Al-Shaikh Muhammad Zain Shukrî: Imtidâd al-turâth al-fikrî li 'ulamâ fâlimbânj fî al-qarn al-'ishrîn al-miîladî

Abstract

s: In the context of Islamic science in the Malay world, Palembang used to be an important Islamic center after Aceb. Before the middle of the 17th century, some of the Arab scholars found their TDay to the Palembang swhanate, and later they played a significant role in the development of Islamic science in the region. Further, those Arab schokrs made a big contribution to the emergence of Palembang palace as a center of learning cultere a. great collection of the works on religion by local scholars are kept. Tbe "golden age" of Islam in Palembang took place betueen the 18tb and the 19tb centwry, uhen Palembangproduced many important scbolars zabo r!)ere very productioe in their time, including Shihabuddin bin Abdullah Muhammad, Kemas Fakbruddin, Muhammad Mwlryiddin, Kemas Mwhammad bin Ahmad, and abooe all Sbaikb Abdussamad al-Palimbani. All of them z!)ere responsible for the grozuth of the klamic learning tradition in Palembang in particwlar, and in Malay-Indonesia in general, through tbeir rariting and translation of religious ruorks or wbat raas later become known As "s^stta kitab", Through their efforts, the Muslim community in the region gained better access to Islarnic sciences and knozaledge. Houeoer, in relation to the availability of sources, tbere are not many studies done by scholars on the religious scbolars in Palembang after the 18'h century, especially from the end of the 19tb century up to the beginning of the 20tb century, despite the fact that during this period there rl)ere triany religious scholars in Palembang zuho w)ere productive and famous in their time. Some exarnples include Sbaikh Muhammad Aqib bin Hasanuddin, Sbaikh Muhammad Azhari bin Abdwlkh bin Ahmad, Masagus Haji Abdul Harnid, Haji Abdwrrahrnan Delamat, Haji Muhammad Azbari bin Abdulkb bin Asyiquddin, Haji Abdullah Azbari, dan K.H. M. Zen SywkrL This present article, rpbicb uas raritten to try to fill the gap, discusses a figure, namely K.H.M. Zen Syukri, utbo uas one of the productiae and inflwential religious scltokrs in Palernbang at the beginning of the 20th centurl. Issues sucb as his biograplry and religious thoughts, bis actipities and roles in the spberes of education, dakwah (missionary) and in tbat of socio-politics are discussed. But more specifi.cally, the article is concerned zaitb the role of K.H.M. Zen Syukri in the deaelopment of the Sammaniyyab Order in Soutb Sumatra. Compared to bis contemporaries in Palembang, K.H.M. Zen Syukri zuas the most prodwctiae scbolar. Many of his uorks hape been pwblished, including Risalah Tauhid (1960), Melepaskan Diri dari Bahaya Syirik I dan II (1964), I{eimanan kepada Allah (1972), al-Qurbah; Pendekatan diri I(epada AIIah (197B; 1998), and Iman dan Menghadapi Maut (1995), all in theology; Pedoman Puasa (1954), Rahasia Sembahyang (1962; 2000) and Menuju Haji yang Mabrur (1980) in fiqb (jurisprudence); and Qutd. Qalbi: Santapan Jiwa (1984) and a short treatise entitled "Ratib Samman dan Silsilahnya" (1989) on swfi.sm. These roritings indicate tbat K.H.M. Zen Sywkri can be considered the heir of the intellectual tradition of the religious scholars in Palembang wbicb reacbed its height in the l9th century. As is shozan in this article, one aspect of "cultural capital" that K.H.M Zen Syukri had (as did otber religious scholars) in order to be a distinguished scbokr l.uas to do taith genealogy. His father, K.H. Hasan bin Abdussywkwr, r.uas a religiows scholar zaho spent some tl.uenty fi.ve years liaing and studying under the direction of some leading scholars in Mecca. His grandfatber, Sbaikh Mwbammad Azhari, zuas the Tnost productive scbokr after Shaikb Abdussamad al-Palimbani. Tbis shozas that, like many otber religious scltolars in Indonesia, genealogicalb K.H.M Zen Syukri zaas attaclted to a santri family. But needless to say genealogy alone is not sfficient to be a religious scholar. K.H.M. Zen Syukri has otber cwltural capital such as his learning experience zaitb distinguisbed religious scholars, botb in pesantren and in otber Islamic institutional learnings. One of bis teachers red.s K.H. Hasyim Ash'ari, the distinguisbed scholar of Tebuireng Pesantren, and the founder of the biggest Mwslim organization in Indonesia Nahdlatul [Jlama NU). h is not surprising if among the religious scholars and arnong the follozaers of NU in Palembang K.H.M. Zen Syukri is knozpn as the respected 'old man' of NU.