About Sunan Bonang
Lived 1465 – 1525 (aged 59–60). Sunan Bonang was a composer and walī.
Sunan Bonang (born Raden Makdum Ibrahim) was one of the nine Wali Songo (lit. "Nine Saints"), along with his father Sunan Ampel and his brother Sunan Drajat who are said to have established Islam as the dominant religion amongst the Javanese, Indonesia's largest ethnic group.
He was a descendant of the Majapahit nobility in Tuban and a Chinese captain named Gan Eng Cu. However, another source stated that he was a son of Sunan Ampel and female noble, Nyai Ageng Manila. After becoming a prominent ulama, he tried to make ordinary Javanese familiar with Islam. He is known as teacher of Raden Patah, ruler of Demak Sultanate.
According to the manuscript of Het boek van Bonang, which is also known as Lontar Ferrara, Bep Schrieke has recorded that some views from Sunan Bonang that criticize forms of Bid'ah (Heresy) and favor orthodoxy of Islamic teaching.
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Important facts
People in Sunan Bonang's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sunan Bonang's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sunan Bonang?
Indonesian Wali Songa
When was Sunan Bonang born?
Sunan Bonang was born in 1465 in Surabaya.
When did Sunan Bonang die?
Sunan Bonang died in 1525 in Rembang Regency.
What was Sunan Bonang's occupation?
Sunan Bonang was a composer and walī.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sunan Bonang. https://biography.guide/sunan-bonang/
MLA: "Sunan Bonang." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sunan-bonang/.
Chicago: "Sunan Bonang." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sunan-bonang/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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