TUAN HUSEIN AL-BANJARI: AN ‘ALIM WHOSE IMPORTANT ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN NORTHERN MALAYSIA

TUAN HUSEIN AL-BANJARI: AN ‘ALIM WHOSE IMPORTANT ROLE                                                                                       
IN DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION IN NORTHERN MALAYSIA


by
Ahdi Makmur*

Abstract: This article tries to describe the role of Tuan Husein al-Banjari in developing Islamic education in northern Malaysia. He was not only involved in establishing and teaching at a number of Islamic schools or sekolah pondoks in States of Kedah, Perlis and Perak, like Sekolah Pondok Pokok Sena and Sekolah Pondok Padang Lumat, but also actively wrote some books (kitab) and papers (risalah) both in Arabic and Malay on various  fields of Islamic studies, like Fiqh, Tafsir, Hadits, Tasawuf and Tauhid. His debates with other ‘ulama in Tanah Semenanjung made him famous as an ‘alim who mastered Islamic sciences, was self-esteem, firmly-standing (istiqomah), and never afraid of defending his opinion or saying amr ma’ruf nahy munkar. His involvement in educational development, also, made him be well-known as an educator, a reformer and an agent of development in northern Malaysia.

Keywords: role, ‘alim, educator, reformer, agent of development, and Islamic education

A. Introduction
When talking about the charismatic and popular ‘ulama in Malay peninsula, either in seminar or in oral and written media, Tuan Guru Haji Husein al-Banjari (well-known as Tuan Husein Kedah) has frequently been the topic. Firstly, most of his life had been dedicated in the field of education, so wherever he went and stayed he built, managed and taught at religious schools named sekolah pondoks or madrasahs. Secondly, he was a productive ‘alim, who wrote a lot of papers (risalah) and books (kitab) both in Arabic and in Malay. Thirdly, he was regarded as an ‘alim who was so strict and firmly-standing or istiqomah, hard-working and precise, that he was being in conflict even with his old friend to defend his arguments of being right in his view.  
B. Backgound of His Life and Family
Tuan Guru Haji Husein, whose nick name when he was still a child, Cik Megat, Megat is a title traditionally given to a child of the royal family in Kedah Sultanate, whose father   from  a common people (  Rejab, 1992: 38; Abdullah, 2004, 2007: 101). That is why, he was the fifth generation of the great ‘ulama in Nusantara (Malay-Indonesian Archepelago), Syeikh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (1710-1812 M) whose origin or homeland from Kelampayan Martapura, South Kalimantan (Indonesia). His mother was Tengku Fatimah, a woman of the royal family from the sub-sultanate Kubang Pasu. She was a daughter of Tengku Mahmud of Bukit Tinggi (Malaysia). There were six brothers and two sisters in his family (Rejab, 1992: 38-40). From his marriage with Jahara binti Wahab, a daughter of a penghulu or a chief of sub-district in Pasir Panjang Laut Setiawan (Perak), Tuan Husein got two children. After his first wife died, he married again with Wan Khadijah binti Wan Jusoh, also a penghulu’s daughter  from Mukim Bukit Pinang Kepala Batas (Kedah), who gave him a son, Ni’matullah Ahmad, and a daughter whose name is Siti Mariam (Rejab, 1992: 43).
 When he was a child, he was educated at home and formally at sekolah pondok built by his grand father, Haji Muhammad Thayib,  in Titi Gajah (Kedah) in 1870s. Syeikh Haji Muhammad Thayib was the third generation of Syeikh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari. He was an ‘alim who was quite popular in Malay Paninsula. Beside building a religious school or sekolah pondok in Titi Gajah (Kedah), he was a sufi of Tariqat Naqsabandiyah al-Khalidiyah. His work on Sufism or Tasawuf, Fathul Hadi (1282 H/1865 AD) became a prominent text for the followers of Naqsabandiyah Sufism. Also, he wrote a book on Theology, like Miftah al-Jannah fi Bayan al-‘Aqidah (1247 H/1832 AD), Bidayah al-Ghilman fi Bayan Arkan al-Iman (1297 H /1879 AD) and Bidayah al-Ghulam fi Bayan Arkan al-Islam. (Abdullah,   n.d.: 1-4).
Being not satisfied with education he got at home and at his grand father’s school, after having permitted by his family particularly his grandfather, he then migrated to some places to study at various famous pondoks at that time. While learning, he frequently worked hard to earn his living. He was still young when he went to Patani (South Thailand), Kelantan, Trengganu, Johor, Malaka, Perak (all in Malaysia) and to Medan in North Sumatera and to Baturaja in Aceh (the two are in Indonesia). He learnt Islam of various subjects like Tauhid, Fiqh, Hadits and Tasawuf as well as Arabic. No information how long he had been in migration, but his return to his hometown (Titi Gajah in Kedah) in about 1890s (Rejab, 1992: 43).
In Patani, he learnt with a famous ‘ulama, Tuan Samela, at sekolah pondok in Samela. Also, he learnt with Haji Wan Mustafa bin Muhammad al-Fathani (Tok Bendang Daya I) and his son Syeikh Abdul Qadir (Tok Bendang Daya II) at Pondok Bendang Daya. While learning there, he was being closed friends with Wan Ismail bin Mustafa (Cik Doi) and Tok Kelaba (Abdullah, 2007: 101). 
In 1310 H/1892 AD, he went to Mecca on his grand father financial support. When learning in Mecca, Syeikh Nawani al-Bantani, Tuan Ahmad Lingga, Syeikh Hasbullah and Syeikh Omar Sumbawa were among of his teachers. He learnt there together with Haji Mohd. Yusuf (Tok Kenali) from Kelantan, Haji Wan Sulaiman bin Wan Sidek (Pak Wan Sulaiman) from Kedah, who later became Syeikh al-Islam in the State of Kedah. In 1314 H or 1896 AD, Tuan Husein went back to Malaysia and continued his career in teaching as well as in leading his Islamic school at Pokok Sena (Rejab, 1992: 40-41).
In addition, his closed friend while in Mecca was Haji Muhammad Saleh (Pulau Pisang). Both studied under the supervising of some great ‘ulama like Syeikh Abdul Qadir bin Abdul Rahman al-Fathani, Said Ahmad bin Zaini Dahlan, and Sayid Muhammad bin Sulaiman Hasbullah al-Makki. Among the teachers to whom he had ever studied with in Mecca, Syeikh Ahmad bin Muhammad Zain al-Fathani was the youngest teacher, whose age was approximately only seven or eight years older than they were (Abdullah, 2007: 2).

He died in Batu 16 Padang Lumat (Kedah) on Monday, Zulkaedah 13, 1354 H or  Februari 10,  1936 AD in his seventy fourth (according to Islamic calendar) or about 72 years old based on al-Masih calendar. There is a different date when Tuan Husein Kedah died. According to Ishak Mohd. Rejab (1992), he died on Zulkaedah 17, 1354 H or 1935 AD. Conversely, according to Wan Mohd. Shaghir Abdullah (2004) he passed away on Zulkaedah 18, 1354 H or 1936 AD.  His death was, however, tiered by a great number of people, those of the ‘ulama of his colleagues and his students, of the royal families of Kedah and Perak sultanates, and of the general public as well. He left his Islamic school or sekolah pondok he built that is presently well-known as Madrasah al-Khairiyah al-Islamiyah and headed by his son, Haji Ahmad bin Tuan Husein.
  
C. ‘Ulama and Development
The word ‘ulama is the plural form of Arabic word ‘alim, which literary means ‘a man of knowledge’. An ‘alim is a person who has ‘ilm or knowledge; and that, the ‘ulama means ‘the men of knowledge’ (Zaman, 1995: 258). In Malay world, ‘ulama is usually called guru, tok guru, tuan guru, like Tuan Guru Haji Husein Kedah.
In Islamic perspective, the word ‘ulama is found out in the Holy Qur’an twice, that is, in Surah al-Fathir 26 and Surah al-Syu’ara 197, and in al-Hadits (Prophet Traditions). According to the first Surah (al-Fathir), ‘ulama is  related to the men who know or believe that Allah is Greatly Powerful (innama yakhsya Allah min ibadihi al-‘ulama). Since Allah is Great, they are fear not to worship Allah. Also, the word ‘fear’ (khasyyah) means ‘taqwa’; and that, the ‘ulama are the men of ‘taqwa’, who do the orders of Allah and avoid the prohibitions coming from Him. Otherwise, in Surah al-Syu’ara, ‘ulama means the Jew scholars or rabbis (awalam yakun lahum ayatan an ya’lamahu ‘ulama bani Israil) who had already known that there would be the Qur’an as stated in their Holy Book (Torah). Therefore, the ‘ulama refers to those who knew the existence of al-Qur’an through which the rabbis had wide knowledge about Islam (Hadariansyah, 2006: 99-103).   
In al-Hadits, ‘ulama means those who heir the prophets (inna al-‘ulama warasat al-anbiya). What do they really heir? Of course, it is Islam, a Devine religion which is brought by Prophet Muhammad; and that, the ‘ulama are responsible to keep Islamic teachings not to be deteriorated by anyone and then teach them to whoever (Hadariansyah, 2005: 99).    
In sociological perspective, ‘ulama is a social structure whose function because of their status in social life. Like other social structures, ‘ulama have to play the role(s) in a society to create stability, harmony as well as the unity of the people (Yusof, 2006: 122). In other words, ‘ulama could play their role as the agent of  change or development.   
Development, the term that is well-known today, is a global issue that has been studied more active since the Second World War. It is generally used in various fields of study and has quite different meanings. Some scholars have different concepts about development. Among them were great social scientists of the nineteen century like August Comte (1798-1858), Karl Marx (1818-1830), Edward Spencer (1820-1903), Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and Max Weber (1864-1920). Comte, for example, said that there were three levels of periods or phases the human beings experience to develop or to get progress, that is, a phase of expansion, a phase of defense, and a phase of industrialization. Spencer said that human development moved from a low level to a high level of progress (Aziz, 2001: 35; Webster, 1984: 43). Although they are quite different in concept, the purpose of the theories they built are similar, that is, trying to identify the basic features of societies that promoted development.
In the twentieth century, came the new scientists who criticized, improved, and synthesized the theories and approaches of the 19th century like Alatas (1972), Ali (1976), Sunkel (1977), and Seers (1979). The theories they built do not merely study why such condition exists but also talk about the strategies and models of how to solve the problems (Aziz, 2001: 69).
Ali (1976) said that the development was a high achievement of any society in the field of economy that would be the strong basis of progress or improvement.  Development is not only limited to the issue of economy but also other aspects of social life. Sunkel (1977) said that development was a process of transformation from a certain condition to other condition which was considered better. In addition, Seers (1979) emphasized the process of development should be directed to stop poverty, to decrease the number of unemployment, and to make closer of the gap between the rich and the poor countries, to lessen the dependence on the Super Powers economically and politically (Aziz, 2001: 59-60).  Therefore, development covers various types of changing process that emphasizes on some factors like economy, politics, social such as health, transportation, education, and culture such as moral and value, etc.
According to Samuel P. Huntington, that the progress of any society or human beings leads to economy development, welfare of life, and democratization in politics. The key words of human progress are those of relating to the concepts of order, progress and social justice; managing solidarity, scarcity and human security (Noor, 2007: 6).        
In relation to the concepts, there are at least two common theories of development, that is, Conservative (Traditional) and Progressive (Radical). The first theory describes that the existed system (tradition, costume, regulation, value, belief) is considered “just, good, secure, harmony”. Therefore, there is not any basis of conflict in society to develop. If any, it is only for special or limited change, for example, to decrease the poverty and prejudiced attitude to any minority group. However, the existing system basically functions to internalize the balance, the stability and the harmony in society. The second theory proposes that the existed system is considered exploited and oppressive, because there is a basis of conflict in it. Therefore, the alternatives to change some of the basic parts of the system are advised. Freedom, equality, and human dignity are intended for all people, not only for a certain group of people (Aziz, 2001: 72).
Whatever theories have established, the final goal of development is not merely to make a society (societies), a nation (nations), a country (countries) economically rich, to increase its Gross National Product (GNP) or its per-capita income, but to improve the life quality of the majority of people in cultural, political and social aspects as well. However, this is relevant to the opinion of Seers who emphasized the development of humanity. At the first level, he emphasizes to fulfill the basic needs of the people like food, clothes, housing, education and occupation. At the second level, it leads to develop self-esteem or self-actualization, and the last is leading to develop self–independence towards potential building of individuals to strengthen their own culture. This human power, according to Seers, is the final goal of development (Noor, 2006: 6). One of the efforts proposed by Seers, however, had been actuated by the ‘ulama as the agent(s) or the motivator(s) of development.

D. Tuan Guru Husein and His Educational Activities
What did Tuan Husein Kedah do, however, was an example to develop the quality of human beings or human recourses in term of educational perspective. He was not only an ‘alim but also an agent of development particularly through his educational activities in Malay peninsula in the nineteenth century.    
There were two activities Tuan Guru Husein Kedah did to develop the quality of human resources. Firstly, his effort to develop the quality of himself, that is, through diligently learning. Secondly, his effort to develop the quality of others, that is, through teaching, leading several schools or sekolah pondoks, and writing.      
It is said that Tuan Husein was an ‘alim of the nineteenth century who was serious, diligent and never hopeless. When he was 19 years old, he left his hometown for Patani (South Thailand) to study. Only on foot, he took a long journey to Patani. His main goal was nothing but to meet famous teachers or Islamic scholars, and to study Islam at some sekolah pondoks there. So was the way and the main goal he wanted to meet when he went to Kelantan. Not satisfied with knowledge he got in Patani and Kelantan, by tug boat he went to Trengganu and Singapore. He studied Islam only a little time in Trengganu, but never in Singapore because no Islamic school was suitable for him there. Instead of learning, he worked as a labour to earn his living and to save money for his next journey (Rejab, 1992: 41).  
After that, he went to Medan (North Sumatera) and Kotaraja (Aceh) in Indonesia. Also, his main goal was to study Islam. No longer than a year, he studied there until he came back to Semananjung on board. By land he then went to Johor and Malacca. When he was on the way to Malacca, it is said that he had to swim Muar river. In Malacca, again he worked hard to support his own life. He stitched sagu or pith leaves for the house roofs and torn off the palm leaves for cigarette-wrappers while studying Islam and Arabic there (Aziz, 2001: 72).
To improve his knowledge, in 1892 AD he also went to Mecca although he was already married. Having finished learning in Mecca, he went back to his homeland in 1314 H/1896 AD and then paid fully attention in educational activities. He did not only teach at his sekolah pondok built by his grand father in Titi Gajah (Kedah), but also in its surroundings. From 1315 H / 1897 AD on, he had moved to teach for six times. Since 1315 H/1897 AD, he had not taught anymore in Titi Gajah. He taught in Alor Ganu until 1319 M/ 1900 AD. Three years later, that is in 1319 H/1900 AD, he started to teach in Bohor. He taught there for about 13 years long. It was said that it was the longest time he did teaching after coming back from Mecca. From 1331 H/1927 AD to 1340 H/1920 AD, he taught in Pantai Merdeka (Bagan Ulu). There, he taught about 7 years in length. After that, he moved to teach in Selengkoh (Sungai Limau). In 1344 H/1924 AD, he taught in Batu 16 (Padang Lumut). Finallly, he moved and taught in Pokok Sena or Seberang Prai (Aziz, 2001: 72).
It is said that there was a conflict that he had to leave Batu 16 to Pokok Sena. The conflict between him and his old friend who had ever studied altogether in Mecca was a serious one. There was a conflict between Tuan Husein and Tuan Haji Wan Sulaiman bin Haji Wan Sidek, his old friend while they were studying at Mecca. One of the reasons is that he criticized the teaching of Tariqat al-Naqshabandiyah al-Mujaddiyah done openly by Wan Sulaiman, the Syeikh al-Islam of  Kedah State, to whoever  including children and women, which according to Tuan Husein it would destroy the quality of the Tariqat itself. (Rejab, 1992: 47).
Only several years before he passed away, he went back to his kampong kelahiran (hometown), i.e., in 1354 H/1935 AD. He and his family stayed in Titi Gajah on the hope of his ex-student, Tengku Abdullah, the son of Tengku Mahmud bin Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, the Presiden of State Council of Kedah at that time, and on the coaxing of his daughter, Siti Maryam.
In addition to teaching, he involved in opening some sekolah pondoks, like in Pokok Sena (Seberang Prai), Batu 16 (Padang Lumat). The religious school he established in Pokok Sena was a  famous sekolah pondok in Malay peninsula, particularly in the north part of Malay. It had a lot of students and produced many ‘ulama, religious and political elites, not only from Malaysia but from Patani and Indonesia as well. Among the alumni were the late Syeikh Ismail Hamzah, a mufti in Perak, and Tuan Haji Wan Abdullah Zawawi bin Hj. Wan Muhammad, a qadhi in Perak. However, his involvement in educational activities was not merely in pioneering the opening of the schools, leading the schools and teaching, but also in reforming educational system.
     Since 1934 AD, Tuan Husein had started the new era of Islamic educational system whose class and learning schedule instead of sekolah pondok educational system which used to apply traditional method of teaching and learning. He replaced the traditional system of khalaqah. In khalaqah educational system, the students of irrespective age and level sit in a cycle around a sheikh or a teacher. The teacher reads  the text book (kitab) while the students are just listening. Also, he translates the book, mostly written in Arabic, into students’ national language or their mother tongue like Malay, Indonesian, Javanese, etc. but not for books written in Malay-Arabic or Bahasa Malayu-Jawi. If necessary, the teacher explained the lesson he taught based on the text book.  in his sekolah pondok to an educational system of classical. Also, he introduced and used a learning schedule for his school (Awang, 2001: 361). So, various subjects were taught and studied there everyday. Such an educational reform, however, led him being one of few reformers in Islamic education, at least in his country in the beginning of 20th century. One of reformers of revivalists of Islamic education in Malay world was Haj Abas Mohamad from Trengganu, who was born in Besut (State of Trengganu) in 1909 and received awards as Tokoh Guru Trengganu (1990) and Tokoh Guru Kebangsaan (1991) due to his involvement in opening numbers of pondok, teaching at several  schools, and modernizing (Islamic) educational system. (Rahman, 2006; 156-171).  
Moreover, Tuan Husein donated sekolah pondok he had built. According to Ishak (1992), some of his property was religiously donated for the foundation of Islamic school or sekolah pondok in Pokok Sena (Seberang Prai) and sekolah pondok in Batu 16 (Padang Lumat). In addition, he donated for the foundation of the mosque and Muslim cemetery in Titi Gajah (Awang, 2001: 361). His generosity, however, has shown his dedication in the field of  education in general, and in Islamic education in particular.    
In writing activities, Tuan Husein Kedah, wrote many books (kitab) and papers (risalah) both in Arabic as well as in Malay. As an ‘alim, he had been successful in writing some books and papers, which he did among his activities in teaching and leading sekolah pondoks. Nearly 49 years, that was from 1305 M/1887 AD to 1354 H /1935 AD, he involved in writing. He succeeded in doing a lot of written works consisting of various papers and books of different subjects and topics. His works were mostly concerning Tauhid (Theology), Fiqh (Jurisprudence), Tasawuf (Sufism) and Arabic as the followings.
 1. al-Nur al-Mustafid fi Aqa’id Ahl al-Tauhid, a book on Tauhid (1305 H/1887 M)
 2. Bidayat al-Talibin, a book on Tasawuf (1344 H/ 1924 M)
 3. Bunga Geti, a paper on ‘qada prayer (1354 H/ 1935 M)
 4. Tabsirahli Uli al-Albab, a book on Tauhid (1351 H/1931 M)
 5. Tazkiru Qaba’il al-Qadhi, a translation book of al-Kitab al-Hadist of Jawahir al-Bukhari (1343 H/1923 M)
 6. Tafrih al-Sibyan, a book on the history of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (1346 H/1926 M)
 7. Tamrin al-Sibyan, a book on Tauhid (1318H/1899 M)
 8. Tanbih al-Ikhwan fi Tadbir al-Maishah wa Taslih al-Buldan, a paper on the life and nation building  (1354 H/1935 M)
 9. Qatr al-Ghaithiah, a book on Sufism (1344 H/1924 M)
10. Kasr al-Iksir, a book on guidance of self-understanding  (1340 H/1920 M)
11. Majmu al-La’ali li al Nisa wa al-Athfaliyi-, a book on questions and answers in Jurisprudence, two volumes, (1350 H/1933 M)
12. Malaqit al-Lamiyah wa al-Syarfiah, a book on Arabic grammar (1345 H/1925 M)
13. Hidayat al-Sibyan, a book on Tauhid and Ibadah (1330 H/1911 M)
14. Hidayat al-Ghilman, a Arabic book on Tauhid (1351 H/1932 M
15. Hidayat al-Athfal, a book on Tauhid (1336 H/1917 M)
16. Hidayat al-Mutafakirin, a book on Tauhid (1337 H/ 1918 M)
17. Hidayat al-Nikah, a paper on the law of Islamic marriage (1347 H/1928 M)
18. Usul al-Tauhid, a book on Tauhid and Fikih (1346 H/1927 M).
19. Nailul Maram fi ma Yujabu Husnul Khitam, a paper on the practice of zikir and wirid (1354 H).
Some sources are different in calculating the numbers of books Tuan Husein wrote. Ismail Awang (2001) says that there are 13 books, Ishak Mohd. Rejab (1992) says that there are 18 books, and Wan  Mohd. Shaghir Abdullah (2007) says that the number of his works are 20 books. The difference of sources is quite logic because they wrote the books in different years. So, some papers (risalah) of Tuan Husein are not recorded. Also, there are some unfinished published books (kitab) that are not calculated, or the books consisting volumes that are only categorized one book.           

    As an ‘alim, of cource, Tuan Husein mastered various kinds of Islamic sciences. From his books and papers he wrote, it was understood that he knew well many aspects of Islam like Tauhid, Fiqh, Tasawuf including Arabic language.  His mastery of Islam was also reckoned from his friends’recognization when he was debated by Tuan Guru Haji Mohd. Arsyad and Encik Ilyas from Pasir Panjang Laut Sitiawan (Perak) concerning Fiqh and Tauhid, by Tuan Guru Haji Muhammad Yunus Falwajibu, an ‘alim from Matang Sintuk Seberang Prai on many aspects of Islam (Rejab, 2001: 42-43).
     During the debates, he used to defend his arguments well on the basis of his knowledge he studied both in Mecca and his hometown. His mastery on Islamic science made him acknowledged by other ‘ulama as an ‘alim who had a wide range of knowledge.

F. Conclusion
           Relating to his great efforts, Tuan Husein al-Banjari was successful in making the members of the people in northern states of Malaysia become aware of the importance of education, particularly of the Islamic education. His involvement in pioneering the opening of numbers of Islamic schools (sekolah pondoks), leading the schools, teaching at schools and writing a lot of  books (kitab) and papers (risalah) relating to various fields of Islamic studies, like Tauhid, Fiqh, Tafsir, Hadist and Tasawuf, made him be a popular ‘alim among the people both inside or outside of Malay paninsula. Also, from his Islamic schools, he produced some ‘ulama and elites whose significant role in religious, social and political activities in Malay during his life or in the following decades after his death.