Obituary: KH Hasyim Muzadi and the Power of Language

Obituary: KH Hasyim Muzadi and the Power of Language

Thus KH Hasyim Muzadi insinuated people who easily disbelieve fellow Muslims. Cash only, people who listen to laugh out loud. That is the peculiarity of Kiai Hasyim in speaking, full of humor, both during limited chats and lecturing in front of thousands of people.

There is no feeling, NU people who do not get Pak Hasyim's humor, as Kiai Hasyim Muzadi is fondly called. Pak Hasyim's humor glides swiftly, anytime, in the middle of any event. We can laugh again and again even though the story has been heard many times.

Even during the Prophet Muhammad's birthday speech at the palace, the humor flowed smoothly, making the atmosphere of the palace so fluid. He was lecturing supposedly reading the script in his hand, but it turned out to be a freestyle lecture.

“I sometimes think, this is a non-Muslim country, the lost items, how come they found all of them. Meanwhile in a Muslim-majority country, all existing items are lost,” said Pak Hasyim in front of the president, vice president, ministers, ambassadors. Everyone present laughed, including President Jokowi and the First Lady. Even the Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifuddin laughed to fix his sitting position and coat.

In the palace, Pak Hasyim also mocked Muslims who used the name Muhammad but did not behave like the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad, said Pak Hasyim, made a consensus called the Medina Charter, not an Islamic State. It contains agreements to live together in peace. Everyone is given space to develop their lives, regardless of different religious backgrounds.

"This is an example by the Prophet himself, not by others. This is where the difference between the Prophet Muhammad and the last Muhammad is," said Pak Hasyim. Mender, President Jokowi and those present laughed again.

Pak Hasyim Muzadi's language is the language of humor. Everyone from people who have no money to high-paid officials, everyone understands. Mr. Hasyim's response to humor was especially happy, whether it was being sarcastic or unrelated.

With the language of humor, Mr. Hasyim explained that the difficult became easy. Pak Hasyim on various occasions often mentions the difference between kiai and intellectuals. The kiai can make things easier. While intellectuals complicate the easy ones.

This is where Pak Hasyim specializes in lecturing. He 100% understands logic, masters the material, his style is perfect, his intonation is appropriate, and his choice of words is right. Not all podium lions have such skills. This is where it doesn't matter who creates the humor, where it comes from. the two conditions for quality humor are only two: a humorous message arrives and people laugh. Done. And Pak Hasyim has it perfectly. Mr. Hasyim's prayer before the lecture was quite long. People are often curious, what is the prayer. It was that prayer that might have made him shine on the podium.

The pesantren community and NU kiai are indeed factories of humor. If there is a kiai that is not funny, it's not good enough. If there are students who are good at throwing fresh jokes, then there will be a lot of friends. Humor in boarding schools with various methods, thrives. He is also a miraculous tool to eliminate the stagnation of life, either because of poverty or because of the many complicated affairs of the people.

Now Pak Hasyim is gone. This morning God called him to return to the house of eternity. Pak Hasyim breathed his last at 6.30, Thursday, March 16 2017, at his residence, the Al-Hikam Islamic Boarding School complex, Malang.

Pak Hasyim was born in Tuban on August 4, 1944. His work at NU was complete, starting from the branch to becoming the General Chair of PBNU for two terms. His educational history is quite special. For NU people who were born in 1940, it is very rare to get an undergraduate degree. Many NU people began to study in cities, only people born in 1960. The pesantren education taken in Gontor was also special. Pak Hasyim is a member of the NU elite who is studying in Gontor.