Buton Mosque

1. The History

Buton Mosque which was built in 1538 C.E. now becomes an archeological evidence of process of Islamic dissemination in the island of Buton. In the first half of the 16^th century, Buton (Bau-Bau) Sultanate was established in the island, and the mosque was constructed to be the mosque of the sultanate. The time of mosque establishment proves that the Buton Sultanate converted into Islam years before Gowa-Tallo Kingdom. It is said that the mosque was burned during civil war in the Buton Sultanate. Accompanied by a myth, the mosque was eventually reconstructed.

According to history, in the period of the 18^th sultan, Sultan Mukhirudin Abdul Majid, a civil war provoked by provincial leader, called Kapitan Laut Langkakiri, broke out in the region. Langkiri was not satisfied with the system of election of sultan at that time that, to him, opposed the tradition. It is worth noting that the throne of the Buton Sultanate was not inherited. If the previous sultan passed away, the next sultan was elected by the parliament, called siolimbona.

Langkiri, in his rebellion, succeeded in defeating the sultan, and occupied the throne instead of him. Spanning three months, the civil war led the people forgetting days. In such political upheaval, a spreader of Islam, Syarif Muhammad, who resided in Kraton Wolio (Wolio Palace), admitted hearing the sound of azan (the Muslim summons to prayer) from a small hill close to the palace. He decided to find out where the sound was coming from. Eventually, he found that it came out through a hole on the hill. He knew after awhile that the azan was loaded as a sign to begin Friday prayer performed by Arabians in the area. Syarif Muhammad rapidly came to the arena of conflict reminding the people that the day was Friday. Remembering that special day of Muslim, the people then came to the hill to perform Friday prayer. The prayer was seen by Syarif Muhammad as a good opportunity to give his peace sermon in front of the two conflicting groups. The sermon successfully brought them into peace.

The mosque was built in 1712 C.E. by Sultan Sakiudin Darul Alam on the location where the sound of azan came from. The mosque establishment replaced the previous burned mosque, built by Sultan Kaimuddin, during the war.

The mosque was uniquely located in a very strong fortress made of corals. In the history of mosques in Nusantara (Malay Archipelago), this mosque is perhaps the only mosque built in fortress.

2. The Location

The mosque was located strategically high on upper land, constructed inside a strong fortress made of corals.

3. The Measure

The mosque was established on a foundation measuring 1722 square meters, while its building measures 462 square meters in total.

4. The Architecture

Two tiered pyramidal roof covers the rectangular plan of the Buton Mosque. Today, the roof is made from zinc, but perhaps it was initially made from leaf of rumbia (type of palm that yields sago) or of nipah (type of palm). In the main room of the mosque, a pulpit is placed beside mihrab (small room in a mosque where the Muslim leader stands during prayer), both of which made of bricks. In addition, a stylized wooden ornament of plants, which resembles Arabesque style, is placed on both pulpit and mihrab.   

The mosque has three floors resembles rumah panggung (panggung house). The basement is a place where the columns and walls are built; the second floor is a main room of prayer; and the third floor is merely a small room located at upper-middle side, used as a control tower where one may be able to see throughout directions, besides as a place for pronouncing azan.

Twelve entrances, one of which is a main gate, are structured surrounding the mosque. Opened verandah is constructed at the front side or east side of the mosque, and at the middle of this part, a stair with slanted roof resembles baruga in rumah adat (adat house) of the inhabitants of South Sulawesi is built. The stair’s roof has only one slanted eaves.

In addition, an antique hanging lamp made of bronze is hanged on the middle of the mosque building. The hanging lamp has three boughs, and at each bough has a bulb. According to some sources, in Indonesia, the number of such hanging lamp is only three, two of which are in state palace of Jakarta, and one of which is in Yogjakarta palace.

The number of mosque officials, 60 persons appointed directly by sultan, was the biggest number compared to other mosques officials in Indonesia. They were commissioned to hold the following occupations: one person as qadhi (Islamic judge), one person as imam, four persons as khatib (Muslim preacher), twelve persons as muazin (who calls to prayers), two persons as tungguna ganda (the bitter of drum), and 40 persons as a permanent jamaah (a group of pious Muslims). The Buton Sultanate, based on the chosen number of jamaah, seemingly followed the school of Shafii.

5. The Planning

There are no data that explain clearly who the mosque initiator was.

6. The Renovation

In the period of Sultan Hamidi (the thirty-seventh sultan), in 1930, the mosque was firstly renovated without changing its original structure. In the meantime, its roof was replaced by zinc, and its old decayed timbers were changed with new timbers.    

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Comment of "buton mosque"

05 Dec 2012. Rohani La Nuru saya pernah baca bukunya La Ode Ichram tahun 1996, dari tulisan La Ode Tanziylu terjemahan Buku Tembaga yang judul aslinya (ASSAJARU HULIQA DAARUL BATHNIY WA DAARUL MUNAJAT dan tulisan La Ode Zaenu “Buton dalam Sejarah Kebudayaan”. dalam bukunya mengatakan bahwa yg pertama kali mendengarkan suara azan di sebuah lubang yg sekarang tepat di dahi imam ketika sujud adalah Utusan rasulullah yaitu Abdul Gafur dan Abdul Syukur. smentara tulisan diatas mengatakan bahwa yang mendengar azan tersebut adalah Syarif Muhammad. Mohon Penjelasannya. Terima Kasih. Wassalam

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