Islamic Custom of Letter and Seal in Sarakata Manuscript “Surat-Surat dari Aceh”

This paper presents research on sarakata manuscript from the collection of the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia. The Sarakata analyzed in this research is entitled “Surat-Surat dari Aceh” with the code ML 447. This sarakata was written in the 19 century using Jawi script. This sarakata consists of nine letters, but in this study only four sarakatas are analysed, namely sarakata 3, 5, 6, and 7. We chose those sarakatas because it contains historical, economic, political, social, and Islamic law aspects. The method used when transliterating is a critical edition. The structure of the text is examined using ‘guidance of correspondence’ in Kitab Tarasul. When compared with that, the SSA sarakata has only five elements, but it has an element that is not contained in Kitab Tarasul, namely the pledge. The different correspondence formats occured because Aceh has its own Islamic-proprietary-custom. The seal in sarakata (sikureueng seal) is examined using sigillography. Based on a that study, sikureueng seal is ‘the seal used by the Aceh sultans in the establishment of important royal letters containing the name of the ruling sultan’. This seal can consist of nine circles or one circle. The different design and decoration of the seal depict the arts and specific objectives of each king. This usage is examined using the semiosis process by Pierce. The results show that the sikureueng seal is adorned with natural and geometric forms that have their own meanings, such as hope of growth, peace, welfare, life, and longevity.


Introduction
Based on its genre, classic manuscripts are divided into two types: fiction and non-fiction (history). For fiction manuscripts, there are hikayat (long story), poem, and so on. Meanwhile, for non-fiction manuscripts, there are law, custom, and letter. From these types of manuscripts, letter is the one that is the least discussed. According to Gallop (1994), a letter can reveal a history of the relationship of Malay HERITAGE OF NUSANTARA: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HERITAGE 199 kings with both internal and external parties. Thousands of letter manuscripts have been stacked, waiting to be analysed. Some letter manuscripts that were already discussed earlier, are from Aceh. Those are 1) sarakata manuscript on Jamal al-Lail Dynasty (year 1289 H/1872 CE) (Crecelius et al., 1979), 2) sarakata manuscript that contains pest tackling and food self-sufficiency (Hermansyah, 2013), and 3) the earliest sarakata from Sultanah Tajul Alam (year 1077 H/1666 CE). (Gallop, 2016) The text of this letter manuscript that is called as sarakata becomes interesting to discuss. That is because each sarakata could potentially contains aspect of history, economy, politic, and social relations at the time that the letter/sarakata was released. Sarakata is a letter of appointment of uleebalang (Acehnese for 'hulubalang', district chief, headman, or commander) by Sultan. (Ahmad, 1972) According to Bakar, (2001), sarakata means 'a letter of appointment of a head/chief appointed by the king'. Sarakata is considered to have existed since the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-1636. In Indonesia, sarakata manuscripts are stored in the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia (PNRI), the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI), and some are kept privately by the people of Aceh. In addition, these manuscripts are also available abroad such as in Turkey, England (in digital form), and the Netherlands i . However, the sarakata collection kept by PNRI has never been completely examined. This manuscript is the object of our research.
The Sarakata collection of PNRI consists of nine pages compiled in one bundle. Based on the text of the manuscript, this sarakata is titled 'Letters from Aceh', Surat-Surat dari Aceh Islamic Custom of Letter and Seal .... 200 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 (hereinafter abbreviated as SSA). SSA Sarakata contains the details of task appointed for headmen by the king, appointment of uleebalang (hulubalang), and provision from the king to keujruen (head of district). The SSA Sarakata contains a collection of letters from the Sultanate of Aceh written in 1200 Hijri or 1800 CE. (Proudfoot, 2006) The SSA Sarakata is coded ML 447 with microfilm code 665/4 Rol. It is recorded in Katalog Induk Naskah-Naskah Nusantara Koleksi Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia (Master Catalogue of the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia) collection of Malay Manuscripts, Naskah Melayu (ML). These manuscripts are not handwritten, except the ML 447 (2), which is not analysed here but has been published in Gallop (2019). Thus, the rest of the manuscripts are known as lithographic copies, that is printed reproductions of manuscripts.
Sarakata was written by a team or government secretary called keureukôn katibôi mulôk. As commonly practiced by the kings in the archipelago or 'Nusantara', the letter was written by the royal secretariat in a format that contained the elements that form a structure.
Usually, a corresponding writing was arranged in a guideline called the 'Book of Correspondence', Kitab Tarasul. The elements of sarakata manuscript will be studied and compared with the book that contains the correspondence guidelines of the Malay rulers in the archipelago, the Kitab Tarasul.
In Kitab Tarasul, there are rules for writing a letter and the meaning of each part has its own rules. There is also a special team that handles the secretariat or correspondence section. Therefore, it appears that the book was used for the royal scribes, not for the general public. (Gallop, 1994) The key elements of the formal Malay letter INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HERITAGE 201 based on Kitab Tarasul, are (1) design and decoration, (2) seal, (3) letterhead, (4) praises, (5) content, (6) provision of the sender, (7) covers and colophons, (8) address on envelopes, (9) envoy/messenger, and (10) ceremonies/customs of sending letters. (Gallop, 1994) These elements merge into a whole structure.
In SSA sarakata, a seal is affixed to the base of the manuscript.
Seal or cap/stempel (Indonesian), according to Dictionary of Indonesian Language, Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (Penyusun, 2016), is 'a tool for making sign (image, signature) by impressing it on paper (letters and so on); stamp; tera'. It is also called seal, from Latin sigillum 'legitimate'. "Seal-is an addition to a written document of an impression, generally in some mixture of bees-wax, form a finger-ring, or some larger surface, identifiable by the device or wording engraved on it as the property of a particular person or institution. The word 'seal' is used to describe both the impression and the tool (die or matrix) which made it.". (Zulistiasari, 2007) Seal is used in correspondence tradition as a sign of officiality for the issued letters. Dymond (1974) asserts that seal or stamp serves as a symbol of power and legitimacy, a test of authenticity, and a proof of validity of the letter manuscript. The oldest seal in the Malay manuscript is the seal of Sultan Alaudin Riayat Syah (reigned in Aceh in 1589-1604 CE). This seal was affixed in 1602 CE. (Gallop, 1994) According to Gallop, the stamp or seal in the archipelago or 'Nusantara' is generally in the form of a circle, sometimes varying with the shape of a petal. The ingredients used were soot ink and shellac. In the seal, there is usually information about the name, date, place, and phrase/motto. ii 202 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 The seal found in the SSA saratakata is the Sikeureung seal used by the sultan/sultanah who ruled in Aceh. Sikureueng was a seal used by the kings of Aceh in writing important letters, such as appointment of official position, letter of authority, decree, and diplomatic agreements between nations. (Madjid, 2014) A letter written without this seal would not be considered valid. Sikeureung seal is an acculturation between Islamisation and Indianisation.
The seal consists of nine circles with different designs. This seal is called "Sikureueng seal" because in Acehnese, the word Sikureueng comes from the Acehnese language which means 'nine'. (Fakhriati, 2017) The shape of the seal is made up of one circle and some others are made up of nine circles. The shape and decoration that is different from each king illustrates the artistic characteristics of each king. The decoration in this stamp implies some meanings which will be examined using semiotics (semiosis process) by Pierce iii as part of the study of sigillography. Sigillography is the study of seal's physical aspects (Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia). In addition, the position of seal printing can also imply social strata between sender and recipient.
In terms of content, the sikureueng seal found in the sarakata of SSA contains the names of the sultans which are arranged based on relationship closeness, both politically and genealogically, between the sultan who is enthroned with the sultans who are deceased (ancestors).
Based on the above description, it is important to study the scriptural text in SSA. At least, there are three main reasons worths an in-depth study on this. First, the SSA Sarakata has a slightly different structure from the guideline written in Kitab Tarasul. Second, the SSA Sarakata discusses political aspects in Aceh in the past, which can be INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HERITAGE 203 seen from the Sikureueng seal. Third, until now there has never been an in-depth study on sarakata manuscript in SSA.

Method
Research on SSA Sarakata was carried out using a philological and sigillography approaches. Philology approach is used to study the contents of the text by applying philological research methods that are based on the text. For this reason, the text will be transliterated by the work of philology.
The philology method helps us transliterate and edit the text so that it can be understood by the readers. Meanwhile, the sigillography approach analyses the stamp in terms of its physical form, design and decoration, as well as the contents and position of the stamp which can indicate political and social strata between sender and recipient.
Sigillography is a part of codicology, the study of physical aspect in the manuscript.
The method selected to present the edition of SSA sarakata manuscript and Sikureueng seal is critical edition method. This method was chosen because in the SSA sarakata, there are many words from Malay and Acehnese languages that are difficult to understand for today's general public. Therefore, additional information is given so that readers at the present time can understand. Additional information about the meaning of words or their contexts is placed in footnotes.
In translating colophons or words derived from Arabic found in the sarakata text, we were assisted by the alumnus of Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah and two supervisors from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The transliteration of the sarakata text is SSA written in Acehnese language, for example in mentioning the  (Wilkinson, 1901) and Dutch-Indonesian dictionary. (Moeimam et al., 2005) After editing the text, the structure of the SSA Sarakata was then explained one by one by referring to the Book of Correspondence, Kitab Tarasul. It is a guideline used by royal secretariats in the archipelago or 'Nusantara', correspondence in ancient times.
Sikureueng seal or stamp analysis was conducted using the sigillography approach. This approach is used to determine the purpose of seal printing. This research discusses the shape, size, decoration, position and meaning (with the help of Pierce's semiotics), as well as the contents of the Sikureueng seal.

A. Inventory and Description of the Sarakata Manuscript
The sarakata manuscript in SSA is reserved in the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia (PNRI) Iskandar (1999), Behrend (1984, Fathurahman (2010), another version of the sarakata manuscript was not found. Thus, the sarakata manuscript in SSA can be categorised as a codex unicus. There is little data on letters in the Aceh manuscript catalogues. In general, the catalogue contains religious texts and sagas. Letter manuscripts were not even specifically categorised, but included in 'others' category. The letter manuscripts contained in the catalogue are only manuscripts written by Snouck Hurgronje in Latin script. Thus, the sarakata manuscript in SSA can be categorised as a codex unicus.
In this study, the four texts found in the SSA will be discussed are manuscripts 3, 5, 6, and 7. These four manuscripts were chosen because the structure of the letter and the seal contain interesting political aspects to be further studied. The following is a description of the SSA manuscript 3, 5, 6, and 7. Picture 1. Cover of SSA Manuscript Bundle. (Photo by Rakhadiyanti, 2018) In this bundle, there are nine pages of written manuscripts, and six pages of manuscripts that only contain seals. These nine pages of written texts have content that is not related to each other. Based on the colophons, this manuscript was written around the 1200s Hijri or 1800s CE. This manuscript was written in Jawi script. This manuscript was affixed with a faded Sikureueng seal.
Although the seal ink is faded, the writing in the seal can still be read under sufficient lighting condition. The seal in this manuscript is 6.7 cm in diameter.

Sarakata 5
The text is written in 53 lines. Based on colophon vi , this manuscript was written in 1164 H. It measures 63 cm x 40 cm. The text block is 50 cm x 38 cm. The right margin is 1.5 cm, the left margin 0.5 cm, the top margin is 9 cm, and the bottom margin is 4 cm.
The manuscript is very fragile, perforated, and torn at the bottom. Therefore, the other side iscoated in Japanese tissue. In this manuscript, there is a Sikureueng seal measuring 7.5 cm in diameter.
The position of the seal is at the top right of the manuscript.

Sarakata 6
The manuscript is 60 cm x 41.5 cm. The text block is 33 cm x 32.5 cm. The upper margin is 17.5 cm, the bottom margin is 9 cm, the left margin is 3.5 cm, and the right margin is 5.5 cm. Based on the colophon vii , this manuscript was written in 1164 Hijri. The text is written in 53 lines. The manuscript condition is quite good, but the paper is very thin and split into two horizontally. Unlike other manuscripts, this one has letterhead that reads "bismillāh ar-raḥmān ar-raḥīm" ('in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful') written in calligraphy style. It is read from the outline that resembles mountains, then from the bottom line to the top line. Picture 6. The letterhead reads "bismillāh ar-raḥmān ar-raḥīm" in manuscript 6 the upper part. (Photo by Rakhadiyanti, 2018) In this text, a Sikureueng seal was affixed. It measures 6 cm in diameter. The position of the seal is above the middle text block, but slightly to the right. The distance between the triangle and the seal is also an uleebalang. So, this uleebalang position was an inherited position from the father, a common practice in the past time and already mentioned in Adat Meukuta Alam. Later the rule was replaced by the decree issued by the reigning king or queen. (Hurgronje, 1996) In this sarakata, the uleebalang's taks was explained and trade taxes in Islamic law were discussed.
Sarakata 6 contains an announcement that Keujruen xi of Batang Bengkalang was dead, and then this keujruen was replaced by Keujruen of Batang Bugara Raja. In this sarakata, seven tasks in religion and social relations were also explained.
("So, the position of Datuk Raja Agam's had existed from time when the society had lived in Meulabôh. In addition, it is the order from the kings that passed away to consider and teach about the mistakes in religious way that might be committed by Keujruen Jeheuk in Meulabôh. So he would carry out the sharia of Islam from Allah, the teaching of Prophet Muhammad as the law that had been stipulated by all of the passed kings and queens to Keujruen Jeheuk in Meulaboh. (sarakata 7, line 9-12).
As with letters in general, sarakata consists of introduction, content, and closing. The introduction in SSA sarakata begins with praise to the Prophet Muhammad and royal ancestors. There are also texts which include colophons in this section. So, in SSA sarakata, the colophon may appear at the beginning, middle or end of the text. After the praise and/or colophon, there are manuscripts that directly mention the intent and purpose (contents) and there also some that mention and explain the contents. The content of the text is about the appointment of uleebalang position by the sultan, appointment of tasks (obligations), as well as the border of the ruled areas. After the content is presented, an oath is added so that the person in charge is obliged not to violate the contents of the sarakata. If the oath is broken, the violator will get wrath from Allah and royal ancestors. The last part, closing, only exists in sarakata 5 and 6. The following table is the format/structure of the SSA sarakata. Table 2. Format/structure in Sarakata 3, 5, 6, and 7.

No
Structure Closing √ √

C. Seals in SSA Sarakata
Picture 10

D. A Full Transliteration from One of SSA Sarakata
This part shows a full transliteration from one of sarakatas found in the collection of Sarakata ML 447. One of this transliterated sarakata is mentioned as Sarakata 5. To be easy understanding, we write Number of Paragraph based on every main idea on the text, since this sarakata only has one page and one paragraph. Here is the full text of the transliteration. And also summon people to have a Friday prayer each Friday in the mosque, as Friday prayer is an obligation for us Moslems and the mosque is its physical matter of the religion, and Friday is more important than the other days and it is our responsibility to listen to the sermon read by the khatib and it is haram to talk during the deliverance of sermon by the khatib, as when the khatib has not been standing on the mimbar, it is mentioned in the command of Mohammad the Prophet, "fa iżā sādal khāṭibu 'alāl mimbār wa lā yatakallamu aḥādukum wa man yatakallam." The custom ruled that if the goods are cloth, the wasil is amounted to one hundred and five rial. And if he brought opium in a catty, the wasil is about a pocket. And if gambir is being sold at the rate of ten laksa, the wasil is a rial. And if bullets are sold in one pour, the wasil is one pocket. And if it is sold in a picul, the wasil is a half rial. Therefore, the matters mentioned are ruled according to the regulations of duli the king Penghulu sidik Lila Digahara take his wasil as we give the command law to the penghulu sidik about the matters of export and import trades from and to the kingdom of Meulabôh is sold for a gunca a naléh. The customs ruled that if rice is sold in a gunca, the wasil is a rial. If paddy is sold in a gunca, the wasil is a half rial. And also the island of coconuts or the islands owned by duli the king penghulu sidik. Also the land, river, and the sea are under the law of penghulu sidik. Also the route of penghulu sidik is get one in sixteen kawal going through the upstream up to the mountain of elephant and the whole is amounted to ten gunca. And for somebody who get drowned in the sea is also the responsibility of Penghulu sidik to provide for his living during his search for a solution. And for traders who died at the port of Meulabôh, penghulu sidik is also responsible to bury him and if there is any amount of inheritance, it will be kept by penghulu sidik when the heirs have not appeared yet, and for somebody whose house got burned down is also the responsibility of HERITAGE And for other tools the penghulu sidik which go to hulu/ du… ranub and from downstream to upstream up to the island of coconut and to the east of sands suwaq gelanggang mera' to the west of sands suwaq air mera' is the tool. Also for somebody who died th-sy-y is also the responsibility of penghulu sidik to bury him … also if somebody come to the port of Meulabôh bringing a picul of steel, the wasil is a half rial. If precious stones are sold in a picul, a pocket of wasil is also returned by penghulu sidik. And also when our ship, lifeboat, or tub boat, or other stuff that brought our messengers to bring the goods from the kingdom, including rice … breueh it is an obligation for penghulu sidik to provide a living for the messenger and other needs, Keujruen Jeuheuk Meulabôh is responsible to give our messenger a wood, and is heavily responsible for Keujruen Kuala to give the messenger who carry our message. That is how we give the command to Penghulu sidik Lila Digahara. Therefore, it is an obligation to do the matters as stated in this letter and it is an obligation for all warriors … that/ … mentioned here to conduct as mentioned in this letter if gh-s-y-l-h-l-y of Allah and Rasul and the oath of His Majesty the deceased is his disobedience towards Allah and Rasul, then we will record our goods and in all over Aceh and outside the region, the items worthy of trading for Acehnese, and penghulu sidik will take the wasil according to our regulations. And if somebody wants to place himself and the goods to us, it is supposed to be the responsibility of Penghulu sidik Lila, the duty of penghulu sidik {pudar} in which we b-a all traders with our regulation, "the deceased should be taken care by whom alive"

A. Analysis of the SAA Sarakata Structure
The SSA sarakata structure has seven elements, letterhead, seal, colophon, praise, content, oath, and closing. The sarakata structure is different from that is shown in the Book of Correspondence, Kitab Tarasul, which has ten elements. In sarakata, there are no gift or provision, cover, messenger, and ceremonies or customs that are accompanying the letter. Presents/gifts or ceremonies (customs) of delivering letters are generally given or carried out when the letters are sent from a king to a king (diplomatic relations). However, because the SSA sarakata were sent from the king to uleebalang/Keujruen-in other words from superior to inferior-both of them were omitted. 230 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 A letterhead is only found in sarakata 6. It reads "bismillāh arraḥmān ar-raḥīm" ('in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful'). The letterhead is above the seal or in the upper right.
This position means that the sender has higher social strata than the recipient of the letter. The reason for the existence of letterhead in sarakata 6 is because this sarakata is not a regular appointment letter, but a letter of appointment that is accompanied by a royal 'ceremony' in a large hall attended by bentara (royal servants in charge of carrying royal imperial instruments) and headmen, hulubalang.
The seal in the sarakata manuscript is always in the middle of the manuscript, slightly to the right. This shows that the sender is in a higher level than the recipient. In this case, from the king to a headman, or uleebalang.
Colophons are written in Arbic and Malay. However, the writing is not always Arabic at the beginning, Malay at the end. There is also a Malay colophon written in the middle or the end of the text. In SSA Sarakata, the colophon contains the year, date, month, day, and time.
Praises almost always exist in every sarakata. This is a proof of appreciation and prayer/request for blessing to the sultans who were already deceased. In addition, praise is also given to Muslim scholars Oath is a promise which is written in order that what is written in the letter or sarakata is not violated. If the promise is broken, surely the person addressed in the sarakata would be condemned by Allah, and the royal deceased. Like other Malay kings' letters, the SSA sarakata also has closing. This closing words appear in sarakata 5 and 6. The closing is written with the words tammat or intahal kalam.
The Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam has its own rules in writing, especially sarakata or letter of appointment of official position by the king. This happens because Aceh is known for its staunch to Islamic teachings to the extent that the format of their letter looked very Islamic. Moreover , as (Adnan, 2013) said "From a political perspective, Aceh's kingdom official documents depicts that Islamic law has been acknowledged and implemented in all of part of life, including politics and bureaucracy." The Islamic elements seen in the sarakata are, among others, being opened with the phrase of Insha Allah which means 'God willing', followed by praise to the Prophet Muhammad, his companions, and the saints or aulia (singular wali) of Allah. In addition, Arabic is used more than the Acehnese language, and it is endorsed to be more faithful and obey Islamic law by carrying out God's commands and avoiding His prohibitions. These are reflected from Acehnese most popular proverb Hukôm ngön adat han jeuet cré, lagè zat ngön sipheuet", which means "Law and custom are inseparable, like substance and nature".

B. Sigillographical Analysis
The seal is used as the legitimacy of an issued letter, especially by the kingdom. The seal affixed in SSA Sarakata is called Sikureueng. Literally, sikureueng means 'seal nine'. This seal is formed by nine small circles that surround one of the largest circles at 232 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 its centre. However, in this study, it was found that there was sikureueng seal that was not formed with nine circles. This seal is affixed in sarakata 7. Nevertheless, the seal in sarakata 7 is still called sikureueng because based on the results of this study, sikuereueng is redefined as the seal which is affixed in important letters of the Sultanate of Aceh and functions as a sign of validity of the letter issued and it contains the name of the ruling sultan'. This is based on the data and physical aspects of the SSA sarakata that has been studied.
The The sikureueng seals affixed in the SSA sarakata in average have diameter of 6.5 cm. The seals are generally in good condition and can be read, but there also some that are starting to fade because they are aged. The sikureueng seal is decorated with geometric images, including the tendrils, arches, leaf shapes, flowers, fences, or celestial objects.
The sikureueng seal is imprinted on the manuscript above the text block, in the middle slightly to the right. This indicates that the letter written was a social letter, because in diplomatic letters, the seal is placed under the text block. The placement between right and left also indicates the social strata between the superior and the inferior.
The sikureueng seal affixed to SSA Sarakata informs that the sender is in higher position than the recipient, from the sultan to an uleebalang.
The seal is decorated with natural and geometric shapes, such as the umbrella-like arches, trillium flowers, three leaves, tulips, sunflowers, and cypresses. These signs (representamen) are icons that INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HERITAGE 233 have their own meaning, according to context of its contents, history, or implied purpose (such as hope) in the seal.
In terms of the seal contents, the name of the ruling sultan is placed in the largest circle at the centre of the seal. Meanwhile, the small circle that surrounds it contains the names of other great sultans from the sultan's descendants or from other dynasties. In seal 5 and 7, the writing of reigning sultan matched with the colophons in the manuscript and the historical accounts. However, in seal 3 and 6, there is a discrepancy between the name of the sultan and the imprinted seal. Something similar to seal 3 happens to seal 6. In seal 6, the imprinted name is Sultan Ahmad Syah. However, in the colophon it is mentioned 1164 H or if converted to CE, it is1751. In 1751, the ruling 234 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 sultan, Sultan Johan was the son of Sultan Ahmad. During the reign of Sultan Johan, there was a feud between the Sultan and the sagi commanders. In fact, during the era of his father, this conflict subsided.
The conflict continued until the reign of his younger brother, Pocut Muhammad. Although Sultan Johan used his father's seal to make sarakata more psychologically respectable, in the end, this improper seal usage did not help much. Sultan Johan stepped down in less than a decade since the year of using his father's seal.

Conclusion
The sarakata manuscripts appear difference in format of correspondence because Aceh has its own customs that are interconnected with Islamic teachings. It even becomes a slogan inspired by the Acehnese proverb, "Hukôm ngön adat han jeuet cré, lagè zat ngön sipheuet", which means "Law and custom are inseparable, like substance and nature." The law referred to in the proverb is Islamic Law or the sharia, while adat is a provision (customs) that is enforced in Aceh.
The sikureueng seal in Sarakata serves as a sign of legitimacy and authenticity of letters issued by the kingdom. In terms of shape, the sikureueng seal does not have to consist of nine circles-as the literal meaning of sikureueng which in Acehnese means 'nine'-but there are also some that have only one circle.
In terms of design and decoration, the sikureueng seal decorated with symbols in the form of arches that resembles umbrellas, trillium flowers, three leaves, tulips, sunflowers, and cypresses has the meaning that: 1) umbrella as a protector, patron, and guide for the king and Muslims; 2) the trillium flower as a symbol of three federation INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HERITAGE 235 areas in Aceh which is called Lhèè Sagoë, also a three-language symbol used in sarakata; 3) three leaves as hope for the development of the Idi Kecil area; 4) tulips as a tribute to the appointment of In terms of position, the sikureueng seal is imprinted on the manuscript above the text block, the middle part, slightly to the right.
This affixion indicates that the letter was considered a social letter. In diplomatic letters, the seal is placed under the text block. The position of the sikureueng seal affixed in the middle slightly to the right in sarakata indicates that the sender (sultan) is in higher position than the recipient (uleebalang).
The other findings of this research there are aspects related to the dynamics of the Aceh Sultanate in political matters. The political aspect of the kingdom is seen in the misuse of the royal parents' seal, whereas the seal is one proof of the greatness of a king in Aceh. This is due to the situation of the kingdom which began to weaken because of the colonial intervention and internal conflicts in the 'Inner' (palace), so Sultan Mansur and Sultan Johan began to use their father's seal in 236 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 an effort to make themselves more confident psychologically and their sarakata more respectable diplomatically. The two sultans' fathers, Sultan Johar and Sultan Ahmad, during their reign succeeded in resolving internal conflicts and gained respect from foreign nations. Therefore, Sultan Johar and Sultan Ahmad were included in the group of 'great' kings. However, borrowing their seals did not appear to have much effect because not long after the sarakata was written, Sultan Mansur and Sultan Johan stepped down.
This research has limited discussion on the aspect of Acehnese Sarakata. The discussion should be continued by performing other researches. This sarakata can be further studied in terms of its content, manuscript material, or comparison with other sarakatas. Further, research also could be focussed on classical manuscripts which has not been done much yet. The analysis could be conducted in the aspect of a piece of letter, political, custom, religion, and cultural values. It is hoped that the academic literature on sarakata or other Aceh letters can be even richer.

HERITAGE OF NUSANTARA: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND HERITAGE 239
zabarjad. According to Salim (2015), the stone, which has been mentioned in Musthalahat Al-Fiqhiyah, is the name of a precious stone. It is similar to emerald because they are both green. At the time of Islamic civilization, the stone, called the paridot stone, was once the most expensive stone during the Ottoman Caliphate in Turkey. The uses of the stone, among others, are as a decoration on rings, a decoration on a turban, and as a decoration in jewelry boxes. (Salim, 2015) xxiii At first, Penghulu Sidik Lila Digahara was the wazir or prime minister during the reign of Sultan Mansur Syah. After being asked by the uleebalang, the leader of Sidik Lila Digahara was sent to investigate and settled all matters relating to law. (Zainuddin, 1961) xxiv 'yang tersebut; termaktub' ('Mentioned; contained ') (Penyusun, 2016) xxv 'Orang yang menyampaikan kotbah (pada waktu salat Jumat dsb.); juru khotbah' {'The one who delivers the khotbah speech (during Friday prayers etc.); preacher '} (Penyusun, 2016) xxvi the Arabic for 'Agama' (religion) (Steingass, n.d.) xxvii The meaning is "Because the word of Allah ta 'ālā instructs (us to do) goodness and prevent evil." (free translation) xxviii Based on the context, this word means 'passed away to rahmatullah; die.' But, according to (Lombard, 2014), kandang is the tomb of kings in Aceh Dalam (Aceh palace) (noun). So even with the opinions (Zainuddin, 1961), kandang is 'roofed tombs' (noun). xxix The meaning is "So the word of Allah in the Al-Qur'an: O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." (Q.S. An-Nisā (4: 59)). xxx The meaning is "then upon Our Messenger is only [the duty of] clear notification." (Q.S. At-Tagābun (64: 12)) xxxi Mandatory for every Muslim (Kurniawan, 2018) xxxii 'Better, more prime' (Penyusun, 2016) xxxiii 'speech' (especially those that describe religious teachings) (Penyusun, 2016) xxxiv The meaning is "When the khatib has stood on the pulpit, don't talk to someone else." xxxv The meaning is, "O you who have believed, when the adhan is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuah (Friday), then proceed to the remembrance of 240 VOL. 9 NO. 2 DECEMBER 2020 Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew." (Q.S.  xxxvi The meaning is "Whoever leaves the Friday prayer, Allah will write on the loh mahfuz as a hypocrite." However, after tracing, there is no hadith that reads exactly like this, there is a hadith which means "Whoever leaves three times (prayer) on Friday without aging (obstruction or illness), he will be recorded as a hypocrite." (Hadith narrated by Abdurrauf Al-Munawi in Darul Kutub Al-Ilmiyah). The definition of hypocrisy in the context of this sentence according to Al-Munawi is a person who believes in Allah, but often violates religious orders. So, the hypocrites in this hadith are not hypocrites who do not believe in Allah. (Kurniawan, 2017) xxxvii The meaning is "Whoever leaves three consecutive Friday prayers, his forehead is written as lose grace from Allah" xxxviii "Earnest efforts which was made by religious experts to reach a verdict of sharak law regarding its settlement have not been stated in the Al-Qur'an and As-Sunnah." (Penyusun, 2016) In this context, only priest that solves the case.
xxxix The meaning is "Verily Allah commands (His creatures) to do justice and goodness." xl The meaning is "So the Firman of Allah ta 'ālā: Whoever does not use the law by what Allah sent on him, then they are infidel." xli The meaning is "Use the law that Allah has sent to you (Al-Qur'an) and do not obey their lusts." xlii Another name for Mecca xliii The meaning is "So the Firman, Saying of Allah ta 'ālā: And establish prayers, pay zakat, fast in the month of Ramadan, and haj to the Ka'bah for anyone who can afford it." xliv 'sesuatu hal yang datang bersamaan dengan barang lain' ('Some things that come together with other things') (Arabic-English Dictionary; Malay-English Dictionary) xlv In the manuscript, it is written as ‫,بنجلڠ‬ but after being traced, it is possible that what it meant is pencalang, which is 'a large boat to carry merchandise (often used to spy on enemies using its trade characteristics)' (Penyusun, 2016). xlvi "eternity is there" xlvii One-third of a pound or 617 grams (Daud et al., 1999), But, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, offline application, one pound = 500 grams, so one