The History of the Sukamanah Islamic Boarding School and KH Zaenal Musthafa's Resistance To The Invaders

Biography of KH Zaenal Mustafa

KH Zainal Mustafa (born in Bageur Village, Cimerah Village, Singaparna District, Tasikmalaya Regency , January 1, 1899 - died in Jakarta , March 28, 1944 ) who is one of Indonesia 's national heroes . He was buried in the Tasikmalaya Heroes Cemetery.

Zaenal Mustofa was the leader of an Islamic boarding school in Tasikmalaya and was also the first Islamic fighter from West Java to fight against the Japanese government . 

His first name is Hudaeni. Born into a wealthy farming family, the son of a couple from Nawapi and Ny. Ratmah, in Bageur village, Cimerah village, Singaparna district (now included in the Sukarapih village area, Sukarame district) Tasikmalaya district .

In the date of his birth there is an opinion, he was born in 1901 and the Islamic Encyclopedia calls it 1907, but the opinion agreed by historians is in 1899 which was obtained from the notes of Nina Herlina Lubis , Chair of the Indonesian Historian Society, West Java Branch). Hudaeni's name was later changed to Zaenal Mustofa after he performed the pilgrimage in 1927 at the age of 28 years.

Hudaeni received his formal education at the People's School . Then in the field of religion, he learned the Koran from a religious teacher in his village. The family's economic ability allowed him to study more religion. 

The first time he continued his education at the Islamic boarding school in Gunung Pari under the guidance of Dimyati, his older cousin, known as KH. Zainal Mohsin. From Gunung Pari, he then stayed at the Cilenga Islamic Boarding School, Leuwisari, and the Sukamiskin Islamic Boarding School, Bandung . 

For approximately 17 years he continued to cultivate religious knowledge from one pesantren to another. That's why he is proficient in Arabic and has extensive religious knowledge.

Through the pilgrimage, he became acquainted with prominent scholars. He also held an exchange of ideas about religion and had the opportunity to see a center for religious education in the Holy Land . 

Contact with the outside world prompted him to establish a pesantren. So after returning from the pilgrimage, in 1927, he founded a boarding school in Cikembang village with the name Sukamanah . Previously, in Bageur Village in 1922, the Sukahideng Islamic Boarding School was also established, which was founded by KH. Zainal Mohsin . 

Through this pesantren he spread Islam , especially the Syafi'i school of thought which is embraced by the Indonesian people in general and West Java Muslims . in particular.

In addition, he also held several religious activities to remote villages in Tasikmalaya by holding religious lectures. So the term kiyai became attached to his name, KH. Zaenal Mustofa continues to grow into a charismatic, patriotic, and far-sighted leader and role model. In 1933, he entered the Jamiyyah Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) and was appointed as the representative of the NU's Syuriah ro'ist Tasikmalaya Branch .

A Brief History of the Establishment of the Sukamanah Islamic Boarding School

In 1927 M. KH. Zainal Musthafa Rahimahullah established an Islamic Boarding School in Cikembang Village with the name Sukamanah Islamic Boarding School. Over time, the name of the village changed according to the name of the Pesantren which he founded on Waqf land for the house and mosque of a generous widow, Almagfurlah Hj. Siti Juariah.

Armed with the People's School Diploma and religious knowledges that he achieved from several Islamic boarding schools for 17 years, one of which he had studied at the Sukamiskin Islamic Boarding School in Bandung. He led the Sukamanah Islamic Boarding School for approximately 17 years, because on Friday, February 25, 1944 AD at this Islamic Boarding School there was a battle between the students of the Sukamanah Islamic Boarding School and the Japanese army. At that time, he was captured as a prisoner. According to documents from the Dutch Erevel Office in Ancol Jakarta, he and his colleagues were sentenced to death on October 25, 1944 and were buried in the Dutch Heroes Park, Ancol Jakarta. Then on August 25, 1973 the bodies of him and 17 of his followers were moved to the tomb of the hero Sukamanah.

Within 17 years, Al-Magfurlah KH. Zainal Musthafa was able to print hundreds of his students into 'alim who are capable and capable of giving religious lessons in their respective hometowns. Thanks to his intelligence and success at that time, the students came in droves from various corners, so that the students who were in the dormitory ranged from 600 to 700 people who were accommodated in 6 dormitories. The number of students who are not in the dormitory (battle students) is more than ten times that of those who are in the dormitory.

In 1950 (after Indonesian independence) the state of the Islamic boarding school after his death was continued and pioneered by KH.Muh.Fuad Muhsin and KUAbdul Aziz Rahimahullah and his colleagues with the guidance of his brother KH. Wahab Muhsin who is the caretaker of the Sukahideng Islamic Boarding School. Then in 2003 KH. Muh. Fuad Muhsin gave up completely to lead the Islamic boarding school to his son, KH. Drs. A. Thahir Fuad.

In 1956 they both agreed to establish Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Sukahideng. On August 17, 1959 the KH Foundation was established. Zainal Musthafa with Notary Deed No. 8 which was renewed with Notary Deed No. 10 of 1999. This foundation aims to continue the struggle of the Hero KH. Zainal Musthafa, especially in the field of education.

KH. To date, Zainal Musthafa has had Sukamanah Islamic Boarding Schools , Ibtidaiyah Madrasah, Diniyah Madrasas, TKA/TPA, Junior High Schools, Senior High Schools and community service institutions including Kopontren and Poskestren

The Resistance to the Invaders was Led by KH Zaenal Musthafa

Since 1940, KH. Zaenal Mustofa openly held activities that raised the spirit of nationalism and an attitude of resistance to the colonial occupation. He always attacked the Dutch colonial political policies which he often conveyed in his lectures and sermons. For his actions, he was always warned, and in fact, not infrequently he was forcibly removed from the pulpit by a pro- Dutch kiyai .

On November 17, 1941, KH. Zaenal Mustofa is with KH. Ruhiat (from Cipasung Islamic Boarding School), Haji Syirod , and Hambali Syafei were arrested by the Dutch on charges of inciting the people to rebel against the Dutch East Indies government. They were detained in the Tasikmalaya Prison and a day later transferred to the Bandung Sukamiskin prison , then released on January 10, 1942.

Although he had been arrested before, his resistance activities against the invaders did not subside. End of February 1942, KH. Zaenal Mustofa and KH Ruhiyat were again arrested and put in the Ciamis prison . The two clerics face the same charges as his first arrest. Until when the Dutch surrendered to the Japanese , they were both still in prison.

On March 8, 1942 the Dutch East Indies rule ended and Indonesia was occupied by the Japanese Military Government . By this new colonizer, KH. Zaenal Mustofa and KH Ruhiat were released from prison, with the hope that they would be willing to help Japan in realizing its fascist ambition, namely to create a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Environment. However, what Japan had hoped for never materialized because of KH. Zaenal Mustofaflatly refused. In his short speech, at the welcoming ceremony at the Pesantren, he warned his followers and students to keep believing in themselves and not to be easily swayed by foreign propaganda. He even warned that Japanese fascism was more dangerous than Dutch imperialism.

After the transfer of power from the Netherlands to Japan , his attitude and views have never changed. In fact, his hatred only peaked when he witnessed the oppression of the invaders against the people.

During this Japanese reign , he opposed the implementation of seikerei [1] , a way of paying homage to the Japanese emperor by bowing to Tokyo. He considered this act contrary to Islamic teachings and destroying monotheism because it had changed the direction of the Qibla. He has shown this attitude openly in front of Japan . At that time, all Singaparna scholars had to gather in the square and all were required to perform seikerei. At gunpoint, all the ulama were forced to carry out the order, only KH. Zaenal Mustofa who remains defiant. He also told Kiyai Ruhiyat, who was present at the time, that the act was considered polytheism.

According to him, the polytheists do not need to be feared, let alone followed his orders. Instead, they must be fought and exterminated from the face of the earth. He believed that in Islam only Allah SWT should be feared and obeyed; Allah SWT is always with those who want to be close to Him and always gives help and strength to those who want to fight to defend His religion. He has the principle that it is better to die than to obey the Japanese orders . This kind of belief is always instilled in his students and the surrounding Islamic community. He also opposed and criticized romusha [2] , the mobilization of people's power to work by force.

With the spirit of jihad to defend religious truth and to fight for the nation, KH Zaenal Mustofa planned to hold a resistance against Japan on February 25, 1944. The motivation for his resistance came from awareness and belief, how big the sins of ulama and santri were if injustice was not resisted. [3] At first he would kidnap Japanese dignitaries in Tasikmalaya , then carry out sabotage, cut telephone lines so that the Japanese military could not communicate, and finally, free political prisoners. To implement this plan, KH Zaenal Mustofaasked his students to prepare weapons in the form of sharp bamboo and machetes made of bamboo, as well as practice pencak silat. And he also told the parents of the students to be happy if their child died as a martyr. [4] He also gave spiritual practice (tarekat) such as eating less, sleeping, and reading wirid-wirid to get closer to Allah SWT.

The preparation of these students smelled of Japan . Immediately they sent the Singaparna sub-district head accompanied by 11 staff and escorted by several police officers to make the arrests, but this attempt was unsuccessful. They were even detained at the house of KH Zaenal Mustofa . The next day, at 8 am on February 25, 1944, they were released and only their weapons were seized.

Suddenly, at around 13.00, four Japanese officers came and asked KH Zaenal Mustofa to appear before the Japanese government in Tasikmalaya . The order was emphatically rejected, resulting in a commotion. As a result, three officers were killed and one person was left alive. This one person was then sent home with an ultimatum. In that ultimatum, the Japanese government was demanded to liberate the island of Java starting February 25, 1944 to coincide on Friday Pahing, 29 Safar 1363 H. [5] In that incident, it was also recorded that one of the students named Nur became a victim, because he was hit by a shot by one of the officers.

After the incident, just before the time for the Asr prayer (around 16.00) several trucks approached the front line of the Sukamanah defense . The sound of takbir began to sound, Sukamanah 's troops were very surprised after it became clear that they were facing their own nation in the front row. Apparently the Japanese had used the tactic of fighting each other. Seeing that it was their own nation who came to attack, Zaenal Mustofa ordered his students not to put up a fight before the enemy entered the fighting distance. After the enemy approached, then the students answered their attack. However, with a greater number of forces, plus more complete equipment, finally the Japanese troopsand native pro-Japanese troops managed to break through and destroy Sukamanah 's troops .

The students who died in the battle amounted to 86 people. Died in Singaparna because 4 people were tortured. Died in prison in Tasikmalaya because 2 people were tortured. 38 people died in Sukamiskin Prison, Bandung , and 10 people with disabilities (loss of eyes or memory).

Also, the day after the incident, between 700-900 people were arrested and put in prison in Tasikmalaya . Meanwhile, KH Zaenal Mustofa had given secret instructions to the students and all their detained followers not to admit to being involved in the battle against the Japanese , including in the deaths of Japanese officers , and KH Zaenal Mustofa took full responsibility for the rebellion . As a result, 23 people who were found guilty, including KH Zaenal Mustofa himself, were brought to Jakarta for trial.

The great influence of KH Zaenal Mustofa in the mental formation of the students and the community as well as the role of the pesantren as an educational institution and fostering the people made the Japanese government feel not free to let this pesantren continue to run. So after the rebellion, this pesantren was closed by the Japanese and was not allowed to carry out any activities.

Then the Japanese Army Court Kriegsgericht sentenced KH Zaenal Musthafa to death along with 20 martyrs, namely: [6]

Kyai domon Kyai Aip Abdoel Hakim 15. Kiayi Nadjamoeddin

Kyai A. Hidayat Hajdi Hafid 16. Saefoedin

Sarkasih Hambali 17. I. Sjahroni

Adoeng Karim Tahri 18. Samseodin

Hoesein Endin 19. Oemar

Abdoel Rozak Asikin 20. Achamd

Namri Amma Hoedori

The head of the Dutch Erevele Ancol, Jakarta gave the news that KH. Zaenal Mustofa was executed on October 25, 1944 and buried in the Ancol Dutch Heroes Park, Jakarta. Through the search of one of his students, Colonel Syarif Hidayat, in 1973 the whereabouts of his tomb was found in the Ancol area, North Jakarta, along with the tombs of his students which were among the tombs of the Dutch soldiers. Then, on August 25, 1973, all the tombs were moved to Sukamanah, Tasikmalaya .

Conclusion

The figure of a figure named KH Zaenal Musthafa is a figure who strongly adheres to the principles of Islamic teachings. He was never afraid in dealing with the injustices committed by the invaders, both in the Dutch and Japanese governments. He remained adamant in the Koran and as-Sunnah, that in the Koran and as-Sunnah there is no such thing as colonialism and oppression. He is also a person who always provides enlightenment of Islamic teachings to students and the surrounding community. This was proven by the establishment of an educational institution to study Islam called Pondok Pesantren Sukamanah in Tasikmalaya district.

He is also a charismatic and authoritative leader and insists on religious teachings. It is religious values ​​that have shaped him into a great leader. Since childhood, he has studied religion at various Islamic boarding schools in West Java. With the provision of religious knowledge obtained, it became sufficient provision to spread Islam to various places with the construction of Islamic boarding schools.

Thanks to his passion and persistence in defending his religion and homeland from the invaders, he was officially appointed a Hero of the Indonesian National Movement. 064/TK/Year 1972. It was a sign that the Indonesian state recognized that the central role in the resistance to the invaders was held by kiyai and santri in various regions. Especially in the area of ​​Tasikmalaya, West Java. And with the recognition from the country, it is hoped that we can imitate the good values ​​that exist in KH Zaenal Musthafa in particular and in general for all those who struggle to uphold independence in Indonesia.