We also passed by a point of interest for many Muslim travelers on the outskirts of town: the burial site of Tuanku Imam Bondjol, one of the first Imams credited for bringing Islam to Indonesia, as mas Rizal explained it.

A little help from my friends at Google threw a little more light on this international man of mystery. Born in 1772 in Sumatra, he made a name for himself as a 30 year old hadji, returning from Mecca, fresh with Wahhabiyah ideas about proper Islam, and how the traditional Minangkabau kingdom was corrupt because it strayed from strict Islamic teachings (allowed gambling, cock-fighting, etc). A still young 43 year old Imam Bondjol helped assassinate a significant portion of the Minangkabau royal family in 1815, and went on to become a leader in the Padri War (1821-1837) in Minangkabau (Padang, Sumatra); which pitted the Muslim reformists against the traditional royal family, who looked to the Dutch for support.

Tuangku Imam Bondjol surrendered in 1832, rebelled again, then was captured, exiled & died in Manado in 1837.
He is now celebrated on the 5,000 Rupiah bill.