Fathul Mutafakkirin, a contemplative work of ‘Utsman Pontianak

This is the cover page of "Fath Mutafakkirîn" which is the translation work of a great Muslim scholar of the archipelago (Nusantara) from the Pontianak Sultanate (West Kalimantan) spending his lifetime in Makkah, Shaykh 'Utsmân ibn al-Jawi Syiâbuddîn Fûntiyânaq.

The full title of the book is (فتح المتفكرين سفاي برتمفة إيمان دن يقين), writtenwritten in Javanese Arabic trandsated from a work written by Sheikh Ahmad Zainî Dahlân, the grand mufti that held Shafi'i school of thought in Makkah (d. 1886 CE).

This book is a contemplative study (tadabbur and tafakkur) of some verses of the Koran and the hadith of the Prophet related to the creation of the universe, the creation of man and the nature of man existence, tazkiyyatun nafs as well as guidance towards life filled with happiness both in this world and in the hereafter. The contents of the book "Fath Mutafakkirîn" could be described as a combination between theology and mysticism.

In the colophon, Shaikh 'Utsman Pontianak said if the work was completed in the city of Thaif in the Arabian Peninsula (now the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) on Wednesday, 16 Rajab 1324 Hijri (5 September 1906)

Shaykh Utsman Pontianak wrote;

تله سمفرنا همبا عثمان بن شهاب الدين مغمبيل سوات يغ فهم درفدا اين رسالة سيد أحمد دحلان دان درفد حديث جامع الصغير كفدهاري أربع كفد تاهون سريبو تيك راتس دوافوله أمفة كمدين درفد سمبهيغ ظهر ديدالم بكري طائف

(Having completed servant 'Utsmân ibn Syihâbuddîn to take a treatise written by Sayyid Ahmad (Zaini) Dahlan and hadith [al-] Jami' al-Saghir on Wednesday 1324 during midday prayer in the city of Thaif).

As mentioned above, the "Fath Mutafakkirîn" is a Malay-language translation and explanation of an Arabic work written by Syaik Ahmad Zaini Dahlan. Until now, I have not found the work written by Sheikh Ahmad Zainî Dahlân as meant by Shaykh Uthman this Pontianak.

Shaykh Utsman Pontianak also mentioned the name of another book being a reference and such hipogram of the "Fath Mutafakkirîn" namely al-Jami 'al-Saghir min hadith al-Basyîr al-nadzir" written by al-Hâfizh Jalâluddîn al-Suyuti (d. 1505 CE).

"Fath Mutafakkirîn" was then printed by Maktabah al-Mîriyyah in Makkah (Arabia), in Ramadan in the same year with the writing (1324 Hijri / 1906). This book was later reprinted by Maktabah Musthafâ al-Babi al-Halabi in Cairo (Egypt) in Shafar 1349 Hijri (July 1930). The Cairo's version was edited by Shaykh Ahmad Sa'id al-Filsilânî, one of the team of editors of Javanese (Malay) books printed by the publisher. In the Cairo's version, the "Fath Mutafakkirîn" contains 64 pages.

Related to Shaikh 'Utsman ibn Syihâbuddîn Pontianak, there have been some reviewing and writing more about the man. either in Arabic or Malay-Indonesian. I got a little information about his biography from the late Wan Muhammad Shagir Abdullah, a Muslim scholar from Malaysia who is concerned about the biographies of Muslim scholars of Jawi (archipelago) and their works, in an article entitled "Syeikh Utsman Syihabuddin Ulama Pontianak" (Utusan Malaysia daily, 06/17/2006).

Wan Muhammad Sagir Abdullah did not mention the date of birth and the death of Shaykh Utsman Pontianak. It is estimated that Shaykh 'Utsman Pontianak was born in the 1840s in the Pontianak Sultanate during the Qadriyah Dynasty. Pontianak Sultanate at the end of the 19th century was one of the most important centers of Islamic scholarship in the archipelago. The teaching in some Islamic educational institutions in the Sultanate used Arabic as the main language of instruction. It is characterized also by the presence of some great scholars who emigrated from the Middle East and taught in Pontianak until the end of their lives.

Among the great scholars of the Pontianak Sultanate at that time were Syekh Mahmûd ibn 'Abd al-Hamîd al-Dâghastânî al-Makki (d. 1897, the son of Shaykh' Abd al-Hamîd al-Syirwânî al-Dâghastânî, the author of "Hâsyiah al-Syirwânî "and the teacher of Syekh Nawawi Banten and his fellow Muslim scholars of Nusantara in Makkah), Sheikh Muhammad Shâlih ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Zawawi (d. 1890), Shaykh' Abd al-Qadir al-Fathani`s al-Makki ( d. 1898), and others.

Shaykh Utsman studied in the Pontianak Sultanate madrassa (Islamic school), then continued his intellectual career to Mecca until his death. He also had several works, mostly translations and explanations (Syarh) on Malay-language reference books in Arabic. Among the works are:

(1) Tajul-'Arûs, completed in 1304 H / 1887, (2) Fathul Makkah, completed in 1310 H / 1893, (3) Tanwirul Qulub fi Isqâth Tadbîril-'Uyûb, completed in 1311 H / 1894; (4) Risalah Tafsir Surah Yasin completed in 1312 H / 1895; (5) Fadhilah Makkah and Adab Ziyârah Madinah, completed in 1319 H / 1901; (6) Nurul-Anwar, completed in 1324 H / 1906; (7) Irsyadul-'Ibâd, completed in 1324 H / 1906 and (8) Fath Mutafakkirîn, completed in 1324 AH / 1906 (A. Ginanjar Sha'ban)