Saudi ambassador inaugurates pesantren in Pandeglang

Pandeglang, NU Online
Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Osama Mohammed Al-Shuibi recently inaugurated an Islamic Boarding School (Pesantren) of Madinah Al-Hijrah at Halimun village, Pandeglang district, Banten province.

"We are grateful that the Saudi Ambassador inaugurated the Madinah Al-Hijrah boarding school," a Madina Al-Hijrah Foundation trustee, Ustadz Hasan Afifi, said here on Friday.

The inauguration on November 12, 2016 was also attended by several officials, Islamic scholar figures and locals.

Madinah Al-Hijrah is a boarding school for orphans and focuses its learning patterns on Quran memorizing and entrepreneurship education.

It provides education at elementary, junior and senior high school level. The education system is integrated with Islamic content.

Students come from various regions in Indonesia, such as East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Sumatra, Jakarta, Bekasi, Bogor and Banten. Some of the students have been able to memorize all the 30 chapters of Al-Quran.

The Islamic boarding school was founded in 2013 and has graduated 35 students. They continue their education at Al-Azhar University of Cairo, Egypt, and several other leading universities in Indonesia.

The boarding school receives donations from a number of people, including from Saudi Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Muhammad Alkholifah Hafidzhohullah. The donations received earlier were in the form of four classrooms, offices, shops, mosques, and the priests house. These facilities were inaugurated by the Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia.

According to Ustadz Hasan, the Saudi ambassador in his speech appreciated all those who have been paying attention and giving donations for the education of the children at the boarding school.

The ambassador hoped the boarding school will teach Islam according to the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

The ambassador also expressed the optimism that Madinah Al-Hijrah would be able to graduate many students who are able to memorize Al-Quran and Muslim businessmen who are tough, both in faith and economy.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdurahman in his speech expressed happiness and gratitude to God Almighty and thanked the Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia for consenting to inaugurate the Islamic boarding school. (Antara/Masdar)