as Allah is still invoked. [9]
In Indonesia, makam keramat are the shrines built around graves of Muslim ascetics, known as Wali. [10] [11] Some makam keramat can be found inside mosques, for example the 19th-century Nurul Abrar Mosque which contains twelve enshrined graves, one belonging to a Sayyid Abubakr who was a descendant of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad. [12] Some makam keramat are also unnaturally long, for example the Abbasid-era tomb of Habib Abdullah, a grandson of prominent Hadith scholar Ali al-Uraydi. [13] Due to the popularity of makam keramat, false makam keramat comprising empty graves have been built for profits, although these have been demolished by the authorities upon discovery. [14]
Keramat shrines are commonplace in Malaysia, for example the mausoleum of Syed Mustapha Idris in Penang. [15] However, the Malaysian Islamic council follows a more orthodox Islamist view regarding keramat shrines, forbidding people from praying at the graves and even threatening prosecution if one is caught in the act. [1] They have also not hesitated with ordering the destruction of keramat shrines if they are worshipped too much. [1]
Most keramat shrines in Singapore have been bulldozed in order to make way for redevelopments and urbanisation, with the human remains reinterred in the Pusara Abadi Muslim Cemetery. [16] [17] However, there are still a minority that remain, which are the Keramat Habib Noh, Keramat Bukit Kasita, Makam Puteri Radin Mas Ayu, Makam Haji Abdul Qadir, the enshrined grave of chieftain Tok Lasam at Siglap and finally, keramat shrines within the Loyang and Tanjong Kling areas. [16] [17] A large multifaith shrine, Keramat Kusu, sits on the banks of Kusu Island. [18] Not all enshrined keramat have been associated with Islam, and there have been some associated with Hindus, Sikhs, and Chinese folk religion. [16]
The Keramat Iskandar Shah is currently part of Fort Canning, a tourist attraction. However, the shrine has lost its religious attributions and is now a monument within the Fort Canning attraction site. [16]
Not all enshrined graves are considered keramat; the shrine of Khwaja Habibullah Shah in Kubur Kassim is not considered to be a keramat despite its mystical connotations. [16] Similarly, the now-demolished family mausoleum of Fakeh Haji Abdul Jalil in Kampong Glam was not considered to be a keramat, even though the entombed man was revered as saintly. [2] The shrine of Muhammad Salih Waliullah in Masjid Jamae Chulia is not a keramat, but rather, regarded as a Dargah instead. [16]
The Chinese-Malay folk religious worship of Datuk Keramat is an evolution of the keramat concept, involving Chinese shrines revolving around the statue representing a Malay Muslim old man, known as a Datuk. The worship of Datuk Keramat is still around in Malaysia and Singapore. In 1987, the Datuk Keramat faith was slightly clamped down when administrators were ordered to remove the Islamic symbols from their shrines in temples.
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