Amanah Besar Educating New Santri at Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School

By: KH. Abdul Hakim Machfudz*

The new students we hope can immediately adapt to the environment and new situations. The Asatidz, the audience and presence were blessed by Allah SWT. Alhamdulillah, this morning we can be loaded, stay in touch, as well as following the procession of the handover of students. Panjenengan handed over Panjenengan daughters to us, and we at the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School received them. This is a big mandate that we are fully borne.

As stated by the Pondok Secretary, Mr. Ir. Gus Ghofar, we continue to try to add and improve the facilities of the cottage, both the construction of schools and dormitories. But in reality, we have not been able to accommodate all registrants. This year alone, we cannot receive around 900 registrants because of limited space.

One of our endeavors is working with religious scholars in various regions, establishing branches of Pondok Tebuireng. Alhamdulillah, there are currently 20 branches, and the 20th branch has just been opened in Lombok.

Even so, there are still many santri guardians who prefer the central tebuireng in Jombang. In fact, with this branch, we hope to reduce the registration burden at the center. But in reality, branch huts have not been able to accommodate all the enthusiasm of the community.

Educating Santri Becoming a Useful Person

What is now in front of us, namely the children of new students, is the mandate that we must educate as well as possible. The goal is clear: making them a useful person in the world and happy in the hereafter, as the big ideals are embedded in Hymne Tebuireng.

The great purpose of this education is the legacy of the founder of Pondok Tebuireng, Hadratussyaikh KH. Hasyim Asy’ari. This cottage was founded in 1899, and is currently 126 years old. From the beginning, Hadratussyaikh was a great scholar who really understood the religious sciences, and more than that, he practiced that knowledge in social life. This is what is called useful science, the science that is a human value.

We, as his dzuriyah, felt very fortunate because of his many writings and works that we can still learn until now. One of them that we continue to make a reference in educating santri is the book Adabul ‘Alim Wal Muta’allim. This book talks about how to shape the character of students and prosecutors of knowledge.

However, in this day and age, we feel like we experience a character crisis. Many things away from religious values. Strengthening characters also defeated influence than the swift flow of technological and information development. We often ask ourselves: What should we do? What should we convey to our santri children?

If we follow the Hadratussyaikh method KH. Hasyim Asy’ari first, he taught religious knowledge for up to 12 hours per day. While we are currently only able to a maximum of 8 hours. That also must be divided between religious knowledge and general science.

Maintaining the legacy, welcoming the future

We must be very clever to sort out: Which is his main legacy that must be conveyed to students, and which new knowledge is also important for their future. This is not an easy thing, but that is the challenge of educating students in the current era.

We continue to explore and strengthen the values ​​that we have long conveyed through Manhaj Ahlussunnah Wal Jamaah. As the times and the increasingly widespread branch of scientific branches, we must also be able to equip our children with knowledge that is not only worldly relevant, but also strongly rooted in the legacy of our ancestors.

KH. Hasyim Asy’ari first -first demanded knowledge until Mecca. The teachers are pious people, whose knowledge continues to the Prophet. Therefore, this inheritance is not only science, but also the values ​​that we must send down to our santri.

From the values ​​inherited by Hadratussyaikh, we in Tebuireng simplify it in one acronym, namely “Blessing”. We compiled this acronym based on the results of deliberations and joint ijtihad in the forum Bahtsul Masa’il. These are the values ​​that we want to instill in Santri’s education: namely the values ​​of “blessing”

1. B – knowledgeable

Science is the main basis. Santri must be a knowledgeable person to be able to distinguish between the right and wrong, and become a lighting for the environment.

1. E – Ethics and Character

This is taken from Book of Adab Al-‘imal Wal-Muta’allimHadratussyaikh’s legacy. Building character is not easy in the midst of the swift flow of times. The time available is narrow, and the technological challenges are very strong. So, ethics is not enough only to be taught; He must be exemplified directly by the educators.

1. R – Religious

Religiosity is the main foundation. The value of faith and piety must be embedded in the santri, so that they do not lose direction in the midst of the temptation of the world.

1. K – Creative

In this era of competition, creativity is a necessity. Santri is not enough to just understand the book, but also must be able to adapt, create, and provide solutions in the community.

1. A – charity

The knowledge that is owned must be practiced. Santri is not only smart, but also pious and pious, beneficial to others, and is able to make a real contribution to social life.

1. H – Wisdom

Wisdom is a deep understanding of what is learned. Santri must be able to understand the true meaning of science, morals, and values ​​they get during the mondok.

Fortunately, we feel very fortunate to get an extraordinary legacy from Hadratussyyaikh KH. Hasyim Asy’ari. However, honestly we admit, there are still many writings and teachings that we have not fully understood and learned in depth. So the education program that we have today is part of legal advisors to continue to understand and practice their legacy.

Social Exemplary KH. Hasyim Asy’ari

Mr/Mrs Wali Santri that I respect, what we do today is part of continuing the struggle of KH. Hasyim Asy’ari. He not only founded a cottage to teach, but also jumped directly into the community.

When Pondok Tebuireng was established in 1899, the condition of the Indonesian people was very alarming. Near the cottage there is a Dutch sugar factory in Cukir. The surrounding community works there with a very low income. In fact, the rice field owner only gets cheap rent from the factory. Every Saturday night, after receiving a salary, the workers gathered at the night market which at that time became a place for various disobedience.

Seeing this condition, after returning from Mecca, Hadratussyaikh established a cottage only about 200 meters from the location of the night market. He then bought a plot of rice fields in the community, and every Tuesday, he went down to the fields. Not only his own rice fields, but also rice fields owned by other communities. There he preached, invited residents to rise, and provide spiritual strengthening and skills.

Religious knowledge is delivered slowly but consistently, until public knowledge also increases. This spirit is still alive today. Around Cukir, there are still many taklim assemblies that continue his tradition, by teaching basic books. When I asked, “Why is this book taught?” They answered, “Because of this the book taught by KH. Hasyim Asy’ari.”

Not only in Cukir, but also in other regions such as Banyuwangi, this tradition continues to be carried out every Tuesday in istiqamah. Even in Pondok Tebuireng itself, on Tuesday it was made a day for community service – there was no recitation activity for imitating his routine which was every Tuesday in the community.

This is some of the great heritage of Hadratussyaikh KH. Hasyim Asy’ari that we continue to turn on in Tebuireng. Hopefully our children are all able to be knowledgeable, moral, and useful generation in the world and are happy in the hereafter, as the noble message contained in Hymne Tebuireng.

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*Caretaker of Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School.

** Transacted by: Ayu Amalia