Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, or Buya Hamka (1908\u20131981), was no\nordinary religious figure. This scholar, who was appointed as an\nIndonesian National Hero on 7 November 2011 through Presidential Decree\nNo.\u00a0113\/TK\/2011, was renowned as a religious scholar, writer, and had\neven been imprisoned by a political regime.<\/p>\n
Several popular literary works by Buya Hamka include \u201cBeneath the\nProtection of Ka\u2019bah\u201d (1938) and \u201cThe Sinking of the Van der Wijck\u201d\n(1938). His Islamic literature includes the series \u201cTafsir Al Azhar\u201d\n(Qur\u2019anic Commentary of Al Azhar). In one of his books, Buya Hamka\ndetailed the events of 12 Ramadan 1385 H or 28 January 1964, when he was\narrested by police under charges of violating anti-subversion\nregulations, specifically Presidential Decrees No.\u00a011 and No.\u00a013. He\nrecounted this experience in detail in the introduction to his book\n\u201cModern Sufism\u201d. Over approximately 57 years, Buya Hamka produced at\nleast 84 published books.<\/p>\n
Buya Hamka was the son of Abdul Karim Amrullah and Sitti Shafiah. He\nwas born on 17 February 1908 in Sungaibatang, Agam. He received a\nthorough Islamic education, as his father was a prominent Islamic\nscholar in Minangkabau whilst his mother came from a family of artists.\nHamka\u2019s father, known as Haji Rasul, was one of the leading figures in\nthe Islamic reform movement in West Sumatra and a pioneer of the Reform\nMovement (tajdid) in Minangkabau.<\/p>\n
In his childhood, Buya Hamka often heard Minangkabau poetry from his\ngrandmother, particularly during his father\u2019s absences on preaching\nmissions. He later moved to Padang Panjang following his parents\u2019\nrelocation. Under his father\u2019s influence, Hamka grew up in an\nenvironment deeply rooted in religious tradition and Islamic\nmodernisation.<\/p>\n
At a young age, Hamka pursued Islamic studies and performed the Hajj\npilgrimage to the Holy Land of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Upon his return from\nMecca, he acquired the honorific title \u201cHaji\u201d, and his name became\n\u201cHamka\u201d, an acronym derived from his full name.<\/p>\n
After returning from Mecca, he became actively involved in Islamic\ndevelopment with Muhammadiyah, from his native region to Jakarta. His\nefforts culminated in his appointment as the first chairman of the\nIndonesian Council of Islamic Scholars (Majelis Ulama Indonesia\/MUI)\nfrom July 1975 to May 1981.<\/p>\n
During his youth in Java, Hamka studied modern Islamic movements,\nnotably learning from HOS Tjokroaminoto, who later became a mentor to\nnumerous national independence leaders, including Indonesia\u2019s first\npresident, Sukarno. Through this experience, he came to understand the\ndifferences between political Islamic movements, such as the East Indies\nIslamic Association (Sarekat Islam), and the social movement of\nMuhammadiyah.<\/p>\n
Hamka actively contributed articles to various Muhammadiyah\npublications and produced numerous literary works infused with moral and\nreligious messages. His contributions across various fields made Buya\nHamka widely recognised for his influential thinking and remarkable\nworks, gaining recognition not only in Indonesia but also in Malaysia\nand the Middle East.<\/p>\n
What distinguished Buya Hamka was his willingness to lead the funeral\nprayer for Sukarno\u2014the regime leader who had once imprisoned him on\ncharges of subversion. This request came as a deathbed wish from the\nIndonesian founding president.<\/p>\n
Despite harbouring no resentment for his imprisonment by the regime\non charges of subversion, on 21 June 1970, Buya Hamka led Sukarno\u2019s\nfuneral prayer. Sukarno was subsequently buried in Blitar, East Java,\nthe following day.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/buya-hamka-from-religious-scholar-and-writer-to-imprisoned-dissident-and-national-hero-1772165562", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }