The History Of Islamic Legislation In Sarawak During The Era Of The Brunei Sultanate: A Preliminary Overview

Sejarah Perundangan Islam Di Sarawak Era Pemerintahan Kesultanan Brunei: Satu Tinjauan Awal

Abstract

This article discusses the history of Islamic law in Sarawak during Brunei Sultanate rule. Sarawak, as part of the Brunei Sultanate's territory, has received influences and impacts from the Brunei Sultanate's governance, particularly in Islamic law. The objective of this study is to examine the development of Islamic law in Sarawak, the role of the Brunei Sultanate in spreading and strengthening Islamic law, and how the historical development of this law has shaped the modern legal landscape in Sarawak. The methodology of this study involves the analysis of historical sources such as archival documents, ancient manuscripts, and related academic writings. The study also applies historiography research methods, emphasizing four main steps: heuristics; source criticism, including external and internal criticism; analysis and interpretation of data; and historiography, meaning historical writing. The findings of the study indicate that Brunei Sultanate's governance had a significant impact on the development of Islamic law in Sarawak. This suggests that Sarawak had a strong foundation and background in Islamic law prior to the arrival of colonial powers. The existence of manuscripts such as Kanun Lawas and Kanun Lingga, which were legal documents used during the Brunei Sultanate's rule, is important evidence of the practice of Islamic law in Sarawak. The findings of this study are expected to provide a deeper understanding of the Brunei Sultanate's role in shaping the Islamic legal system in Sarawak and to construct a new narrative of Sarawak's Islamic legal history that has rarely been articulated. In conclusion, this study is important for understanding the origins and continuity of the Islamic legal system in Sarawak, as well as providing guidance for the preservation of the Islamic legal heritage in the state.

Abstrak
Artikel ini membincangkan tentang sejarah perundangan Islam di Sarawak pada era pemerintahan Kesultanan Brunei. Sebagai sebahagian daripada wilayah Kesultanan Brunei, Sarawak telah menerima kesan dan pengaruh daripada pemerintahan Kesultanan Brunei terutamanya dalam aspek undang-undang Islam. Objektif kajian ini adalah meneliti perkembangan undang-undang Islam di Sarawak, peranan Kesultanan Brunei dalam menyebarkan dan mengukuhkan undang-undang Islam serta bagaimana sejarah perkembangan undang-undang ini telah membentuk lanskap undang-undang moden di Sarawak. Metodologi kajian ini melibatkan analisis terhadap sumber-sumber sejarah seperti dokumen arkib, manuskrip kuno dan penulisan-penulisan akademik berkaitan dengannya. Kajian ini juga mengaplikasikan kaedah kajian historiografi yang menekankan empat langkah utama iaitu heuristik; kritikan sumber iaitu kritikan luaran dan kritikan dalaman; analisis dan interpretasi data; dan yang terakhir historiografi yang bermaksud penulisan sejarah. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa, pemerintahan Kesultanan Brunei telah memberikan impak yang besar terhadap perkembangan perundangan Islam di Sarawak. Ini menunjukkan  bahawa negeri Sarawak memiliki asas dan latar belakang perundangan Islam yang kukuh sebelum kedatangan penjajah. Kewujudan manuskrip Kanun Lawas dan Kanun Lingga iaitu dokumen undang-undang yang telah digunakan pada era pemerintahan Kesultanan Brunei merupakan bukti penting pengamalan undang-undang Islam di Sarawak. Dapatan kajian ini dijangka memberikan pemahaman yang mendalam tentang peranan Kesultanan Brunei dalam pembentukan sistem undang-undang Islam di Sarawak serta membina naratif baru sejarah undang-undang Islam d Sarawak yang amat jarang diketengahkan. Kesimpulannya, kajian ini penting untuk memahami asal-usul dan kesinambungan sistem undang-undang Islam di Sarawak, serta menyediakan panduan untuk pemeliharaan warisan undang-undang Islam di negeri ini.