Wali Sanga

Common card · No. 489717

Wali Sanga (Javanese: ꦮꦭꦶꦱꦔ, lit. 'Nine Walis'), also transcribed as Wali Songo, are a group of nine da'is (Islamic missionary) that contributed to the spread of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java. The word wali sanga is derived from the Arabic word wali, which is used to refer to Muslim saints, and the Javanese word sanga, meaning the number nine. Although referred to as a group, there is good evidence that fewer than nine were alive in the same time period. Also, some sources use the term "Wali Sanga" to refer to saintly mystic(s) other than the most well-known nine individuals. Each man is often attributed the title sunan in Javanese, which may derive from susuhunan, in this context meaning "honoured". Most of the wali were also called raden during their lifetimes, because they were members of royal houses. The graves of the Wali Sanga are venerated as locations of ziarah (ziyarat) or local pilgrimage in Java. The graves are also known as pundhen in Javanese.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Greenland4, Public domain