Awang Alak Betatar

Awang Alak Betatar

According to the national history of Brunei that includes a number of unverified facts and a number of chronological errors, Sultan Muhammad Shah allegedly was the first Sultan of Brunei. He ruled Brunei from 1363 to 1402. He was the first Muslim ruler of Brunei as a result of his conversion to Islam in 1363 for his marriage to a Johorean-Temasik princess. Prior to conversion to Islam, he was known as Awang Alak Betatar. He was the first Muslim ruler of Brunei who hailed from Taif Arabia and was the son of Sultan Betatar. He married the daughter of the daughter of Iskander, a Johorean-Temasik princess introduced by Bal-Paki, her brother-in-law to be. Mohamad Shah established the Sultanate of Bruney a word supposedly derived from the noble and honorable race of Saudi Arabia called Buranun. In the 14th to 15th century, Bruney was referred to as Bulungan Johore due its territories stretching from Bulungan (North Borneo-Sabah) up to Johore, He was also known as Awang Alak Betatar. The national history claims that he sent a mission to China in 1371 by which his name is recorded in Ming historical record as Mo-ha-mo-sha and therefore the national history infers that Mo-ha-mo-sha (correct is Ma-he-mo-sha) was Sultan Muhammad Shah who died in 1402. He was allegedly succeeded by Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan.

Sultan Muhammad Shah whose proper name is Zein Ul-Abidin. Also known as Abu'Bkr, he frequented the near distant islands, that He called "Solook" (Sulu) from 1402 to 1424. Marrying the daughter (Parmursuli) of the Sulu Tomaoi (chief) Baginda, he influenced the latter to have embraced the religion of Islam and named him Raja Baginda Ali. After the death of his father-in-law, Abu'Bkr established the Sultanate of Sulu embellishing his name with five differential titles as Maulana Paduka Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim, meaning a Protector Eastern King and Sharif from the Hashimite Tribe of Taif Arabia. The Sulu Sarsilas records his death in 1431, while Brunei records it in 1432 having the honor of his grave. Sulu claims his grave at Bud Tumatangis. He was the third Mukdum (master in Islamic Jurisprudence) in the Mukdamin Age, who arrived in the Malayas promulgating Qur'anic studies and Madrassahs.

The first was Tuan Mashieka with the slim chance of being Tuan Magbalu, who first introduced Islam in the Malayas. The second was Karim Ul-Makdum (Bal-Paki) who reinforced Islam and the third was Abu'Bkr-Shariful Hashim (Zein Ul-Abidin Mohamad Shah) who was also known as Mohadum.

They were Sufi Teachers and Traders who established themselves in the Malayas-known as the Sultanate Muslim National Archipelago. Sultan Mohamad Shah (Zein Ul-Abidin Abu'Bkr) was succeeded in Brunei by his son Sultan Ahmad "Amir Alatas Uddin" or Abdul Majid, the latter who elected his son-in-law, Seri Ali to have succeeded him due to his two sons, Sayyid Nakhoda Perkasa Angging (Maharaja Anddin) being sent to Sulu as the Brunei Maharaja in the Sulu whose son was Maharaja Adinda Taup, the Maharaja of Jolo in 1859.

While Sayyid Nakhoda Sangkalang went North to Borneo, in 1704. In Sulu, Sultan Sharif Ul-Hashim (Abu’Bkr-Zein Ul-Abidin Mohamad Shah) was succeeded by Sultan Kamar'uddin (Abdu'rahman), a son from his Arab wife. Although Buto, the son from his Sulu wife Parmursuli, was also proclaimed as Sultan Ala'uddin as a status symbol, he did not reign. The Nakhodas were the grandsons of Muhamad Shah thru Sultan Ahmad (Amir Alatas'Uddin) Abdul Majid.  

Source: Awang Alak Betatar