some ulama turned away from palace

When we study in general  perspective about the history of islam in southeast asia, we can immediately go to brief that, Muslims and their rulers  were in very weak  period where  British had a big successful  in influencing the  upper class to stand on their side.  The rulers accepted the British Resident as advisor in political affair meant the beginning of secularism influenced to threaten the ummah in the land.

As an effort of rethinking the history of our ummah, we can see in specific view, Muslim been divided into two different mainstreams that give implication for future changing political circumstances and emerging new political trends.

Firstly;  The majority of Muslim who refused the British see the colonial was a serial of continuing crusade war. They rebelled in some fighting yards such as Tuan Guru haji abdul rahman Limbung of Sungai Tersat, Mat Kialu and his group in Pahang, Tok janggut in Kelantan. These scholars  became leadership to protect the interest of lower class .It is no doubt that their struggle in defending the solidarity of ummah was so big. Which at the end met fall.

Tuan guru Haji Abdul rahman Limbung received  primary education in Mekah  where Sheikh Abdullah Al Fatani, one of his uncle was a scholar taught in Masjidil Haram. Then he went down to Terengganu and persued study from Sheikh wan Abdul Kader Bukit bayas and Tok Ku Paloh.

Mat Kilau studied from his father friend, Haji Uthman . haji Uthman, the first mufti of Pahang  was a student of Sheikh Mustafa Bendang Daya, the major general of Patani in battle Siamise patani in  1825.

 But it could be considered   as a fault when one thinking that hostility against great enemy could be from one side or one way.it was mistake as well when someone assume that it is easy for small group of muslims  to  achieve victory without any proper spiritual and physical preparation in rebelling against super imperialism..  .

A very minority of ummah such as Tuan Embong , a son of tok ku paloh,  whom representative as the upper class of religious group see that compromise with British is a part of political strategies .They argued according to the advising and experiences of their family that – due to the time had came to begin the process of taking charge of future.- the state was  required to new instruction. 

Sayyid ---- -made u-turn from his father  of jihad , tok Ku Paluh( Sayyid Abdul Rahman El Idrus) who refused British until his death in 1918- maintained with palace in comfromise with british –established religion office to counter religious activities.  . however, his brother----still maintained his father of jihad through supporting Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Rahman Limbung . this means –that  ---year witnessed the dividing line of progeny of Tok Paluh into two mainstreams ---implication for the future circumstances

This create a  serious decline in relations among ulama into two group ; i) who want to continuously engage with British and palace   ii) and majority want to being isolated from palace and rebelling British freely which that was the only way for observing the Islamic teaching.

BRITISH SCHOOL

Lord cromer , a jewish who worked as british governor of Egypt said; England was prepared to grant political freedom to all her possessions as soon as a generation imbued through English culture were ready to take over. But under no circumstances would the British for a single moment tolerate an independent Islamic state.

For long teaching practice in Muslim  malay community, The teaching of reciting Al Quran was considered as  a compulsory subject for all children ,out of this course, no specific subject was taught out compulsorily for  all children . what was obviously practice  common  in community   was that certain family teach a specific kemahiran for be inheritend to his new generation. . Sciences of islam would been taught actively in certain Islamic centre where a group of  scholars gathered   like in patani and padang , Sumatra. 

In 19^th  century, among the first policy  British implemented after setting  up its resident in state of Peninsular was establishing British school. With assuming by sultans, the Penang Free School, Malacca Free School, La Salle and other convent schools were established with the aims  to provide generations who observe the west cultures as a preparation to provide administrators and executives ruling the state. They offered firstly-before independent- to the upper class and later –after independent- open to all citizenships. Here, English literature and all related to it were  not the only syllabus been taught in the school but add with history, mathematic and other sciences.

Initially, ulama as one the most influenced position in community banned these schools and prejudiced that as a part of Christianity plans against islam. This view acquired from  them who had a quite knowledge of islam and Arabic grammatical. They were considered as alim in community.

In fact that is not the real view of islam., even they were considered as alim by  the lower class of muslim, they were not the real scholars by all means. There were so many prominent scholars like Sheikh Jawhary Tantawy had  courage Muslim to explore any disciplines of knowledge. Knowledge is a part of wisdom that the Prophet suggest to pick up in anywhere it founded. These were primitively muslim belonging.   

Years after years, educated people sent their children joining British school more and more. Students, after graduated from high education, serve as administrators, executives ,lawyers or clergy .At the same time, government provided privileges for those professionals.     It caused to so called people precisely  to the British  school.

This comfortable life changed the mind of common people to accept the British school . They start to pay respectful to the trained officers graduated  from British school. More  started to refuse the education system of pondok and their Islamic scholars. This educational  evolution gave big challenges for traditional Islamic schools to being left far behind.

Under this revenge policy against islam, some of these professionals appeared to be seriously anti Islamic. In   work to continue to policy of Western colonial .they  sometimes, without any doubt, pursued the violence of western imperialisms for Islamic activist.  They had  jailed muslim activist  and ban their activities; propagate them with kinds of fitnah.

Students graduated from pondok started again to be refused with bad / negative hospitality respond from government and community. Their student could not sit on any comfortable position in country. They felt their burden became more over when some rules were gazette :

Who wish to teach Islamic subjects, he must apply a permission from the government

 

 Despite of  these colonial puppets, , most of others  still kept their love and sincere  towards the religion and country. The historical background of their family aids them to realize that they have a surely accountabilities and responsibilities to serve for religion and country. They could be devided into two groups.

Some of them- due to lack of Islamic education during their chilhood – took several times to  improve their Islamic practice while a very minority of them - who their family background were   from religious side- have able to maintain in observing islam. So often secretly put their sacrificed in struggling against secular group remain in veil. and out of isslamist mind.  Unfortunately, on the other hand, both of  groups – came from colonial educational background- acquired clash for public especially  muslim activist. Later, years after years misunderstanding about their attribute and perception come to be a mountain in a darkness night. . the gaps became more wider after they  lost of  their  interrelated family information.

This misunderstanding about those  sincere officers and administrators remand for more than a quarter of  century cause  for islamist to label all these groups as secular trend. Yes! There was a long stress from most of those groups- not all- for muslim activist . .but if the  effort from  this sincerity group in  progressing Islam  in country  carried  back by Islamic activist , it would aid to ----or –at least- give some more ideas to help producing a new successful methodology for current  dawa.

SOME SCHOLARS  TURNED  AWAY  FROM THE RULER/ PALACE

Ruler in Islamic perspective is those who has responsibility to perform his accountability to obey what Allah SWT ordered. He must conduct all the community as him as they are in big contacts.. he is a trustee who had been  obligated firstly to sure which path he must through before he lead others to being in safety way as he do for himself. In other words, he must explore the knowledge of shariah and accommodate that for his people. It reveals that he must cover all disciplines instead of sufi that can provided information about how to == protect him from hell in herafter. This subjects were already reminded by Malay scholars in the royal classical textbooks taught in palaces like tajus salatin.

Differently, in secular perspective, power is a tool could be utilized by the ruler  in gathering wealth and popularity. In control the power to be in their hand, British was not only terminated bestowed ruler who disagree to their policy but they appointed those –even the worthowed - who ready to compromise with their matter.  British was not only prepared the strife for rulers but trained students – who were selected progeny of upper class  to rule country in purpose of replace them-to live lusty in luxury .

After the british met successful in this first session, they came in second session to hold split between ulama and umara. The distraction of live style  of Malay rulers and upper class  especially in administration acquired frustration among citizens and more especially for Muslim scholars.

Some who could not have to be long patience anymore began to turn away from palace while some others who still maintain with ruler kept enforcedly silence when the ruler allow british to become astray to the Islamic teaching. Soon later, they engaged in fighting their old colleagues who stand on the position of British colonial.  

For examples, Haji abdul kadir Abdullah, my great grand father who migrated from patani to Terengganu and  later received some respectful in consultancy the upper class  in palace . he decided to cut off his relation with kingships in palace. . This was reasoned by Sultan Sulaiman, the ruler of Terengganu broke some views of islamic jurisprudence- based on his view at that time -  after he  promised to commit the shariah view.

In fact,  he-my great grand father- was not solely alone in his resignation. A quite number of Islamic scholar group  ran away with him after  Tuan guru haji abdul rahman Limbung been defeated in battle in 1927 in Terengganu.

The malay rebelling against the sultan was not as bad as in some arab countries –in Egypt for examples, the Egyptians community  rebelled  against the feudal system controlled by under the ottoman nobles . they came up  to abolish monarchy systems in order to set up a locality ruler who must be Egyptian citizenship .But after their successful in throwing out  King Farouk, the last king of monarchy system in Egypt,in 1952, the modern history has witnessed the leader came after  was the same kind of tyranny. So, it mean that the end of monarchy system in Egypt in 1952 that replaced by republic system   did not mean the end of violence. Without the obedience leadership, new executives in republic system brought them back out to  the old violence.