Gus Yahya tells Al-Azhar scholars' admiration to NU

Jakarta, NU Online

The General Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) narrated, Al-Azhar scholars, Egypt, were amazed by the greatness of NU. They siad, so far Al-Azhar University had created millions of alumni, but they have not been able to become jam'iyah (organization) like NU members.

 

He made the statement at the 83rd Haul of KH Munawwir bin Abdullah Rosyad at the Al-Munawwir Krapyak Islamic Boarding School, Yogyakarta, on Thursday (14/1/2022).

 

The man born in 1966 admitted that he received reports of the admiration of the Al-Azhar scholars from the supreme leader (Rais 'Aam) of PBNU, KH Miftachul Akhyar, during a visit to Egypt.

 

"When Rais 'Aam KH Mitachul Akhyar recently returned from Egypt (to) meet the Azhar ulema (Muslim scholars), the ulema there said, NU is jam'iyah which is khâqirul 'âdah (amazing). (They said), there had been millions of Azhar alumni, but they could not become harakah, jam'iyah like Nahdlatul Ulama," explained the man who was born in Rembang, Central Java.

 

Recalling one of KH Maimoen Zubair's (Mbah Maimoen) sermons, Gus Yahya said that the reason for the admiration of the Al-Azhar ulema had actually been conveyed by Mbah Maimoen in one of his sermons.

 

Quoting Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Fath verse 29, continued Gus Yahya, Mbah Maimoen likened NU to a good rice plant so that it was admired by farmers. The farmers are one of the symbols of the Al-Azhar ulema who admire the greatness of NU.

 

"So, if the Egyptian ulema were amazed by NU, it has indeed been mentioned in the Qur'an with the editorship of yu'jibuz zurrra' (amazing the farmers)," said Gus Yahya.

 

Philosophically, Gus Yahya continued, rice was a solid crop like NU. Because, one rice seed will give rise to many shoots. When the new shoots grow, it is the initial seeds that feed them, not directly from the soil. After a certain age, the new shoots absorb substances from the soil independently.

 

"Until the (shoots) are strong, then fastawa. Mbah Moen said Fastawa was flat, that's why the rice when it was finished it would be flat, whether it was the initial seeds or the shoots," said Gus Yahya.

 

Furthermore, Gus Yahya explained, one of the reasons that made NU the largest Islamic organization was that its members accounted for half of all Muslims in Indonesia.

 

"If there are 240 million Muslims in Indonesia, then there are no less than 120 million NU members. That's more than the population of Egypt, more than the population of Iran, more than the population of Pakistan," he added.

 

Mbah Hasyim's love

In addition to the solidarity of NU members who made NU the largest Islamic organization, NU was also founded out of the love of Hadrastussyekh KH Hasyim Asy'ari and other founders (mu'assis) for Nahdliyin (NU members) themselves.

 

"They did establish NU not solely to go to heaven. But because of love for the people he loves. Even without founding NU, they can get to heaven," said Gus Yahya.

 

Based on his argument, Gus Yahya read one of the poems composed by KH Hasyim Aasy'ari which reads:

 

'Baini wa bainakum fil maḫabbati nisbatun, mastûratun fi sirri hâdzal 'âlam' 'Naḫnul ladzûna tahababats arwâḫuna, min qabli khalqillâhi thînata âdam' (Between me and you there is a hidden love link behind the secrets of nature, our soul had loved each other before Allah created the Adam's soil).

 

"That's why people love NU sometimes it's hard to know why. It is nature's secret," he said.

 

Contributor: Muhammad Abror

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq