There are many versions about this figure. The first version, Syaikh Jumadil Kubra is one of the four holy men who were Muslims in ancient times, along with Maulana Ishak in Blambangan, Nyampo in the Domas Tribe, and Dada Pethak on Mount Bromo. Regarding the name Kubro, Bruinessen stated that this name violates the rules of Arabic grammar. The Arabic term, kubra, which means big is an adjective in the form of mu'annats (feminine), the superlative form (ism tafdhil) of the word kabir. The appropriate form of the word mudzakar (masculine), should be akbar and it is strange if kubro is a name for a man. Therefore, according to Bruinessen, kubro is an abbreviation of the name Najumuddin Al-Kubro (Najumudinil Kubro) to become Jumadil Kubra (Bruinessen, 2012: 300).

The second version states that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra is another name for Syaikh Maulana Malik Ibrahim or also known as Maulana Maghribi. He is a figure who spread Islam who is part of the Walisongo and is known as Sunan Gresik. He is an ethnic Arab figure who comes from Kasyan and has a lineage to the Prophet Muhammad SAW. It is said that when he first entered the land of Java, almost all of the Javanese population still adhered to Hinduism and local beliefs (Hasyim, 1992: 13).

The third version is based on the Banten Chronicle and the Tjirebon Chronicle which states that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was a figure who spread Islam as well as an elder of the guardians of the land of Java and therefore, he was present before the era of Walisongo. He is believed to be the grandfather of Syarif Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati) in Cirebon, West Java through his son Syaikh Ali Nurul Alam who lived in Egypt. Another version based on the Gresik Chronicle states that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was the ancestor of Sunan Ampel, Sunan Bonang, and Sunan Kalijaga. Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was related by blood to Sunan Ampel and lived in Gresik. Meanwhile, the son of Syaikh Jumadil Kubra, namely Maulana Ishaq was assigned to carry out Islamization in Blambangan. Maulana Ishaq was the father of Sunan Giri. So, if we follow this version, then Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was the grandfather of Sunan Giri (Sunyoto, 2012: 69-70).

In addition to the versions above, there is also a version stating that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was the mentor of the saints. This is as written by Raffles, who stated that when Raden Rahmat (Sunan Ampel) first came to Java from Campa, he visited a religious expert who lived in Mount Jali, Gresik named Syaikh Maulana Jumadil Kubra. At that meeting, Syaikh Maulana Jumadil Kubra stated that the arrival of Raden Rahmat had been predicted by the Prophet Muhammad SAW, that Raden Rahmat was chosen to preach Islam in the eastern port of Java. He also stated in the prophecy that the collapse of the pagan religion in Java was just a matter of time (Raffles, 2014: 117).

A different version appears in the Babad Tanah Djawi which states that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was Sunan Ampel's cousin and lived as a hermit in the Gresik forest. Based on the Babad Tanah Djawi, it is also mentioned that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra once meditated on Bukit Bergota, Semarang. Perhaps, on this basis, the local people of Semarang believe that the tomb in the Tambak area near Terboyo is the tomb of Waliyullah Syaikh Jumadil Kubra. Meanwhile, according to the tradition of the Hadrami community, Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was one of their ancestors who carried out the Islamization of Java in the early days, named Syaikh Jamaluddin Husain Al-Akbar (Bruinessen, 2002: 299).

However, according to the genealogy posted by the administrator in front of the tomb, it is stated that Syaikh Jumadil Kubra was the son of Syaikh Jumadil Kabir bin Syaikh Maulana Mahmudinil Kubro. This genealogy, if traced upwards, will reach the Prophet Muhammad SAW, through Fatimah through Husain a.s. Meanwhile, if traced down, then Syaikh Jumadil Kubra is the father of Maulana Ibrahim Asmarakandi (his tomb is in Gresik) and also the grandfather of Syarif Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati).

Various versions regarding the figure of Syaikh Jumadil Kubra are also marked by the existence of his tomb which is not only in one place. According to Sunyoto, the tomb that is generally believed to be the tomb of Syaikh Jumadil Kubra is the tomb located in the Tralaya tomb complex, Mojokerto (Sunyoto, 2014: 70). However, the caretaker of the tomb of Syaikh Jumadil Kubra in Semarang stated that the actual tomb is the one in Semarang. This is proven by the increasing number of pilgrims who come to this tomb since it was first discovered and built in 1995. Approximately 50 buses make pilgrimages every day to this tomb (Interview with Hamdan, June 17, 2019).