Editing Malacca Sultanate (section)

==Islam and Malay culture==
Whether the first ruler of Malacca, Parameswara, converted to Islam is unknown as there is no evidence to suggest that he had. The 16th-century Portuguese writer [[Tomé Pires]] explicitly mentioned that Parameswara was succeeded by his son, [[Megat Iskandar Shah of Malacca|Megat Iskandar Shah]] who only converted to Islam at age 72. On the other hand, the ''[[Malay Annals]]'' noted that it was during the reign of the third ruler [[Muhammad Shah of Malacca|Muhammad Shah]] ({{r.|1424|1444}}), that the ruling class and their subjects began accepting Islam. While there are differing views on when the Islamization of Malacca actually took place, it is generally agreed that Islam was firmly established during the reign of [[Muzaffar Shah of Malacca|Muzaffar Shah]] ({{r.|1445|1459}}).<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 116">{{harvnb|Ahmad Sarji|2011|p=116}}</ref>

[[Islamisation]] in the region surrounding Malacca gradually intensified between the 15th and 16th centuries through study centres in Upeh, the district on the north bank of the Malacca River. Islam spread from Malacca to Jambi, Kampar, Bengkalis, Siak, Aru and the Karimun Islands in Sumatra, throughout much of the Malay Peninsula, Java and the Philippines. The ''Malay Annals'' mention that the courts of Malacca and [[Pasai]] posed theological questions and problems to one another. Of the so-called [[Wali Sanga]] responsible for spreading Islam on Java, at least two, [[Sunan Bonang]] and [[Sunan Kalijaga]], are said to have studied in Malacca.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 116"/> Tomé Pires mentions in his ''[[Suma Oriental]]'' that the rulers of Kampar and Indragiri on the east coast of Sumatra converted to Islam as a result of Sultan Muzaffar Shah's influence and went on to study the religion in Malacca. The ''Malay Annals'' also mentions a number of scholars who served at the Malacca royal court as teachers and counselors to the various sultans. Maulana Abu Bakar served in the court of Sultan Mansur Shah and introduced the ''Kitab Darul Manzum'', a theological text translated from the work of an Arab scholar in [[Mecca]]. A scholar by the name of Maulana Kadi Sardar Johan served as a religious teacher to both Sultan Mahmud Shah and his son. In addition to ''Kitab Darul Manzum'', the ''Malay Annals'' also mentions the ''Kitab al-luma' fi tasawwuf'' ('Book of Flashes'), a tenth-century treatise on [[Sufism]] by Abu Nasr al-Sarraj.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 116–117">{{harvnb|Ahmad Sarji|2011|pp=116–117}}</ref>

Certain elaborate ceremonies that blend Islamic traditions with local culture were also created in the Malacca Sultanate. One example was recorded during the reign of [[Muhammad Shah of Malacca|Muhammad Shah]]. A special ceremony was held that marked the celebration of the 27th night of [[Ramadan]], the ''[[Laylat al-Qadr]]''. It began with a daytime procession, led by the Temenggung on elephant-back, conveying the Sultan's prayer mat to the mosque for [[Tarawih]] performed after the mandatory night prayers. On the following day the Sultan's turban would be carried in procession to the mosque. Similar ceremonies accompanied the grand celebrations of both ''[[Hari Raya Aidilfitri]]'' and ''[[Hari Raya Aidiladha]]''. Apparently Malaccan Malay society had become so infused with the Islamic worldview that on the eve of the fall of Malacca, warriors at the court requested copies of two Islamic heroic epics, the'' [[Hikayat Amir Hamzah]]'' and the ''[[Hikayat Muhammad Hanafiah]]'', to inspire them in battle the next day.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 116–117"/>

The rise of Malacca as a centre of Islam had a number of implications. Firstly, Islam transformed the notion of kingship so that the Sultan was no longer viewed as divine, but as God's ''[[Caliph|Khalifah]]''. Secondly, Islam was an important factor in enabling Malacca to foster good relations with other Islamic polities, including the [[Ottoman Empire]], thereby attracting Muslim traders to Malacca.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 116–117"/> Thirdly, Islam brought many great transformation into Malaccan society and culture, and ultimately it became a definitive marker of a Malay identity.<ref name="Barnard 2004 7"/><ref name="Andaya 1984 55"/> This identity was in turn enriched further through the standards set by Malacca in some important aspects of traditional Malay culture, notably in [[Malaysian literature|literature]], [[Rumah Melayu|architecture]], [[Malay cuisine|culinary traditions]], traditional dress, performing arts, martial arts, and royal court traditions.<ref>{{harvnb|Esposito|1999}}</ref> Over time, this common Malay cultural idiom came to characterise much of Maritime Southeast Asia through [[Malayisation]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}