Sunan Muria or commonly called Raden Umar Said, is one of the nine famous saints in Java. In history, it is said that he was the son of Sunan Kalijaga (Salam, 1960: 54-55). His childhood name was Raden Prawata. In his marriage to Dewi Soejinah, the daughter of Sunan Ngudung, Sunan Muria had a son named Pangeran Santri, and later received the nickname Sunan Ngadilangu. However, there is also a version that states that Sunan Muria was the son of Nyi Ageng Maloka with a father named Sayed Karomat. This version is based on the old genealogy that was once in the Tomb of Sunan Muria around the 1960s (M. Sugiharto).

Umar Hasyim stated that there are several versions of the origin of Raden Umar Said. The first version states that Sunan Muria was the son of Sunan Kalijaga. This is based on the book by A.M. Noertjahjo entitled Stories Around the Wali Sanga (1974), Solichin Salam entitled Around the Wali Sanga (1960), and Solichin Salam entitled History of Islam in Java. The book by Adhi Nugraha entitled The Story of the Struggle of the Wali Songo, the Spreaders of Islam in Java and the book by M. Hariwijaya entitled Sunan Muria the Helper, seem to follow this first version. According to this version, Sunan Muria (Raden Umar Said) was the son of Raden Sahid (Sunan Kalijaga). His mother, Dewi Saroh was the daughter of Maulana Ishaq, while Sunan Muria's wife, Dewi Sujinah, was the older sister of Sunan Kudus. According to K.H. Bisri Mustofa, in his book entitled Tarikhul Auliya, Silsilah Walisongo, from his marriage with Dewi Sujinah, Sunan Muria had a son named Pangeran Santri, who lived in Kadilangu (Sunan Ngadilangu) and was given the title of Pangeran Baihi (Mustofa, 2004: 22). If this genealogy is correct, then Sunan Muria is the grandson of Maulana Ishaq, while the wife of Maulana Ishaq is Dewi Sekardadu, the daughter of Prabu Menak Sembuyu. The latter figure is a Hindu king from Blambangan (Hasyim, 1983: 14).

The second version states that Sunan Muria was the son of Sunan Ngudung. This is based on the book Pustoko Darah Agung, by R. Darwowasito. This book contains the history and genealogy of the Javanese saints and kings. According to this version, Sunan Ngudung alias Raden Usman Haji married Dewi Sarifah. From that marriage, they were blessed with four children, namely Raden Umar Said or Sunan Muria, Sunan Giri III, Raden Amir Haji or Sunan Kudus, and Sunan Giri II. This version was also followed by the work of Umar Hasyim entitled Sunan Muria between Facts and Legends and Amen Budiman entitled Walisongo between Legends and Historical Facts. The version of Sunan Muria as the son of Sunan Ngudung is also supported by Habib Lutfi bin Yahya, a charismatic cleric from Pekalongan. According to him, Ahmad Syah Jalal had a son named Syaikh Jamaludin Husein (Syaikh Jumadil Kubra) who lived during the time of Hayam Wuruk and Mahapatih Gadjah Mada. Then, Syaikh Jamaludin Husein had several children, namely: 1) Barakat Zainal Abidin, father of Maulana Malik Ibrahim (Sunan Gresik); 2) Sayid Ibrahim As-Samarqandi, father of Sayid Ahmad Rahmatillah (Sunan Ampel, father of Makhdum Ibrohim, Sunan Drajad, and Sunan Kudus) and Maulana Ishaq, father of Raden Paku (Sunan Giri) and Ali Murtadlo (Raden Santri). Raden Santri had a son Sayid Usman Haji, father of Raden Umar Said (Sunan Muria). This was written by Anasom, et al., in his book entitled History of Sunan Muria (2018: 64-71). 

The third version is that Sunan Muria was the son of Sunan Giri. This version is the version believed by the management of the Sunan Muria Mosque and Tomb, which states that Sunan Muria was the son of Sayid Karomat who was none other than Sunan Giri. This version is based on the Excerpt saking Keraton Surokarto miwiti saking Nabi Adam sapiikutipun ngantos dumugi Pakubuwana 8, which states that Sunan Muria's parents (Sayid Amir Haji) were the couple Sayid Karomat (Sunan Giri) and Nyai Ageng Maloka.

Regardless of the various versions about Sunan Muria, he is certain to be one of the loyal supporters of the Demak Bintara Kingdom. In fact, he is said to have also helped establish the Great Mosque of Demak. During his life in carrying out Islamic preaching, he preferred to live in seclusion in the village, socializing and living among the people. Sunan Muria preferred to preach to the people about Islam along the slopes of Mount Muria which is located 18 km north of the current city of Kudus.

Sunan Muria was one of the important advisors of the Demak kingdom. Although one of the considerations given was not accepted, he accepted it with an open heart because what was conveyed was based on his best consideration of the possibilities based on sincerity. There are no further sources that provide information about Sunan Muria's involvement in the Demak Kingdom. However, there is information that during the early days of the Demak Kingdom, there were only eight guardians who were willing to provide lessons on ngelmu makrifat, one of whom was Sunan Muria.

As a leader, Sunan Muria was a figure who directly approached the people. He carried out Islamic preaching by approaching farmers, fishermen, laborers, and the common people. He also maintained the continued use of gamelan as a medium of Javanese art that was very popular with the lower classes. He used art and culture to insert Islamic teachings into the souls of the people to remember Allah SWT. In addition, he is believed to be the creator of the Sinom and Kinanthi songs. He was buried on Mount Muria, which later became the name he bears to this day, Kanjeng Sunan Muria.

The story of the community states that Sunan Muria was a powerful saint and had extraordinary physical strength. Sunan Muria's physical strength is proven by the location of his hermitage which is located on a mountain. It can be imagined, if Sunan Muria, his wife, and his students had to go up and down the mountain every day, to spread Islam to the local population, or to preach to fishermen and sailors and farmers. This cannot be done without a strong physique. Although there is an opinion that at that time riding a horse was impossible to reach Sunan Muria's residence, so they had to walk (Nugraha, 106-116); but the evidence of horse hoof remains that still exist today which are believed to be the remains of Sunan Muria, can open the idea that riding was used mainly to the villages around Muria. Sunan Muria was also known to be tolerant of other religious beliefs. The noble and great morals of Islam were shown by not being busy arguing about religious differences, but by implementing the teachings of noble morals in real life. This strategy actually made many adherents of other religions who were eventually interested and converted to Islam voluntarily.

By his fans, Sunan Muria has the teachings of Atapaa banyuara, tegesi ngeli, namely meditating on floodwaters, meaning following the flow consciously. Ngeli has a different meaning from keli. Keli or hanyut is a helpless state because of being carried away by the current or flow of water and not of one's own will, for example being swept away into a river current; but it can also be another current. Meanwhile, ngeli is an act of following the flow with awareness and still being empowered, aware of the direction of the flow. So there is an expression that says "don't go against the flow", meaning there is no need to take actions that are too draining whose results are uncertain or even in vain, while the flow continues to flow in the same direction as before. Following the flow with awareness as in preaching has the meaning that Sunan Muria followed in the footsteps of his father, Sunan Kalijaga by using cultural media, especially the arts such as wayang, tembang, and of course also the methods and views that were still ongoing in society at that time. This is an appropriate, intelligent, and wise action for his control over the problems of society that still adhere to different beliefs. If preaching is done by clashing with things that are sensitive to society, then the results will be in vain. Preaching must also consider the time, place and who is being faced, or in the expression often stated empan papan lan angon mangsa (paying attention to the situation and conditions, as well as the right time). With such a basis, of course, an action can be expected to be successful appropriately. This method of preaching is known as ilmu ngeli or tapa ngeli. The Pustaka Radja Mantrajoga book (n.d., 40-44) mentions that Atapaa banyuara, tegesi ngeli (to meditate on the flood, meaning ngeli) which originally meant to meditate on the flood, or what is called ngeli. This term is very likely to have given birth to the term tapa ngeli. In the book it is stated that tapa ngeli, atapaa banyuara, tegese ngeli, basa ngeli iku manut saujaring liyan, datan nyulayani is one of the main kautamaning laku or deeds. It is truly amazing, one of the terms tapa ngeli that has stuck to Sunan Muria, it turns out to be only one of 12 commendable actions that are believed to be guidelines for acting (Widodo, 2014: 18-20).