Ramadhan special to Hidayatullah boarding school
Ramadhan special to Hidayatullah boarding school
Text and photos by Wisnu Pramudya
BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan (JP): Hundreds of young men in white tunics emerged from various corners of a dormitory, etching an impressive picture against the backdrop of the midnight sky as they marched toward a nearby mosque.
Minutes later, neat rows of Hidayatullah boarding school student recited the prayers that are recommended to fill the nights of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan.
Before long one thud after another was heard. The crashes became a source of silent amusement for the praying boys. The young students were struggling so hard to keep their eyes open that sometimes they lost control of their bodies and their sleepy heads bounced off the floor of the mosque.
Every Ramadhan, the frequency and duration of worship at Hidayatullah school in Gunung Tembak, doubles. The midnight prayers are extended from one hour to four hours. The praying last from midnight until the students eat their pre-dawn meal before fasting.
The students' daily activities remain the same which is why they are constantly sleepy. Some of the younger students sneak in small bamboo-woven mattresses to snooze on when the seniors aren't looking.
"Four hours of midnight prayers is the maximum period condoned by Islamic law," explained Abdullah Said, 50, the headmaster of the boarding school. "If there was a law permitting us to say our prayers even longer, we would do so."
"I'm not making up a new rule," he added. "We are just mimicking the Prophet Muhammad."
The midnight prayers are said collectively in the campus mosque. Fatigue is understandably part of the rite and, after awhile, most of the students no longer get a kick out of seeing a sleepy friend crash face first into the mosque's floor.
"There's no reason to reduce activities during the day. I believe Moslems should actually become more productive during Ramadhan, given the great rewards Allah promises for good deeds conducted during this time," Abdullah told The Jakarta Post.
The Hidayatullah boarding school tries to combine religious devotion with social transformation within and outside of their campuses.
Devotion is accomplished through intensive religious activity, including the prolonged midnight prayer sessions.
"I wouldn't be able to manage this organization and educate the students they way I do without Allah's help," Abdullah asserted. "I believe that both the teachers and students should strive for a closer relationship with Allah."
The second aim of the school, to propel social changes within and outside of its campuses, is recognized by prominent sociologist Dr. Kuntowijoyo from the Yogyakarta-based University of Gadjah Mada.
Kuntowijoyo wrote in his book, Paradigma Islam: Interpretasi untuk Aksi (The Paradigm of Islam: Interpretation for Action, Mizan, 1991) that the Hidayatullah boarding school is "a spectacular example of comprehensive community development, started from scratch."
In 1984, the school received the Kalpataru award from President Soeharto for an individual or group of people for their contribution in preserving the environment. Abdullah Said believes that it is now the era of Islamic propagation through environmental preservation.
Abdullah Said established the school in 1974 in the Gunung Tembak, 33 kilometers north of the Kalimantan capital of Balikpapan. Most of the residents are from Bugis or Makasar ethnic groups from South Sulawesi and some from Java.
The young preacher was able to convince the locals of the importance of building their village. He rallied them to turn the hectares of swamp surrounding the village into fish and shrimp ponds.
Abdullah also told the residents not to cut down trees arbitrarily, and led them in building dams to irrigate their rice fields. He managed to convince the traditional slash-and-burn farmers to stay in one place and till their land in more environmentally-safe ways.
The preacher also helped residents cultivate better cooperation, so much so that all the villagers help build a house for a young married couples.
Gunung Tembak has become a relatively self-sufficient community, and has grown into what former minister of religious affairs Munawir Sjadzali called an "Islamic village".
Taking up 120 hectares, the Hidayatullah campus houses 2,000 students of various ages and levels of education.
The mosque, dormitory and school buildings were all built by the students and teachers. The fish pond in the center of the campus, has developed into a pretty lake surrounded by trees. Green rice fields are not only the source of their staple food, but also beautiful scenery.
"I didn't establish the school for the sake of building a grand campus. I built it to develop people," Abdullah told The Jakarta Post. "I want students develop into men of quality, intellectually rich with a good demeanor."
"I see that in the future there will be a shortage of honest, decent, sincere and devoted people," he assured. "That's exactly the kind of person I want to produce here."
Abdullah, a father of seven, said that prayer at the school has three aims: to establish the ethics of worship, work and great accomplishment.
The Hidayatullah boarding school has grown rapidly in the last 20 years and now has 75 branches stretching from Lhokseumawe, Aceh to Merauke in Irian Jaya.
The branches were established by graduates who were sent to the regions and were told to survive and develop with limited resources.
"Who doesn't want to live in a clean, well-ordered and beautiful environment?" Abdullah asked. "Moslems now want this kind of preaching, instead of mere talk."
Abdullah said he is now obsessed with seeing the Balikpapan campus duplicated in other parts of the country, complete with good relations with local populations.
"Community is the Islamic concept of ummat," Abdullah explained. "This includes the government, and any other parties I want to embrace."
"We do everything here. We take care of the forest, of drug abusers, we create job opportunities. We do everything to develop the community."
"I want to actualize Islamic teachings not only as religious rites, but also as a force to develop the Indonesian community." he said.