Al Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School and College Kebumen Indonesia

Al Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School and College Kebumen

Pondok Pesantren "AL-Kahfi" Somalangu Kebumen is an Islamic boarding school that has been around for quite some time. Because this Islamic Boarding School has existed since 1475 AD. As for the year and time of its establishment, we can find out including from the Siberian Emerald Stone Inscription (Emerald Fuchsite) weighing 9 kg which is inside the Islamic Boarding School Mosque. As is known, according to information compiled by historians , the hallmark of Islamic boarding schools that were founded at the beginning of the entry of Islam into the archipelago is that there is a mosque in the Islamic boarding school. And the establishment of this mosque in accordance with the customs of that time was part of the establishment of an Islamic boarding school associated with it.

The inscription containing the chemical elements Al, Cr, H, K, O, and Si is inscribed with Javanese & Arabic letters. The Javanese letters mark the sengkala of the year. While the writing in Arabic letters is a description of the Candra Sengkala. It is clearly seen in the number of dates written in Arabic letters:

"25 Sha'ban 879 H"

This means that the Al-Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School was officially established on 25 Sha'ban 879 H or in conjunction with Wednesday, January 4, 1475 AD.

Its founder is Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al_Hasani. He was originally a prominent scholar who came from Hadharamaut, Yemen. Born on the 15th of Sha'ban 827 H in the village of Jamhar, Shihr. Came to Java in 852 H/1448 AD during the reign of King Kertawijaya Majapahit or King Brawijaya I (1447 – 1451). So after 27 years of landing in Java, Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani then founded the Al_Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School.

Biography of the Founder

His real name is Sayid Muhammad 'Ishom Al_Hasani. He is the eldest of 5 siblings. His father's name is Sayid Abdur Rasyid bin Abdul Majid Al Hasani, while his mother's name is Syarifah Zulaikha bint Mahmud bin Abdullah bin Sheikh Shahibuddin Al Huseini 'Inath.

The father of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani is the 22nd descendant of the Prophet Muhammad from Sayidina Hasan ra, through the path of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Bar son of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Qadir Al_Jaelani Al_Baghdadi. He came from Baghdad, Iraq to Hadharamaut at the request of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdullah bin Abu Bakr Sakran (Al_Idrus Al_Akbar) to together with other prophets of the bait of the prophet overcome the magicians in Hadharamaut. After these sorcerers can be destroyed, the prophet's temple experts then together make a village in the former base of the sorcerer's residence. This village was then given the name "Jamhar" in accordance with the custom of the bait experts at that time, when referring to each other with the term Jamhar as now when they refer to each other as "Jama'ah". While the area where the village is located is now better known as the area of ​​Syihr, Syihir, Syahar or Syahr. That is taken from the word "Magic" (has a shift in sound at the end of the day), to indicate that in the past the area had indeed been the base of the sorcerers of Hadharamaut, Yemen.

The father of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani finally lived, settled and died in Palestine, because he was appointed Imam at Baitil Maqdis (Aqsa Mosque). In Palestine he is famous as Sheikh As_Sayid Abdur_Rasyid Al_Jamhari Al_Hasani. His tomb is in the cemetery complex of the imams of the Al Quds mosque. While the other 4 brothers of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al_Hasani lived and settled in Shihr, 'Inath and Ma'rib, Hadharamaut.

Sayid Muhammad 'Ishom Al_Hasani since the age of 18 months has been guided by various disciplines of religious knowledge by his teacher named Sayid Ja'far Al_Huseini, Inath by living in caves in Yemen. By the teacher after he considered enough learning, Sayid Muhammad 'Ishom Al_Hasani was then given a laqob (nickname) with Abdul Kahfi. What according to the teacher means is a person who has been alone in worshiping Allah swt by staying in a cave for many years. Abdul Kahfi's name was later famous and introduced him to his figure more than his own real name, Muhammad 'Ishom.

Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al_Hasani when he was 17 years old had been a warlord in Yemen for 3 years. After that he lived in the land of Haram, Mecca. Then at the age of 24 years, he went to preach to Java. Landed for the first time on Karang Bolong beach, Buayan sub-district, Kebumen Regency.

After conquering and converting Resi Dara Pundi in Candi Karanganyar village, Kebumen and then subjugating Resi Candra Tirto and Resi Dhanu Tirto in Candi Wulan village and Candimulyo village, Kebumen sub-district, he finally entered Somalangu. In a place that was still in the wilderness at that time, he only prayed for a while, asking Allah swt so that later the place that is now the Al-Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School can be used as the basis for his Islamic da'wah which is full of blessings in the future. Then he continued his journey towards Surabaya, East Java.

In Surabaya, Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al_Hasani lives in Ampel. There he was accepted by Sunan Ampel and had helped Sunan Ampel's da'wah for 3 years. Then at the request of Sunan Ampel, he was asked to open a boarding school in Sayung, Demak. After his pesantren in Sayung, Demak began to develop. Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani was then asked by Islamic missionaries in Kudus to be willing to move and establish a pesantren in Kudus. This problem occurred because the Islamic missionaries who had previously entered Kudus had difficulties in maintaining their Islamic da'wah so that they felt the need for his presence in their midst in order to maintain Islamic da'wah in the area.

After Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani lived in Kudus and founded a boarding school there, Sunan Ampel then sent his son, Sayid Ja'far As_Shadiq, to ​​study with him in Kudus. The atsar place of Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani pesantren in Kudus is now better known to people as "Bubrah Mosque". As for the history of the "Bubrah Mosque" we will present it in a separate section.

While at his pesantren, Sayid Ja'far As_Sahdiq was also asked by him to study his father who was in Al-Quds, Palestine, namely Sheikh As_Sayid Abdur Rasyid Al-Hasani. Therefore, after finishing studying at Al-Quds, Palestine for his joy as gratitude to Allah SWT with Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani, Sayid Ja'far As_Sadiq then built a mosque which he named "Al-Aqsa". By Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani, Sayid Ja'far As_Sahadiq was later appointed as the imam of the mosque and Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani then moved to Demak to help the struggle of Sultan Hasan Al-Fatah Prince Jimbun Abdurrahman Khalifatullah Sayidin Panatagama in the Islamic Kingdom of Demak .

Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al-Hasani married in Demak when he was approximately 45 years old. When his first son was about 5 years old, he and his wife and son moved from Demak to Somalangu to establish a boarding school. It was in Somalangu that he finally settled and the pesantren he founded was later known as the Al-Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School.

Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al_Hasani counted quite a long time in nurturing the Al-Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School. That is around 130 years old. Therefore, if the history of the condition of the Al-Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School during his care was revealed, it would swallow a fairly long story.

Sheikh As_Sayid Abdul Kahfi Al_Hasani died on Friday night, 15 Sha'ban 1018 H or coincided with November 12, 1609 AD. His body was buried in Lemah Lanang hill, Somalangu, Kebumen. And he was the first to be buried in that place.

The green emerald inscription weighing 90 kilograms is still stored at Pondok Somalangu, Sumberadi Village, Kebumen District. If the figures in the 979 Hijriyah or 1475 AD inscription are correct, the cottage was already established before the name Kebumen appeared.

The estimate for the establishment of the Al Kahfi Somalangu Islamic Boarding School was revealed by KH Afifuddin Chanif Al Hasani or Gus Afif (40), as the next generation of the 16th descendant and caregiver of the pesantren, last Wednesday.

He said, from various manuscripts and ancient books that were stored as well as historical treatises, the Kebumen area at that time (1475s) was still in the form of swamps and forests. Even the Somalangu area was once dense forest.

Then who is the real founder of Somalangu? According to Gus Afif, the founder was none other than Sayid Muhammad Ishom Al Hasani or better known as Sheikh Abdul Kahfi. He is a scholar from Jamhar, Hadramaut in Yemen.

It is said that initially Sheikh Abdul Kahfi, who liked to wander from cave to cave (so he was nicknamed Abdul Kahfi), first landed on Karangbolong Beach. For this one thing, of course, need more research.

However, Gus Afif explained that after landing at Karangbolong Beach, Abdul Kahfi walked to Karanganyar. At that time there was a village that had many inhabitants. The cleric from Yemen then succeeded in converting one of the sages, named Darapundi. Marking the conversion, the village was named Candi Village.

Abdul Kahfi walked east (Kebumen) until he met two more sages, namely Candratirto and Danutirto. The two rishis were able to embrace Islam and the two villages were later named Candimulyo Village and Candiwulan Village, which are located close to Somalangu, Sumberadi Village.

Gus Afif explained that many of Abdul Kahfi's descendants have become great scholars. Abdul Kahfi himself was an advisor to the king of Raden Fatah Demak and had represented Sunan Ampel in a forum of scholars discussing the followers of Sheikh Siti Jenar.

Pondok Somalangu also still keeps a memento from Hang Tuah, a cleric figure of Chinese Malay descent who had come to Somalangu. There are still many historical stories that have not been revealed from ancient manuscripts and books by the Somalangu ancestors.

Cultural heritage

Muhammad Baehaqi, as the consultant for the pioneering cultural heritage, admitted that from the studies of several archaeologists who came to Somalangu, the pesantren had indeed been the center of the spread of Islam in Java. His party proposed that the Somalangu Islamic Boarding School and its relics be used as a religious cultural heritage.

Initially there was a simple thought to establish a library and museum. However, looking at the remaining cultural and historical assets, starting with old books, old mosque buildings, cottage areas, there are yoni and phallus, as well as villages with houses with old architecture, the Somalangu area deserves to be a religious cultural heritage.

According to Gus Afif Al_Hasani (Caregiver), specifically the relics of ancient books and manuscripts are in the thousands. Only a small part has been read and studied by experts from the Central Java archaeological service. Therefore, it takes a place as well as a system for maintaining ancient manuscripts that are closely related to the historical remains. Of course for the sake of scientific interest, tourism and historical reconstruction.

Likewise the Somalangu Mosque. Most of the ancient mosque buildings are still as they are. Starting from the mustaka mosque, pulpit and main pillar. Only some walls and courtyards have been renovated. The main building in the form of saka guru and mustaka is still original, as it was originally built around 1475.

While the dormitory is a place to study, some still leave the old buildings. The house on stilts under it there are also pools where ablution is still left. The cottage complex is only about 1.5 kilometers from the Kebumen-Kutoarjo highway