KH TURAICHAN OF KUDUS

”Professor” for Indonesian astrologists

The calendar is a measuring means mostly understood by people to determine events surrounding them. For Indonesian people have just recognized two kinds of calendar, namely Qomariyah (lunar calendar) and Syamsiyah (solar calendar), so it is little bit difficult to synchronize the two calendars.

The difficulty is sometimes based on the fact that the lunar system has two methods of determining, namely hisab (astrological calculation) and rukyat (the sighting of the new moon/hilal). On account of the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar system, so most religious events can be determined based on the lunar system. Whereas the results of the two systems have some of the time been different.

When important events happen in social religious life with differing decision, the ummat (people) have always held firmly on their own decision based on reliable arguments and valid findings.

The dispute has in turn tended to increasingly be unstoppable as each of them holds firmly on their own viewpoints. The dispute would be vulnerable that potentially leads to such difference of creed. The scene has always come into existence in Indonesia as the world most populous Muslim country.

Amid the condition, people are of course in need of a figure whom they can follow, a man responsible for his arguments and leaving no any long dispute. In short the people need to have a figure enable him to protect them and play a mediating role to settle any social conflicts.

In this case Muslims in the archipelago has one of prominent and brilliant experts of astrology from Kudus, Central Java. The figure named KH Turaichan Adjhuri Asy-Syarofi that has even been mandated to be Chairman of Central Java’s Calendar Office.

The ulema born in Kudus on 10 March 1915 is the son of Kiai Adjhuri and Ibu Nyai Sukainah. He has lived in religious family and studied religion under local ulemas and continued his formal education at the Maddrasa Tasywiquth Thullab Salafiyah (TBS) in his town for two years only, namely when he was 13 years old in 1928s. On account of his outstanding intelligence, he was then appointed to involve in learning and teaching process.

When he involved in teaching at the maddrassa, Kiai Turaichan started to take part actively in social activities by, for instance, participating in preaching and any scholarly religious discussion locally and nationally.

Since then, he has actively involved in discussion forums, including NU’s Problems Deliberation (Bahtsul Masail) during its conferences. His intelligence and courage to express his arguments could be traced in the forums. He could convincingly express viewpoints with no doubts even before senior ulemas like KH Bisri Samsuri from Pati, who then established Pesantren Denanyar in Jombang East Java.

We can also trace his roles in national politics. He had some of the time been appointed to be Ad Hoc committee by the central board of NU party. While in his region, he had also been mandated to be Rais Syuriah (law making body) of NU branch board. He had ever served as judge of the government in 1955-1977.
Yet his broad interesting in the field of astrology has made him popular and charismatic due to his stand on his arguments. He has now involved in the Astrology Committee of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU). Though he has ever some of the time had different viewpoints with ulema majority, but he has still held firmly on his viewpoints. Even his views have always been in line with reality. He is the prominent man publicly recognized as both the expert and astrologist whose precise and accurate accounts. Many people have now studied astrology under his supervision.

Mbah Tur has never been absent in any NU conferences, except when he was sick. When NU based its ideology on Pancasila rather than Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah, Mbah Tur tended to isolate himself form the organization of NU.

What is interesting to note here is that, though he isolated himself with the Nahdliyin-based organization, but he has now mandated to be chairman of law making body (Rais Syuriah) of NU Regional Board of Kudus. Kiai Turaichan preferred to campaign “NU Locality” that means he would all of the time struggle for NU as jam’iyyah (organization) in local level, namely Kudus.

KH MUHAMMAD BAQIR ADELAN

Running enterprises to finance pesantren

The north coast (pantura) of East Java is a coastal area which stretches from Tuban’s coastal line that borders on Central Java and ends at Surabaya’s coast. Next coastal line, from Surabaya to south ending at Banywangi’s coast is called as “Tapal Kuda” region. The two regions have similarly been inhabited by most Muslim communities.

Since the coming of Islam in Java island there have been many Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). Inhabitants have become accustomed to religious life and open-minded. The scene could be traced through social and psychological condition in Paciran, Lamongan East Java where his excellencies the caretaker of Pesantren Tarbiyatut Thalabah KH Muhammad Baqir Adelan was born.

Baqir was born in a sleepy village located in the north coast of East Java, exactly in Kranji village, Paciran district, Lamongan regency, East Java province, on 30 August 1934/19 Jumadil Ula 1353. He was the sixth son from twelve of the marriage of KH Adelan bin Abdul Qodir Kranji with Nyai Hj. Sofiyah binti KH Musthofa.

Baqir then grew up and spent his childhood and had intelligence much brighter than his fellow friends. On account of social and psychological condition of the free and independent people living in the north coast, Bagir had such courage and talent for entrepreneurship.

His first educational process was from his beloved mother Hj. Nyai Sofiyah, his grand mather Nyai Aminah Sholeh then his uncle KH Abdul Karim and his grand parent KH Musthofa Abdul Karim to focus more on religious knowledge. Since his seven years old Bagir had continued studying in formal educational institution, namely Madrasah Tarbiyatut Thalabah Kranji led by his own uncle KH Abdul Karim Musthofa for four years. He had then continued his study at Madrasah Muallimin in Tunggul village Paciran district from 1940-1944 under the supervision of an ulema KH Muhammad Amin Musthofa.

Due to his bright educational career so it is reasonable if since his 14-year-old age he was mandated by his teacher to help teach in pesantren and involve in any preaching in his community. Started from the Tunggul’s Madrasah Muallimin Baqir was to take part in sharing his knowledge with local people. He then continued his study in Pesantren Bahrul Ulum Tambak Beras Jombang in 1952 under the supervision of KH Abdul Jalil.

One of his achievements during his study in the pesantren was his talent for entrepreneurship. For being admitted in fifth class he could finish his two years of study in secondary (ibtidaiyah) level. Because of his willingness to be independent following his graduation from the ibtidaiyah he then moved from the pesantren’s dormitory to live in Bulak village while at the same time he also taught at the pesantren.

In the village he started fueling his entrepreneurship talent by running such small enterprises by both selling and purchasing agricultural products of local people. And even from his enterprises he could help his parents to finance his brothers’ education. A year later, he continued his study under the supervision of his excellencies KH Bisri Sansuri in Pesantren Mamba’ul Ma’arif Denanyar Jombang for four years. Similarly Baqir was also mandated to help teach in the pesantren.

Developing Family’s Pesantren

For Pesantren Tarbiyatut Thalabah that belongs to his family is in need of new teachers, Baqir then returned to his hometown. Following the death of his grand father KH Musthofa the leadership of pesantren was then taken over by his son in-law, KH Adelan Abdul Qodir (the father of Baqir) till he died in 1976. So KH Baqir Adelan continued the leadership of the Pesantren Tarbiyatut Thalabah.

Next KH Baqir started to devote himself to his society through religious educational channels, namely pesantren. Though he had responsibility to control the pesantren but in fact he could no longer ignore his initial purposeful talent for entrepreneurship. As a caretaker of pesantren, his personal independence could be seen through his all daily activities. It was said that KH Baqir was used to wash his clothes. His care of his santris’ (students) daily activities was for example by waking his santris up before dawn and paying more attention to each of his santris’ development and constantly visiting his offices. He did all this for the sake of his santris’ learning process.

He then tried to enhance his enterprises to bear and finance his pesantren by initiating the establishment of such a social gathering whose members contributing to and taking turns at winning an aggregate sum of money that is called as arisan. The gathering could also be aimed at cultivation the relationship between pesantren and social surroundings. The gathering was used to be participated by all fishermen living in the north coastal area of Lamongan. As for KH Baqir the gather had two functions; as the medium of preaching and the medium of enhancing business linkages between the fishermen and pesantren circles.

On account of his experience in running private enterprises, following his return to Paciran, he then stretched his enterprises by opening such an order service of books for religious schools (madrassa) affiliated with of Ma’arif educational institutions of Paciran in 1958-1975.

His talent for entrepreneurship could successfully be seen while he conducted trade expansion on hardwood trees. Formerly the trees were used only to make benches and many other school equipments. But his business tended to increasingly meet its expected target that leads to the establishment of a furniture workshop called as UD. Barokah Sejati. It was such a supplier of hardwood trees as raw materials for making boats.

Several years later he was so popular as an entrepreneur besides his capacity as the caretaker of pesantren especially following a controversial idea initiated by his father in law, H Mas’ud. As said H Mas’ud wanted KH Baqir Adelan to develop new kind of boat for local fishermen. A model of semi modern boats as new products of his running business.

The purposeful idea triggered disputes in his society for considering that so far the local fishermen had accustomed to traditional boats in earning their life necessities. His people regarded that the new model of boats would be useless. However the people’s opinion could no longer change his mind dealing with the making of the new boats. He still held firmly on continuing his ideal to come true. Most of fishermen in the north coast have now used the boats. The UD. Barokah Sejati that he initiated has increasingly been developing and of course its profit can be used to finance his pesantren. (to be continued)

SYEIKH ARSYAD AL-BANJARI

Ulama constructing irrigation channel

Syekh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (1710-1812) is a fiqh cleric basing his line of thoughts on Imam Syafi’ie. He coming from Martapura, Tanah Banjar (Banjar Soultanate) is the author of Sabilul Muhtadin. His masterpiece has so far been a refference of Fiqh in Southeast Asia.

He was born in Lok Gabang village on Thursday, 15 Safar 1122 H/19 March 1710 as the first son of Abdullah and Siti Aminah. His full name is Shekh Muhammad Arsyad bin Abdullah bin Abdur Rahman al-Banjari bin Saiyid Abdullah al-Aidrus bin Saiyid Abu Bakar as-Sakran bin Saiyid Abdur Rahman as-Saqaf bin Saiyid Muhammad Maula ad-Dawilah al-Aidrus till to Saidina Ali bin Abi Thalib and Saiyidatina Fatimah binti Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The grandfather of Arsyad named Abu Bakar had successfully established Mindanao Kingdom in the Philipines and was a soultane of Mindanao. His father, Abdullah had ever led a troop from Mindanao in fighting against Portugese and Dutch. He with his beloved wife then moved to Banjar, Martapura, Kalimantan.

Sheikh Arsyad at glance
In one day when the Soultane of Banjar Kingdom, Soultane Tahmidullah paid a visit to villages including Lok Gabang. In Lok Gabang the soultane saw a beautiful painting that makes him impressed. The soultane then asked who was its painter. He then got the answer that its painter was Muhammad Arsyad. Knowing his talent and intelligence the soultane expressed his willingness to look after and educate Arsyad in his palace. Arsyad was 7 years old at that time.

The soultane then expressed his willingness to Arsyad’s parents. His parents fulfilled the soultane’s willingness to look after and educate their beloved son on account of his future to devote himself to religion, nation and state. Due to Arsyad’s good characters all people living in the palace respected him even the soultane himself treated his as his own son.

He was then married with a pious girl named Siti Aminah (Tuan “Bajut”). She was a pious woman respecting her husband. When his wife was pregnant, Arsyad told his with that he would like to go studying to Mecca. Siti Aminah supported her husband to go studying in the holy city. After the sultane gave approval to Arsyad to go to Mecca, he left for Mecca to study.

In the holy city, Muhammad Arsyad studied to prominent ulema like Syekh 'Athoillah bin Ahmad al Mishry, al Faqih Syekh Muhammad bin Sulaiman al Kurdi and al-'Arif Billah Syekh Muhammad bin Abdul Karim al-Samman al-Hasani al-Madani who was the tasawwuf teacher of Muhammad Arsyad. Under his supervision, Muhammad Arsyad conducted both suluk and khalwat. He was then mandated to be what called as khalifah.

As narrated by Khalifah al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Samman, at that time Indonesia only had four khalifahs namely Syekh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (kalimantan), Syekh Abdulk Shomad al-Palembani (Palembang, Sumatera), Syekh Abdul Wahab Bugis (Sulawesi) and Syekh Abdul Rahman Mesri (Betawi Jawa). The four was well-known as the “Four connected from the Land of Java” who studied in al-Haramain al-Syarifain.

Muhammad Arsyad had studied in Mecca for 30 years and in Madinah for 5. Researchers and writers most of the time mentioned his most important friends like Syeikh `Abdus Shamad al-Falimbani, Syeikh Abdur Rahman al-Mashri al-Batawi dan Syeikh Abdul Wahhab Bugis who was also his son in law. (to be continued)