The azure sky over Ponorogo that morning showed no signs that a\nhistorical stage was being set. In the village of Gontor, more famous\nthan the official name of its century-old boarding school, Pondok Modern\nDarussalam, the hum of thousands of students chanting sholawat\naccompanied by rebana drums could be heard. This melody accompanied the\narrival of Indonesia\u2019s top leader into a meeting hall already filled\nwith thousands of attendees.<\/p>\n
The holder of the highest power in the Republic of Indonesia,\nPresident Prabowo Subianto, attended the Thanksgiving Reception for the\n100th Anniversary of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor on Saturday, 19\nSeptember 202<0xA0>6, under strict protocol and security.<\/p>\n
However, behind the bustle of state protocol and the tight formation\nof black-suited guards, there was something that political authority\ncould not buy: the body language of a humble elderly man standing to\nwelcome the President. He was Kiai Haji Hasan Abdullah Sahal.<\/p>\n
His aged body remained upright, looking at the distinguished guest\nnot with the gaze of a subordinate to a master, but with the gaze of a\nteacher to a student. As their fingers clasped, there was no excessive\nbowing from the Kiai. No anxiety shadowed his eyes.<\/p>\n
The stiff atmosphere of state affairs shifted instantly as Kiai Hasan\nascended the podium. Without artificial diplomatic pleasantries, he\ngreeted the Head of State with a blunt jest.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr President, I feel a bit awkward saying this, Sir. Sorry, yeah\u2026\u201d\nKiai Hasan said simply. The sentence was met with laughter and applause\nfrom the audience, breaking down the barriers of protocol.<\/p>\n
Yet, from that same podium, Kiai Hasan demonstrated how leadership is\ntested by equality and transparency. In front of the President, he\nrevealed the fundamental philosophy of Gontor\u2019s governance, which\nrejects elite luxury and places leaders on equal footing with those they\nlead. With a firm tone, he asserted the ethical boundaries applicable\nwithin the walls of the pesantren.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe leaders of Gontor must not live more luxuriously than the\nstudents. If what I eat, or what I wear, exceeds that of the students\u2014if\nmy vehicle or my house is better than theirs\u2014they are allowed to protest\nand demonstrate!\u201d<\/p>\n
This statement was not merely an internal rule of the institution,\nbut a subtle yet sharp reprimand for the climate of public leadership,\nfrom the lowest levels to the highest in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Kiai Hasan delivered an open lecture on moral legitimacy, asserting\nthat leaders, both in pesantren and in government, must not drift too\nfar from the people they serve, while opening the doors wide for\ncorrection and self-criticism.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-tale-of-ulama-and-umara-1790003015", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }