The Ulama Network as Conveyor of Islamic World Trends: Connecting Malaysian Politics to the Muslim Ummah Through the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)

Abstract

Islam is trans-regional by nature. Historically, Muslims travelled around the world for the requirements of Islam. Muslims moved from one region to another not only for business purposes, but also for pilgrimages (the hajj and the umrah), marriage and missionary work, and to seek knowledge. Especially for the purpose of seeking Islamic knowledge or ’ulum shari’iyah, millions of Muslims have travelled around the world. Ulama, or Islamic scholars, are products of such itinerancy for learning. Many of them even migrated to other regions and cultivated juniors, and ulama thus formed a trans-regional network for Islamic learning. As a result of the large-scale movement of Muslims between regions, not only Islamic knowledge but also trends such as lifestyles and political thought were exchanged. When we discuss the international movement of Muslims and their interactions in the contemporary age of globalization, it is meaningful to focus on the fact that the movement of Muslims to seek Islamic knowledge is still significant, and the scale of this movement is increasing dramatically. Without studying the historical movement of Muslims between regions, it is difficult to understand the interactions of Muslims in the world today. This article discusses the network of Islamic learning formed by ulama from the Malay Peninsula and its impact on the political arena in Malaysia through the Islamic Party of Malaysia (Parti Islam SeMalaysia: PAS).