Islamic Center And Moeldoko Mosque: History, Stories And Hope Of The General

Former TNI Commander General Moeldoko (center) descending the steps of the mosque during the inauguration of the H. Moeldoko Islamic Center in Kayen Village, Bandar Kedungmulyo, Jombang, East Java. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Dr. Mosque H. Moeldoko stands tall and majestic in the Jombang Islamic Center complex. Until now, many people are interested in visiting and using it as a place of worship. This mosque is equipped with many social facilities, including a multipurpose building, TK Dharma Wanita building, TPA / TPQ, orphanage, Madrasah Diniyah Dr. Moeldoko, as well as shop houses (ruko) which are used as business units selling typical Jombang souvenirs.

The Moeldoko Mosque was built by General Moeldoko when he was commander of the TNI. The groundbreaking took place on October 5, 2014 and was inaugurated on June 1, 2016. As for the location, this mosque is located on Jl. Raya Kayen, Gondang Manis, Bandar Kedung Mulyo District, Jombang Regency.

The area where the mosque was founded has an important history for Moeldoko

The mosque is part of the Jombang Islamic Center complex built by Moeldoko. Moeldoko revealed that apart from being close to Jombang, the location of the Islamic Center was deliberately chosen in the Bandar Kedungmulyo area because it is close to Purwoasri District, Kediri Regency.

Purwoasri, Kediri, and Jombang sub-districts for the former TNI commander indeed keeps its own history. Moeldoko was born in Pesing Village, Purwoasri District. Meanwhile, Jombang is where Moeldoko spent his youth. He had attended SMPP Jombang (now SMA Negeri 2 Jombang).

Moeldoko explained that several years ago during the groundbreaking ceremony, the construction of this mosque was carried out solely as a form of dedication to the area of origin. He thought that the mosque could be used as a place of worship for the people of Jombang and Kediri who walked back and forth.

Moeldoko also has other hopes, the mosque, which is built on an area of about 3,260 square meters, will not only be a place of worship, but also function as a driving force for the economy of the community around the mosque. That is why the Islamic center complex is also equipped with shops around the mosque.

Inspired by his spiritual journey in Turkey

The architecture of this mosque was inspired when the former TNI commander made his spiritual journey to the top of Islamic civilization, namely the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Another inspiration came from the splendor of the Ar Rayyan Mosque, Kebon Sirih, Jakarta. That is what made Moeldoko determined to realize his dream of building a mosque.

The Moeldoko Mosque, which can accommodate around 1,500 worshipers, measures 30X30 square meters. As for the land area of 6,685 square meters. According to Moeldoko, all the mosque's assets are managed by the Jombang district government, except for the orphanage. Moeldoko intends to continue to handle the orphanage and send his "children" to college.

The story behind the construction of the mosque

The then Regent of Jombang, Nyono Suharli Wihandoko also expressed his gratitude for the construction of the Islamic center. He thanked General (ret) TNI Moeldoko for choosing Jombang Regency as the location for the Islamic Center.

There is a quite impressive story behind the construction of the mosque. At that time, the construction of the mosque was led by Istu Hari, a retired officer who served as Governor of Military Academy for 2012-2013. According to him, the mosque was built entirely with Moeldoko's personal funds. The mosque complex is also decorated with gardens and fish ponds.

On August 30, 2014, Istu was asked to come to Moeldoko's official residence. At that time, he was met by his juniors and invited to discuss Moeldoko's intentions and aspirations to build a mosque.

"Building a mosque was his goal when he often walked back and forth between Kediri-Jombang when he was studying," said Istu, who is now registered as a member of the East Java DPRD Golkar faction for the 2019-2024 period.

However, Istu admitted that he was confused because he had never led the construction of a mosque. Even though he has been appointed as the chief executive, Istu admits that he has not yet got the picture.

However, Istu was not broken. For him, Moeldoko's order is an obligation that must be carried out with full dedication even though it has nothing to do with official duties.

He then determined the first steps; form a formidable team. Furthermore, the team was tasked with finding the location of the mosque construction. Initially, the mosque was planned to be built in Purwoasri, Kediri Regency, which is also the residence and birthplace of General Moeldoko.

However, in the end the choice fell at the Mengkareng T-junction, which became the meeting point for the currents of Kediri, Nganjuk, and Jombang. The reason for choosing the location was because the road was a 'way of contemplation', because when he was young, Moeldoko had to pass that road to realize his dreams and hopes.

Meanwhile, the surrounding community has long had hopes of the existence of mosques in the area. This statement was represented by the Imam of the Moeldoko Mosque, KHM Asrori Ma'shum. If Moeldoko hopes that the mosque will become an economic driver for the local community, it is not a mistake. Since the time of the Prophet, mosques have not been used solely for worship, but also for social and economic activities, because the function of mosques is basically as a center of civilization.

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