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| Kyai Haji Ajengan Ahmad Sanusi, A Traditional Kyai Figure from West Java, Indonesia (Special Document sukabumiNews) |
Returning to Sukabumi
In August 1934, KHA Ahmad Sanusi brought his family
back to Sukabumi and settled at Jalan Vogelweg No. 100 (now Jalan Bayangkara),
Gunungpuyuh. The location was near the western border of Sukabumi Municipality.
There he built an Islamic boarding school which he named "Syamsul Ulum
School." (47)
On the other hand, the popularity of KHA Ahmad Sanusi
significantly influenced the development of All. Before he returned to
Sukabumi, All only had 14 branches. Within four months of his move, the
organization had successfully opened 24 branches, spread across the Priangan,
Bogor, and Batavia regions. (48)
This fact was quite worrying for the authorities in
West Java, especially in light of the political developments of independence.
This was especially so when various pamphlets circulated in the city of Bogor
containing calls for holy war, which the government considered All's creation.
Therefore, they requested the Governor General to exile the cleric back outside
of West Java.
This pressure arose especially after a difference of
opinion arose between KHA Ahmad Sanusi and the clerics and ulama of the
Pakauman movement regarding the transliteration of the Qur'anic letters into
Latin script. The Pakauman movement argued that transliterating the Qur'anic
letters into Latin script was bid'ah dholalah, or forbidden. Meanwhile, KHA
Ahmad Sanusi is of the opinion that it is authorized (allowed). (49)
One interesting thing here is how decision-makers in
Bogor, Bandung, and Batavia became interested in the debate over
transliterating the Quran into Latin script and viewed it as evidence of the
danger of KHA Ahmad Sanusi. While the conflict between reformers and
traditionalists at the time was far more widespread and disturbing for Muslims,
none of its leaders were arrested or exiled.
It's possible that the real fear wasn't the kyai and
his transliteration per se, but rather the impact of transliteration itself: an
improved understanding of their holy book among Muslims. This was particularly
relevant given the purpose of transliteration: to facilitate reading and
understanding of the Quran for those unable to read Arabic.
As one illustration, in his religious studies, KHA
Ahmad Sanusi often explored the meaning of Quranic verses related to
self-esteem, equality, brotherhood, and freedom. The impact was evident in the
growing number of members of the All. In fact, according to the Sukabumi Police
Chief's report, many residents were stubborn towards the government after
attending the kyai's religious study.
For this reason, the authorities, through their
police, repeatedly stopped the cleric's religious lectures and asked him not to
recite verses deemed likely to incite unrest. In response, the cleric requested
that the government announce to all Muslims that these verses be removed from
the Quran. (50)
It is actually quite difficult to answer the question
of how KHA Ahmad Sanusi's influence and charisma among the people were able to
make government officials tremble. However, there are some clues that can be used
as indicators, such as the secret report of the Sukabumi Regency Police Chief
(PID) dated August 20, 1935.
The report stated that the only ajengan or kyai
referred to as a ulama by the people of Sukabumi and Bogor Regencies was KHA
Ahmad Sanusi from the Gunungpuyuh Islamic boarding school.
The Police Chief cited several factors that made KHA
Ahmad Sanusi considered a ulama and respected by the people. First, he was
well-versed in religious matters, memorized the Quran, and fluent in Arabic,
making his teachings and fatwas easily understood by his listeners. Second, his
work ethic and courage in various situations were very prominent. He was quick
to respond to questions put to him by the community. His influence was clearly
visible among the Islamic boarding school students and religious school pupils.
(51)
In his report, the police officer also described the
atmosphere at the cleric's house. He stated that the cleric's house was never
empty of guests, coming from Sukabumi, Batavia, Bogor, Karawang, Bekasi, and
Bandung. Some came to inquire about religious matters, while others often came
simply to pay their respects.
The latter included farmers who came bringing their
crops or livestock. In another report, the police officer also stated that many
people who had attended KHA Ahmad Sanusi's religious preaching sessions had
become rebellious towards government officials. They were influenced by the
ideas of equality and freedom frequently advocated by the cleric. (52)
Based on such reports, the Governor of West Java
argued that it was too early to release KHA Ahmad Sanusi from city arrest.
Gobee himself ultimately agreed with the Governor. However, he still questioned
how long the cleric would be allowed to regain his freedom of movement. (53) Continued
to part 9
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