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yaujj48's avatar

How did the Malays convert from Hinduism/Buddhism to Islam?

Asked by yaujj48 (1176points) November 29th, 2021

I did some research in the topic and found that their source is from Muslim traders from Arabia and India around the earliest 11th century. It is not until 1405 where the Malacca Sultanate adopt the Islam religion and become a Muslim state.

I am curious how the rulers and people of Malay convert to Islam easily when they already have an established religion. That goes to Indonesia as well.

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2 Answers

elbanditoroso's avatar

Wikipedia here suggests that traders were teh impetus for Islam in the Malay peninusla.

Quoting:
Islam was also brought to Malaysia by Arab Muslim and Tamil Indian Muslim traders in the 12th century AD. It is commonly held that Islam first arrived in Malay peninsular since Sultan Mudzafar Shah I (12th century) of Kedah (Hindu name Phra Ong Mahawangsa), the first ruler to be known to convert to Islam after being introduced to it by Indian traders who themselves were recent converts. In the 13th century, the Terengganu Stone Monument was found at Kuala Berang, Terengganu, where the first Malay state to receive Islam in 1303 Sultan Megat Iskandar Shah, known as Parameswara prior to his conversion, is the first Sultan of Melaka. He converted to Islam after marrying a princess from Pasai, of present-day Indonesia[citation needed].

The religion was adopted peacefully by the coastal trading ports people of Malaysia and Indonesia, absorbing rather than conquering existing beliefs. By the 15th and 16th centuries it was the majority faith of the Malay people.

Ikara's avatar

Same way pagans converted to christianity; by force/under threat of death

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