Syekh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (Banjar–Mekkah–Riau): Otoritas Keilmuan, Jaringan Ulama Haramain, dan Formasi Islam Normatif Nusantara Abad ke-18

Abstract

This article examines Shaykh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (1710–1812) as a key intellectual actor in the formation of normative Islam in eighteenth-century Nusantara. Departing from previous studies that tend to approach him through biographical and locally bounded perspectives, this study situates Shaykh Arsyad within the framework of the Haramain–Nusantara scholarly network, the production of religious authority, and the transregional transmission of Islamic knowledge across the Malay world (Banjar–Mecca–Riau). Employing an intellectual history approach and critical literature review of primary and secondary sources, this article demonstrates that Shaykh Arsyad was not merely a local jurist but a significant agent in the standardization of religious practices through his legal work Sabilal Muhtadin, theological purification, the strengthening of Islamic education, and his contributions to the Qur’anic scholarly tradition in Nusantara. Through discursive mechanisms based on texts and scholarly networks, Shaykh Arsyad’s influence extended beyond Banjar without requiring physical mobility. These findings highlight his role as a transregional ulama who bridged classical Islamic scholarship with the socio-cultural context of the Malay world, contributing to the development of a moderate and enduring Islamic orthodoxy in Nusantara