Career
He was the most prolific of the authors of the Acehnese court, and helped contribute to its international reputation as a center of scholarship. He arrived in Aceh in 1637 and enjoyed the patronage of Iskandar Thani (reigned 1636-1641). He denounced his predecessors at the Acehnese court, Hamzah Pansuri and Syamsuddin of Pasai, for what he saw as their heresy in violation of the Islamic belief that God was unchanged by his creation.
He ordered their books to be burned, while he wrote numerous works setting what he insisted were orthodox religious standards.
His most notable work was the Bustan as-Salatin ("The Garden of Kings"), begun in 1638 and written in Malay based on Arabic sources. Ar-Raniri"s works were translated into other Indonesian languages, and had considerable influence in Malay literature.
He lost favour with the court of Iskandar Thani"s successor, his widow Taj ul-Alam, and left Aceh in 1644, and died in India in 1658.
