YOGYAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto officially held the awarding of the title of national hero to ten figures from laborers to scholars. One of them is the late Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil. What is the story and figure of Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil? Check out the review below.
The awarding of the title of national hero will be held at the State Palace, Jakarta, today, Monday (10/11). The names of heroes are contained in Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia (Keppres) Number 116/TK/2025 concerning the Awarding of the National Hero Title.
The name Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil is one of the things listed in the Presidential Decree as a figure in East Java in the field of Islamic education struggle.
Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil or better known as Mbah Kholil Bangkalan is a great scholar from Bangkalan, Madura, East Java. Mbah Kholil became one of the important figures in the spread of Islam in the archipelago. From there, many scholars were born to scholars who had influence.
Mbah Kholil is the founder of the Syaichona Islamic Boarding School Moh. Cholil, one of the oldest Islamic boarding schools in the archipelago. This pesantren has been around since 1861 and still exists today.
Reporting from the official website of the Syaichona Islamic Boarding School Moh. Cholil, Monday (10/11/2025), Mbah Kholil is the son of the great cleric in Bangkalan KH Abdul Latif and Nyai Siti Khadijah. Mbah Kholil was born on 9 Safar 1252 H or 25 May 1835 AD.
When viewed from his lineage, Mbah Kholil still belongs to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad SAW from the father line. Nasab is connected from scholars, including songo guardians. The four generations above include KH Abdul Latif, KH Hamim, KH Abdul Karim, and KH Muharrom.
Mbah Kholil was born and raised in a strong religious and sharia environment. He received direct education from his father, KH Abdul Latif. His talent which later made him a great scholar has been seen since he was a child. It is said that he was able to memorize a thousand nadzam baits from the book Alfiah Ibnu Malik and master fiqh and nahwu in a short period of time.
Apart from family education, Mbah Kholil also studied in various Islamic boarding schools. These include the Langitan Tuban Islamic Boarding School, Darussalam Pasuruan Islamic Boarding School, Canga'an Bangil Islamic Boarding School, Sidogiri Pasuruan Islamic Boarding School, and the Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Setail Banyuwangi Islamic Boarding School. Not only in the country, but Mbah Kholil is also "tri" in Makkah.
Mbah Kholil controls many fields of science, ranging from interpretations, fiqh, hadiths, to nahwu. Including the inner knowledge of his spiritual teachers.
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After returning from Makkah, Mbah Kholil established a boarding school in Bangkalan, his own homeland. Many students from various parts of the archipelago studied there. A total of 500,000 students were under his care, 3,000 of whom became leaders of the people and were nicknamed 'containers' of Java, Sumatra, and Madura.
Many of Mbah Kholil's students received the title of kiai, al-'Allamah (major teacher) or al-'Arif billah (a cleric close to Allah) or al-Faqih (fiqious expert). Some of his famous students include KH Hasyim Asy'ari, KH Abdul Wahhab Chasbullah, Kiai As'ad Syamsul Arifin, caretaker of the Salafiyah Islamic Boarding School Syafi'iyah Sukorejo, Situbondo, Kiai Bisri Syansuri, founder of the Denanyar Jombang Islamic Boarding School, Kiai Maksum from Rembang, Kiai Bisri Mustofa, founder and caretaker of the Rembang Islamic Boarding School which has monumental work of Al-Ibriz interpretation, three volumes of Javanese pegon that are still being read today, and several other large kiai.
This is a review of the figure of Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil, the great scholar of the archipelago who scored famous clerics. Hopefully it will be useful. Visit VOI.id to get other interesting information.
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