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| Kyai Haji Ajengan Ahmad Sanusi, A Traditional Kyai Figure from West Java, Indonesia (Special Document sukabumiNews) |
Sent to Prison
Apart from the two problems mentioned above, KHA Ahmad
Sanusi also issued a fatwa that mentioning or praying for the Regent's name in
the Friday sermon is not obligatory and should not be done. In his explanation,
he said that since ancient times, people who have been prayed for have been a
just leader or king (in the context of Islamic worship).
It is forbidden to pray for prosperity for despotic
kings or Islamic leaders, especially for regents, non-Islamic government
officials, who are appointed and dismissed by infidels. Clearly they are not
Islamic leaders, and do not fit into the context of Islamic worship at all.
This fatwa, which later became known as the Abdaka
Maulana case, was directly interpreted by the authorities as an undermining and
threat to their position and authority. This was especially true after several
reports emerged that many villagers in the West Priangan region were rebelling
against village officials after attending the religious studies or tablig
(religious lectures) of the cleric. Furthermore, it was later discovered that
Si activists in the West Priangan region were also using the fatwa in their
religious studies and propaganda.
As a security measure, the government carried out
repressive surveillance of KHA Ahmad Sanusi. As a result, in several regions,
antagonistic attitudes emerged from followers of the cleric (read: government
supporters) toward students or followers of KHA Ahmad Sanusi. In fact, in 1925,
in the Cianjur area, this antagonism erupted into a conflict that resulted in
loss of life. (27)
Meanwhile, the authorities' suspicions of KHA Ahmad
Sanusi grew. He was constantly accused of being the instigator of the
disturbances and of being anti-government. KHA Ahmad Sanusi denied all
accusations. He said that if he hated the regent and his officials, he would
certainly not have attended Friday prayers in the village. The proof was that
he came and prayed there, and even chatted with the Patih.
Then, regarding his anti-government stance, he said it
was merely baseless boasting from those who disliked him. In reality, he often
mobilized his students to help, working together to complete village facilities
or maintain security. He himself had written a book on the importance of
maintaining environmental security from an Islamic perspective. In fact, the
book was corrected by the District Head before it was printed. (28)
However, the authorities remained distrustful of KHA
Ahmad Sanusi and felt uneasy with the cleric's growing charisma in the West
Priangan community. Various attempts, including provocation, were made to
ensnare him. His religious studies or tabligh activities were repeatedly
disrupted and pelted with hard objects. The long-awaited opportunity finally
arrived.
In 1927, telephone lines were damaged in two locations
connecting Sukabumi with Bandung and Bogor. The authorities immediately blamed
Haji Ahmad Sanusi for the destruction. The excuse given was that one of the
lines damaged was located near the Genteng Islamic Boarding School. (29)
Although the authorities were unable to prove any of
their accusations, KHA Ahmad Sanusi was not released. Various methods were used
to keep the cleric imprisoned. Several previous incidents were linked to his
name, including the Kyai Asnawi rebellion in Menes, Banten. (30) To strengthen
the accusation, the government gathered potential witnesses who had previously
been intimidated. (31) With witnesses like these, the local authorities urged
the central government to remove the kyai from the Sukabumi area, (32)
Before the government could take action, E. Gobee, the
Adviser for Inlandse Zaken at the time, received four letters from their four
main witnesses (five in total). All four letters were of the same tone: they
withdrew all their testimony. According to the witnesses, their previous
testimony was due to pressure from the police and the District Head.
Although the government no longer had sufficient
evidence to justify detaining KHA Ahmad Sanusi, the decision to detain him was
ultimately made. Based on considerations provided by the Governor of West Java,
Hartelust; the Adviser for Inlandse Zaken; the Procereur General J.K. Onnen;
the Raad van Indie, J. van der Marel; and the Director of Justice, D. Rutgers,
the Governor General decided to exile KHA Ahmad Sanusi to Tanah Tinggi, Batavia
Centrum. (33)
The primary reason for his exile was to maintain
public order (rust en orde), particularly in the West Priangan region. KHA
Ahmad Sanusi's ideas were considered to have the potential to influence a
segment of society, potentially providing fertile ground for a revolutionary
ideology. Because this cleric was the source, he needed to be removed to
prevent its spread as early as possible. [Continued to Part 6]
Also Read Part (4) “Issues of Zakat, Fitrah, and Slametan”
*Ibid
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