Vice President Expresses Intention To Build Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani University

Vice President KH Ma'ruf Amin. ANTARA/HO's photo.

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin expressed his intention to build Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani University which not only teaches religious scholarship but also general science.

This was conveyed by the Vice President in his remarks while attending the 129th Haul of Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani at the Tanara Islamic Boarding School, Banten, quoted by Antara, Friday, May 27.

Initially the Vice President said that the various examples of Sheikh Nawawi Al-Bantani, who was also his great-grandfather, needed to be continued. He said the reason for establishing the Tanara Islamic Boarding School was one of them to remember and imitate Sheikh Nawawi.

The vice president also stated that he had established a fiqh high school that teaches economic affairs.

"But I also plan to establish Sheikh Nawawi University. Hopefully it will be implemented and not only (teaching) religion but also the general public," said the vice president.

He said general lessons are needed, because Allah SWT asks people to prosper the earth, and to prosper the earth one must understand the key.

"There must be economics, sciences related to industry, agriculture. This means that this is our obligation, even scholars say 'force you, give your responsibility, to prosper the earth'," explained the vice president.

The vice president emphasized that the people need to prosper the earth so as not to leave a weak and destroyed generation, as happened to the Children of Israel.

"We must not leave a broken generation, because we leave worship, follow our passions. Do not leave a weak generation, economically weak, and educated. The Prophet said that the strong believer is more loved by Allah than the weak believer," explained the vice president.

Therefore, the Vice President said that Sheikh Nawawi's example needs to be continued, so as not to leave weak children and grandchildren.

"He did not inherit anything except knowledge, and that is also what the prophets did. The Prophet did not bequeath money, not dinars, not dirhams, but he bequeathed knowledge. Likewise, scholars like Shaykh Nawawi, that he bequeathed knowledge, and this knowledge that must be developed and continued, by us and by future generations," said Ma'ruf Amin.