Luar Batang Mosque

Luar Batang Mosque
Luar Batang Mosque
Masjid Luar Batang
	Location within Java LuarbatangLocation of Luarbatang Mosque in Jakarta
General information
Type	Place of Worship
Architectural style	Javanese Sundanese Hindu
Location	Jakarta, Indonesia
Country	Indonesia
Coordinates	6°07′27″S106°48′25″E / 6.124273°S 106.806969°E
Technical details
Floor area	0 m2 (0 sq ft)

Last updated February 03, 2024

The Luar Batang Mosque (Indonesian : Masjid Luar Batang) is one of the oldest mosques in Jakarta, Indonesia, located in the area of Pasar Ikan (Fish Market) in North Jakarta on the west side of the Sunda Kelapa Harbor. The mosque was built in the 18th century and named after Luar Batang, in accordance with the nickname of a sacred guardian of Islam, Habib Luar Batang, where his shrine is also located.

History

Habib Husein bin Abu Bakr bin Abdillah al-Aydarus was born in Mighab near Hazam in Hadhramaut, but migrated to Batavia when he was relatively young at around 20 years old to preach Islam.^[1] There is story saying that he stopped by in Gujarat on his route to Nusantara.^[2] He landed in area called Kampung Luar Batang when the area was under control of Dutch East India Company (VOC). Habib Husein became increasingly popular and many people began to flock to his place to live. This has led to the suspicion of local authorities. So, Hussein and his family were arrested and imprisoned in a separate room in Glodok. According to the local urban legend, at every prayer time Habib Husein always seemed to be the Imam in a large holding room, but at the same time the prison officers saw him also was sleeping in his locked cell. On the basis of this miracle, then Habib Husein was released.^[3] Habib Husein died on 27th of Ramadhan 1169 AH or on Tuesday June 24, 1756 and buried inside the mosque complex.

Habib Husein is a Sayyid of Ba 'Alawi sada family. His full name is Husein bin Abubakar bin Abdullah bin Husein bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Husein bin Abdullah bin Abubakar Al-Sakran bin Abdurrahman Assaqqaf bin Muhammad Maula Al-Dawilah bin Ali bin Alwi bin Muhammad al-Faqih al-Muqaddam bin Ali bin Muhammad Shahib Mirbath.

In 1791 a Chinese explorer, named Ong Hoe Hoe lingered in Batavia and wrote about a prominent Chinese among the Chinese who had long lived in Luar Batang. In Ong Hoe Hoe's report written around 1793 and translated into Dutch in 1852, he mentioned about a sage in Luar Batang. "Nek Bok Seng once lived in a wooden hut made of banana tree in a place called the shrine. He lived alone and busied himself with reading and writing books. He loved playing flute, poetry and playing chess cleverly. He was a wise and intelligent man. On Sunday the house was full of friends. He was as excited as our famous man Pok Hoe, respected for the way he entertained people ... Daze and kind of the bong Seng like Chrysanthemums while in his heart it occurred very beautiful. Actually, he may be called and regarded as a wise man of our century "^[4] There is no clear explanation whether the person Nek Bok Seng as described is actually Habib Husain.

As recorded on the mosque door in 1916, the building was completed on 20 Muharram 1152 AH coincides with the 29 April 1739 CE. The Qibla direction on this mosque was not precise so it was corrected by Muhammad Arshad al-Banjari (d. 1812 CE) during a stopover on his way home from the Hejaz to Banjar in 1827 CE. The orientation of the mosque is not really directed to Kaaba, similar to Kebon Sirih dan Cikini mosques. Therefore, there are scholars such as Abubakar Atjeh who assume that the original space of the mosque was used as a former residence of the person (Habib Husein) who later used it as musolla or mosque.^[3]

The newspaper Bataviaasche Courant on May 12, 1827, also mentioned it in the essay about the Luar Batang Mosque. As noted in this newspaper, Habib Husein died approximately in 1796, after a long preaching journey between Surabaya and Batavia. In 1812 his grave was signed with some stones and still located outside the mosque until 1827 CE. Apparently, at that time charity was no longer given to the commander (a sort of headman) of Luar Batang village, but instead given directly to the mosque committee so the building could be expanded.^[3] The newspaper also mentioned that the Sacred Luar Batang Shrine is famous in Batavia. Habib Husein died inside home of Commander Abdul Raup and buried beside an existing mosque. Muhammad Lebe and Abdul Hamid Malik requested to beautify the tomb of Habib Husein, and were granted permission in 1812. People then began to believe that each vow spoken near the tomb is always fulfilled. People requested the mosque committee to often present black goat and its horns decorated with gold cover.^[3]

Kampung Luar Batang

One version of the story why he is so called Habib Luar Batang tells that when Habib Husein died and en route to be buried in the Batavia suburb around Tanah Abang, his body suddenly was not in the coffin. The phenomena lasted up to three times of their attempts. Finally, the congregation then agreed to bury him in the current location instead and the location was then called Luar Batang (Luar, outside; and Batang, body in Betawi language) means a body outside (a coffin). Since then, the late habib was called Habib Luar Batang.^[5]

Another story version which makes more sense is that not long after VOC was founded, the VOC authorities started a surveillance on boats entering the Sunda Kelapa harbor, especially perahus belonged to indigenous people. To block the perahus, the VOC authority applied a long wooden beam (which is literally translated to Batang (trunk) in the local language). These perahus could not enter the port and had to wait for days outside the post until the 'batang' lifted, so the local people called the perahus were in "Luar Batang" (Outside the beam). While waiting, many of the crew went ashore. Later they set up temporary huts and became a village. Initially, the village was like an island because it frequently flooded due to the tide water.^[6]

In around 1660, VOC brought fishermen from East Java. These fishermen were placed in the village which then was called Kampung Luar Batang or Luar Batang Village. The leader of this fishermen named Bagus Karta was given the honorary rank of lieutenant in 1677. Residential location "Luar Batang" had been a swamp, but soon the swamp silted with mud from Ciliwung river.^[6]

In 1739, the VOC Governor General gave a small piece of land on the western side of Ciliwung River across Sunda Kelapa port to Habib Husein. According to local folklore, Habib Husein had karomah (supernatural power) and was influential in spreading and leading Muslims on the northern area of Batavia.^[7]

The shrine and mosque is located in approximately 14 hectares area of Kampung Luar Batang, about 3 km from Pekojan. The mosque, considered keramat (sacred) to many people, is one of the cultural heritage of Jakarta, overlooking the port of Sunda Kelapa and is one of the attractions to visitors coming to Old Jakarta.^[5]

Luar Batang Affair

In around 1870s began an affair what was then called Perkara Luar Batang, which is an affair related to the large amounts of charity income the mosque received. At first, two commanders of Luar Batang tried to get the charity, but were hindered by the fatwas of various scholars, notably by the fatwa issued by Habib Usman bin Yahya, who confirmed that Habib Husein's descendants were eligible for the charity. The fatwa was justified by Ahmad Dahlan, a Mufti of Shafi'i in Mecca in 1878 CE. Since the decision was made, it triggered family quarrel among the Arabs. On the advice of Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, the mosque courtyard was then closed by the Dutch government until they reach a deal. The resolution process went quickly, and the Luar Batang Affair ended in 1905.^[3]

Structure

At the entrance to the complex there is a big white Gapura (gate) which was originally in Javanese Hindu architecture. The mosque structure is square in shape. Inside, the mosque has two large halls, inside hall and outside hall. Each hall has 12 poles, which added up to 24. The number of poles indicating the number of hours in a day, 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Besides the outside hall, there is a room which is the location of the tomb of Habib Husein and his student, Haji Abdul Kadir. There has been a few renovations performed, so many of the structure and ornaments are no longer the same as the original,^[5]

Related Research Articles

Banten is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is in Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Java Sea on the north, the Indian Ocean on the south, and the Sunda Strait on the west and shares a maritime border with Bengkulu and Lampung to the east and Bangka Belitung Islands to the north. The province covers an area of 9,662.82 km² (3,730.84 sq mi). It had a population of over 11.9 million in the 2020 census, up from about 10.6 million in 2010. The estimated mid-2022 population was 12.25 million. Formerly part of the province of West Java, Banten become a province in 2000. The northern half has recently experienced rapid rises in population and urbanization, and the southern half has a more traditional character but an equally fast-rising population.

North Jakarta is one of the five administrative cities which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a proper municipality. It contains the entire coastal area within the Jakarta Special Capital Region. North Jakarta, along with South Jakarta is the only two cities in Jakarta to border Banten and West Java. It is also the only two cities and regencies of Jakarta with a coastline and not landlocked along with the Thousand Islands Regency. North Jakarta, an area at the estuary of Ciliwung river was the main port for the kingdom of Tarumanegara, which later grew to become Jakarta. Many historic sites and artefacts of Jakarta can be found in North Jakarta. Both ports of Tanjung Priok and historic Sunda Kelapa are located in the city. The city, which covers an area of 139.99 km², had 1,645,659 inhabitants at the 2010 census and 1,778,981 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,793,550 - comprising 905,575 males and 887,975 females. It has its administrative centre in Tanjung Priok.

Penjaringan is a subdistrict of North Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the westernmost subdistrict of North Jakarta. Muara Angke Port and the mouth of Sunda Kelapa Port are located within Penjaringan. Penjaringan contains the remnants of the original mangrove forest of Jakarta, some of which are protected by the Muara Angke Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta, located on the estuary of the Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated in Penjaringan District, of North Jakarta, Indonesia. Today the old port only accommodates pinisi, a traditional two-masted wooden sailing ship providing inter-island freight service in the archipelago. Although it is now only a minor port, Jakarta has its origins in Sunda Kelapa and it played a significant role in the city's development. The port is currently operated by the state-owned Indonesia Port Corporations.

Toko Merah is a Dutch colonial landmark in Jakarta Old Town, Indonesia. Built in 1730, it is one of the oldest buildings in Jakarta. The building is located on the west side of the main canal Kali Besar. The building's red color contributes to its current name.

Kapitan Arab or Kapten Arab or Head of The Arabs is a position in the colonial Dutch East Indies appointed with the task of leading the ethnic Arab-Indonesians, who usually lived in concentrated clearly defined-living areas. The role was to provide liaison between his community and the government, to provide statistical information to The Dutch East Indies government on issues related to Arabs, to disseminate government regulations and decrees, and to ensure the maintenance of law and order.

Jamiat Kheir is one of a few early private institutions in Indonesia that is engaged in education, and is instrumental in the history of Indonesian struggle against Dutch colonialism, preceding Sarekat Islam and Budi Utomo. It is headquartered in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

Rabithah Alawiyah is an Indonesian Islamic organization engaged in social movements. In general, the organization is an exclusive association of Hadhrami people of Ba 'Alawi sada families. The organization was established on December 27, 1928 CE or 1346 AH, not long after the Soempah Pemoeda October 28, 1928. The organization has a sub-organization called al-Maktab al-Daimi given task to collect, verify and maintain genealogies of Ba 'Alawi sada and print pedigree passes to prove the ancestry of individuals around the world.

Ali bin Abdurrahman al-Habshi, better known as Habib Ali of Kwitang or Habib Ali Kwitang, was one of the leading Islamic clerics and preachers in Jakarta in the 20th century. He was also the founder and chairman of the Majelis Taklim Kwitang and Islamic Center Indonesia, which are the forerunners of other religious organizations in Jakarta.

Sa'id bin Salim Na'um Basalamah or better known as Said Naum was the first Kapitan Arab in Batavia and a Muslim philanthropist in Dutch East Indies in the 19th century. He is known for his charities and endowment of large lands to be used as school and cemetery currently located in Tanah Abang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alwi bin Thahir al-Haddad</span>

Alwi bin Thahir al-Haddad was an Islamic scholar known as the Mufti of Johor in twentieth century and also the co-founder of Jamiat Kheir and Al-Rabithah al-Alawiyyah foundations in Batavia during colonial Dutch East Indies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usman bin Yahya</span> Islamic scholar and Grand Mufti of Batavia

Usman bin Yahya, Utsman ibn Yahya or Othman bin Yahya was an Islamic scholar who served as Grand Mufti of Batavia in 19th century of Dutch East Indies.

Masjid Jami Kampung Baru Inpak, also known as Masjid Kampung Baru or Bandengan Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located at Jalan Bandengan Selatan, Pekojan, Tambora, Jakarta, close to Masjid Al-Anshor. It is one of the mosques that was built by the Muslim merchants from India, who used to travel and live in Batavia. The mosque has been designated as a cultural heritage by the provincial government of DKI Jakarta.

Drs. Kyai Hajji Habib Ali Alwi bin Thohir Al Husainy is an Indonesian politician, da'i, Islamic scholar and founder of the Pondok Pesantren Modern Al-Husainy, Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten. At the election of regional head and deputy regional head of Tangerang Regency in 2008, Alwi was nominated by the Democrat Party and the National Awakening Party as a candidate for vice regent along with Usamah Hisyam as a candidate for regent, but this pair was defeated by incumbent candidate Ismet Iskandar with Rano Karno as his deputy. Currently, Alwi serves as a senator representing the province of Banten in the Regional Representative Council.

Husein Aidid was an Indonesian songwriter, singer and entrepreneur. Aidid was the founder and leader of the Orkes Gambus al-Usysyaaq which later became transformed into the Orkes Melayu Kenangan in 1950. Together with his new Malay Orchestra, on October 26, 1950, Aidid began its first broadcast on Radio Republik Indonesia and was broadcast nationally. At that time, RRI was the most popular entertainment facilities of society.

Sayyid Abdullah bin Alwi Alatas was a Dutch East Indies merchant, landlord, and philanthropist of Arab descent from the Ba 'Alawi sada clan. Alatas is also the owner of the Cikini House after it was bought from Raden Saleh. He also inherited another eccentric house, such as a house built by a Frenchman in an Islamic style.

Alwi Shahab was an Indonesian journalist for more than 40 years who mainly focused on Jakarta's socio-cultural problems. His career began in 1960 as a journalist at the Arabian Press Board news agency in Jakarta.

References

↑ Munir Amin, Samsul (2008). Karomah Para Kiai (in Indonesian). PT LKiS Pelangi Aksara. ISBN 978-97984-52499.
↑ Shahab, Alwi (2001). Robinhood Betawi: kisah Betawi tempo doeloe. Republika. ISBN 978-97932-10001.
1 2 3 4 5 Usman, Syafaruddin. "al-Alaydrus dan Keramat Luar Batang" . Retrieved Jun 17, 2014.
↑ Reijnvalen, van den (1852). Chinees Opmerkingen Ong Hoe Hoe zijn gedurende indischen verblijf in den Archipel.
1 2 3 "Mengintip Sejarah Masjid Luar Batang". Kompas (in Indonesian). August 6, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
1 2 Shahab, Alwi (2004). Saudagar Baghdad dari Betawi. Republika. ISBN 978-97932-10308.
↑ Ridwan Kurniawan, Kemas. "Sacred Place in Postcolonial Urban Vernacular: A Struggle of Traditional Cultural Identity Against Modern Hegemony in THe Kampung Luar Batang, Jakarta". University of Indonesia.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Masjid-masjid bersejarah dan ternama Indonesia. Departemen Agama RI. 2005. ISBN 978-97925-00509.
Sejarah Teluk Jakarta (in Indonesian). Dinas Museum dan Sejarah DKI Jakarta. 1996.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Karomah_Para_Kiai-1] Munir Amin, Samsul (2008). Karomah Para Kiai (in Indonesian). PT LKiS Pelangi Aksara. ISBN 978-97984-52499.

[robinhood-2] Shahab, Alwi (2001). Robinhood Betawi: kisah Betawi tempo doeloe. Republika. ISBN 978-97932-10001.

[keramat-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Usman, Syafaruddin. "al-Alaydrus dan Keramat Luar Batang" . Retrieved Jun 17, 2014.

[4] Reijnvalen, van den (1852). Chinees Opmerkingen Ong Hoe Hoe zijn gedurende indischen verblijf in den Archipel.

[mengintip-5] 1 2 3 "Mengintip Sejarah Masjid Luar Batang". Kompas (in Indonesian). August 6, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[saudagar_baghdad-6] 1 2 Shahab, Alwi (2004). Saudagar Baghdad dari Betawi. Republika. ISBN 978-97932-10308.

[kemas-7] Ridwan Kurniawan, Kemas. "Sacred Place in Postcolonial Urban Vernacular: A Struggle of Traditional Cultural Identity Against Modern Hegemony in THe Kampung Luar Batang, Jakarta". University of Indonesia.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]