Mbah Kholil Bangkalan and the Touching Horse from Bima

 

Mbah Kholil Bangkalan and the Touching Horse from Bima

Who does not know this supreme teacher of the archipelago's kiai? He is al-'alim al-'allamah KH. Muhammad Kholil bin Abdul Lathif or better known as Syaikhona Kholil. He is the teacher of Hadlratus Shaykh KH.Hasyim Asy'ari Tebuireng-Jombang, KH.Abdul Karim Lirboyo-Kediri, KH.Abdul Wahab Hasbullah Tambakberas-Jombang, KH.Bisyri Syansuri Denanyar-Jombang, KH.As'ad Syamsul Arifin Asembagus- Situbondo, KH. Ma'shum Lasem-Rembang, KH. Munawwir Krapyak-Yogyakarta and a number of other great scholars.

In the hands of Mbah Kholil Bangkalan, religious leaders and national fighters were born. According to the story of Habib Luthfi bin Yahya, he and Habib Hasyim bin Yahya Pekalongan are two important figures who have contributed and contributed greatly to the establishment of the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

One of the commendable morals that appears in the person of Syaikhona Kholil is to respect and glorify her teacher. Not only did he glorify his teacher directly, but he also glorified matters related to his teacher, even to horses that were in the same area as his teacher. Truly the figure of a noble scholar and glorify his teacher.

The following is a story narrated from KH.Ahmad Ghazali from his father, KH.Muhammad Fathullah, from his teacher, KH.Syamsuddin, one of KH.Kholil Bangkalan's students. This story shows how much Kiai Kholil respects his teacher.

One time Mbah Kholil was traveling to a place by driving a buggy. When he was about to ride it, Kiai Kholil kept looking at the horse he was driving. As if there is something blocking the type of horse. He asked the cab driver. "Where did this horse come from?" asked Kiai Kholil. The coachman replied, "From Bima (a region in Indonesia), Kiai". Bima itself is known as an area known for its expensive and good stock of horses. After hearing the driver's answer, Kiai Kholil immediately got off the cart and was reluctant to get back on it. Suddenly the cab driver was surprised and confused. "Why don't you want to ride this horse?" he asked Kiai Kholil. “Because one of my teachers is from Bima. I really really mind that.

In the treasury of moral science itself it is explained that a student should respect his teacher by truly respecting him. Among respecting teachers is respecting their children and all things related to them. Glorifying teachers in the perspective of tasawwuf scholars is one of the keys to gaining useful knowledge. The pleasure of Allah is related to the pleasure of the teacher. God's wrath is related to the teacher's wrath. Such is the ethics taught by our scholars.

What was taught by the scholars was actually practiced by Kiai Kholil in real life. His morals are extraordinary. It is not surprising that from his hands were born the figures of scholars who are not only known at the national level, but even internationally. It is difficult to find a scholar who really reveres his teacher like Syaikhona Kholil. To our kiai and teachers, I hope we can emulate what he did to his teachers, even if only a few percent.