KH Sholeh Darat, Al-Hikam and RA Kartini

 

KH Sholeh Darat, Al-Hikam and RA Kartini

Raden Ajeng Kartini asked the meaning of a verse from the Koran to her Koran teacher. The teacher is angry. Kartini was not satisfied. His desire to learn was so passionate, but what could he not be good at in Arabic, while at that time the translation of the Qur'an into non-Arabic languages ​​was still being questioned by a number of scholars.

Luckily at one time Kartini listened to KH Sholeh Darat's recitation. So Kartini was amazed. He asked permission to meet the Kiai. In front of him, Kartini said:

“All this time Al-Fatihah was dark for me. I don't understand the slightest meaning. But since today it has become clear to its implied meaning, because Father Kyai has explained it in the Javanese language that I understand.”

Kiai Sholeh Darat is not just any Kiai. He is the teacher of KH Ahmad Dahlan and KH Hasyim Asy'ari. The scientific institutions of the founders of Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama met one of them in the ocean of knowledge and wisdom of Kiai Sholeh Darat.

I once visited the grave of KH Sholeh Darat. That was my first “meeting” with Father Kiai, RA Kartini's teacher. Suddenly last week I received a book from a friend, Ustadz Jailani, in South Kalimantan. Previously, he, who graduated from Yemen, asked me to accept him as a student because he had "meeted" in a dream with me. I was so shy because it felt like I had to learn from him. To register as my student, he said he wanted to send a book. Through the relay, the book sent by Ustadz Jailani arrived in my hands in Melbourne.

It turned out that the book that was presented to me was the work of Kiai Sholeh Darat who sharhed the book of al-Hikam. Originally this book was written in Arabic pegon. I am grateful that I visited the tomb of Ibn Athailah, the author of al-Hikam, in Egypt – that was a very memorable “meeting”. So through the delivery of this book, suddenly various previous "meetings" between Kiai Sholeh Darat, Ibn Athailah, I and Ustadz Jailani were connected.

Well, what has not materialized is the "meeting" with Raden Ajeng Kartini. Well, who knows, tomorrow we can visit his grave or just “meet” through a dream. Happy Kartini's Day. May we all experience 'out of darkness comes light'; minadzulumati ilannur….from darkness to divine light.

For Kiai Sholeh Darat, Ibn Athaillah and RA Kartini….al-fatihah…