Lirboyo, modernization of education

By Ainur Sophiaan

KEDIRI, East Java (JP): About ninety years ago, in the fasting month of Ramadhan and in an Islamic boarding school in Bangkalan, on the island of Madura, a student fainted during class. It was during an evening class and the teacher was teaching the Koran, the Muslim holy scripture.

The teacher and the santri (students) were startled. The teacher ended the lesson.

The unfortunate student was Manab, 23, from Magelang, Central Java, who apparently had not had time to break the fast. Nor he did eat sahur, the predawn meal eaten prior to starting the fast, which ends at sunset. He also did not eat rice from day to day. He only ate boiled vegetables. It was under these conditions that he attended class. It was inevitable that he would eventually weaken and collapse.

The principle of concern and tirakat (asceticism) carried out by Manab had encouraged him to continue the study of Islam.

On his return from a haj pilgrimage in 1910, Manab changed his name to Kyai Haji Abdul Karim. Kyai is a title for a venerated religious teacher and haji is for some one who has performed the haj pilgrimage to Mecca. In that year Karim established Pondok Pesantren (Islamic boarding school) Lirboyo in Kediri. The complex is the venue for Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) 30th congress, which starts on Sunday.

The pesantren was built on a plot of land measuring 1,785 square meters bequeathed by his father-in-law KH Sholeh, who was determined to teach morals to the community and to fight crime.

At the time, Lirboyo village had many robbers and thieves among its inhabitants. It was also well-known for the presence of evil spirits.

The ceremony for the building of this school was simple but sacred. Kyai Sholeh and his son-in-law initially built a small bamboo mosque.

"When the azan (call to prayer) was announced for the first time in this village, the citizens were disturbed by the noise of the spirits removing themselves. It was frightening and horrifying," said KH Ahmad Idris Marzuki, the pesantren director, recounting the story told by his late grandfather Kyai Abdul Karim.

It was also on that piece of land that Kyai Abdul Karim and his father-in-law constructed a very simple house which had bamboo walls and a coconut leaf roof. Previously Karim lived with his father-in-law in Banjar Melati village some two kilometers south of Lirboyo.

For many years Karim educated his students. Local residents could not accept the existence of the pesantren and quite often terrorized Karim. Immoral acts and crime were still prevalent in the village at the time.

By 1925, when the classic Islam educational system was introduced, marked by the establishment of the Hidayatul Mubtadi'in Islamic elementary school, the challenges and terrorization gradually diminished.

The physical development of the pesantren had continued in keeping with the development of the times. If the pesantren specialized in educating male students, in 1987 women were also admitted, separately of course.

The educational system also developed gradually, and junior and senior high schools were eventually established. In 1966, the pesantren established the Tribakti Higher Institute of Islam. It was inducted by former minister of religious affairs KH Saifuddin Zuchri on Oct. 25, 1966.

Today the Lirboyo pesantren has about 9,000 students.

Gus Dur

The pesantren has yielded tens of thousands of graduates. President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) is one of them. Others include current NU activists such as the noted Bisri brothers, consisting of KH Cholil and KH Mustofa, KH Anwar and his brother KH Noer Iskandar SQ, and KH Abdullah Buntet from Cirebon.

"Many alumni have also chosen politics as a career. We teach only the principles of politics," said KH Ma'shum Jauhari, one of the pesantren leaders.

Mas'shum's statement is no exaggeration. The spirit of politics has been very much felt here ever since the leadership of KH Machrus Aly, its third leader. This is connected with the roles Machrus played in many historic events. Among them were the Battle of Surabaya in November 1945, in which Indonesians fiercely fought against the occupational British troops; the establishment of the East Java Military Command in 1958; and the struggle against remnants of communism in the wake of the abortive coup in 1965.

The political stance of this pesantren is another story. Before the birth of the National Awakening Party (PKB) last year, it leaned heavily toward the United Development Party (PPP).

"Now many of us have moved to the new party. Political choices are left up to each individual. Students usually follow their kyai," he said.

Good cooperation with the government has also enabled the pesantren to develop rapidly. Over the past 10 years, with governmental guidance, the students have been trained to acquire various skills, e.g. commercial agriculture and the cultivation of decorative plants.

"We have a long list of things to do. It is unfortunate that many people still see pesantren as a moral workshop instead of a facility at which to study religion in greater depth," Ma'shum complained.

Whatever its appearance and size, the pesantren remains a pesantren. Simplicity and sincerity have always been the dominant colors of its life.

This complex is being beautified to welcome the 30th NU congress. "I am happy the congress will be held here this time. I have been waiting for the opportunity to kiss Gus Dur's hand for a long time. But is it possible now that he is the president?" said Jamil, a santri who has been at Lirboyo for the past 10 years.