Mentioned in the Quran, the Raw Material for Heaven's Drink Actually Grows in Indonesia

Mentioned in the Quran, the Raw Material for Heaven’s Drink Actually Grows in Indonesia

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Who would have thought that the substance mentioned in the Al-Quran as a mixture for the drink of paradise’s inhabitants has strong traces in Indonesia. The commodity known as kafur or camphor has even been traded across countries since before the arrival of Islam.

In Surah Al-Insan verses 5-6, it is mentioned that the inhabitants of paradise will drink a beverage mixed with “kafur”. This term refers to a substance with a distinctive aroma that in history is known as camphor or kapur barus, a commodity that was once a global trade favourite.

The kafur water referred to is none other than camphor water or kapur barus. Historical records show that the camphor mentioned in the Al-Quran and some narrations of the Prophet Muhammad is linked to Indonesia.

For information, the camphor tree cannot grow in the Middle East. Therefore, the community had to import camphor from outside the region.

In the import process, obtaining camphor was not a difficult task. Because camphor has been traded in most parts of the world since the 4th century AD, three centuries before the Quran was revealed.

Regarding the location of camphor production, Arab sources mention the region of Fansur. French researcher Nouha Stephan in “Camphor in Arab and Persian Sources: Production & Usage” analyses traditional texts that mention Fansur.

One of those studied is the description by geographer Ibn Sa’id al Magribi. Ibn Sa’id, who died at the end of the 13th century, specifically explained that Fansur, the producer of camphor, originates from Sumatra Island.

In addition, another opinion is expressed by archaeologist Edward Mc. Kinnon in Ancient Fansur, Aceh’s Atlantis (2013). He states that Fansur is located at the western tip of Aceh. This hypothesis is based on geographical location considerations and trade data from written records mentioning Panchu as a camphor producer.

Further evidence is revealed by Claude Guillot in Barus A Thousand Years Ago (2008). He concludes there are three areas where camphor grows naturally that need attention, namely Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Borneo (Kalimantan).

However, the historian narrows it down more specifically to the Barus area in Sumatra.

“We can conclude that most or all of the camphor traded before approximately the 10th century AD and the discovery of camphor in Borneo came from northern Sumatra, namely Barus,” writes Guillot.

If referring to Guillot’s claim, then the camphor recorded in the Al-Quran and the narrations of the Prophet Muhammad or used in mummification in Egypt originates from Barus, Sumatra.

Moreover, historian Jajat Burhanudin in Islam in the Flow of Indonesian History (2020) recounts that Barus has long been known in the world of trade.

Jajat suspects that Arabs and Persians arrived in Barus directly from the Persian Gulf, passing through Ceylon, then arriving on the west coast of Sumatra. At this point, Barus is proven as a camphor-producing area and has developed into an important port in Sumatra.

Over time, Barus became a crucial port in the era of the Srivijaya Kingdom in the 10th century. Denys Lombard in Nusa Jawa Cross-Cultural (1996) recounts that camphor was already a highly sought-after item in the international market.

Many Arab explorers visited there using large ships to transport camphor.