Tuanku Nan Tuo or Tuanku Nan Tua was one of the leading Minangkabau ulamas. He was known as a wasatiyyahcleric, who took syncretic approaches in the religious outlook, and was a Sufi and aspired for reformation and purification of Islam in the Agam region of West Sumatra at the same time. He also played a crucial role in the birth of Minangkabau Islamic reformers known as padri. Tuo however, disagreed with the more radically puritanical views espoused by padris including Tuanku Nan Renceh and Tuanku Imam Bonjol.
Early life
Tuanku Nan Tuo was born in Koto Tuo, IV Angkek, Agam, in 1723. During his youth, he was a passionate teenager about studying the Islamic sciences. He studied Islam from Tuanku Mansiangan Nan Tuo in Paninjau, Tanah Datar. He also acquired ilmu mantiq and ilmu ma'ani from Tuanku Nan Kaciak in Koto Gadang, studied the discipline of sharaf and nahwu from Tuanku in Talang and Tuanku in Salayo respectively, as well as sciences of hadith, tafsir, and usul al-fiqh such as faraidh from Tuanku in Sumanik.
Career
In 1784, Tuanku Nan Tuo became the head of Tarekat Syattariyah surau in Koto Tuo of IV Angkek. When he became the principal of the surau he managed to attract thousands of students from the surrounding villages. Education taught in his surau other than sharia was martial artspencak silat. The discipline was given so that each student was skilled and able to use weapons in the combative situation. One of his outstanding students, Haji Miskin, followed him in the propagation of sharia in the area of Agam Tuo. In addition, some of his militant students were assigned to preach in IV Angkek, especially to the nagari of trade ventures. Some of his students who continued their efforts in instilling sharia in Minangkabau were Jalaluddin Fakih Shagir who founded surau in Campak Koto Laweh, Agam, Tuanku Bandaro from Alahan Panjang who struggled with Tuanku Imam Bonjol, Tuanku Rao in Rao who took over the nagari leadership and preached in his homeland, and Saidi Muning who held the area in Lintau, Tanah Datar. His efforts of expounding sharia were further accelerated by the demand by the local traders surrounding the suraus for the security under the sharia regulations. By the 1790s in the IV Angkek region, Agam, regulations regarding the trade affairs had advanced greatly and as a result, he had been known as the "patron of traders."
