About Islamic Center in Indonesia (first part)

Whats makes indonesia as the largest moeslem with more tha 200 million people is moeslem?
Whats makes the country that outside arabian area (ajam) could be somehow the greatest islam power in east asia?
How come the ever be a hindu and budha country (proven by the first hindu university held in indonesia, and the biggest buddha temple stands in indonesia) convert to islam as fact in very short time ?

The answer is: first is hidayah from Allah, and the second is the role of pesantren an islamic traditional education institution. Started approximately at the beginning of 15th century pesantren estabilished, growing and makes a lot of islamic scholar that day, spread in the land of indonesia to teach islam. The method of sperading the islam in indonesia is with the inflitration of islam to the original culture that adopted by the people. Pesantren as traditional islamic center takes this job to teach islam without any frontal change to the original culture, mostly few by few, tiny by tiny. As results people is familiar not schoked because some of their ritual still be held but with some modification based on islam guidence.

As short description pesantren is such as dormitory school, usually consist of masjid, Teacher’s house and some young student (in indonesian language pesantren student = santri) room to stay and living. Everyday the teacher (in Indonesia we call respected islam teacher as Kyai) teach about Arabic language contain of gramatical (nahwu), linguistic (shorof), Akidah, fiqih, muamalah and others, the class taken every subuh, duha maghrib and isya’. In the old days Kyai not taking fee to his student, but mostly student work for Kyai at his farm or cattle. Then a student have not to be worried about his meal or daily need because all of that is the responsibilty of Kyai in turn for the farming and cattling.

From those short description above we can take few points that pesantren have teach multidicipline knowledge consist of islam knowledge, and knowledge to live economically.

The hierarcial ulama (the most respected islamic scholar) turn to the specific in forward; the model not likes a catholic model which arraged with rules and formal administration and election. Just a simple principle “ in Islam a students must respect his/her teacher even he/she just teach one letter (if im not wrong this is sayyidina Ali Rodiallahuanhu words, 4th khulafa)” so the pesantren hierarcy makes own shape, every large pesantren who had lots and great graduated student usually obey what his teacher told and state, if that student makes his own pesantren then his student should obey his teacher and his teacher’s teacher. And that simple hierarcy now spreading wider and wider mostly at java island.

The role of pesantren even more significantly shine when Indonesia went to fight the aggressor Dutch and England at 1800-1945 to gain freedom and independence. Many pesantren went to be a a center of soldier of freedom and the pesantren took the job to socialized the term of jihad to the society.

May Allah Bless Pesantren.

Moh. Hafeedz Nashrullah
Santri of Pondok Pesantren Matholiul Anwar