Biography of KH Ahmad Dahlan, the Founder of Muhammadiyah
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Biography of KH Ahmad Dahlan, the Founder of Muhammadiyah ... Figures
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Bahtera Islam
BAHTERAISLAM– Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan and Muhammadiyah are closely related, as Ahmad Dahlan is the founding figure of Muhammadiyah.

The following will briefly describe the history of KH Ahmad Dahlan and the biography of Ahmad Dahlan, the founder of Muhammadiyah.

Biography of KH Ahmad Dahlan

Ahmad Dahlan’s small name when he was born on August 1, 1868 was Muhammad Darwisy, Ahmad Dahlan was the fourth son of seven children from the couple K.H. Abu Bakar bin Sulaiman and Siti Aminah bint Ibrahim bin Hasan.

KH Abu Bakar was a scholar and was the preacher at the Great Mosque of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta at that time.

While the mother, Siti Aminah is also a descendant of Sultanate officials.

In Adi Nugraha’s note “Kiai Haji Ahmad Dahlan” written in 2009, the name Ahmad Dahlan was given by his teacher Sayyid Bakri Syatha when he was in Makkah before returning home, where the name stuck to him until the end of his life.

Ahmad Dahlan had settled in Makkah and made the hajj at the age of 15. KH Ahmad Dahlan’s education began when in Makkah, he deepened his religious knowledge by studying with Islamic reform scholars.

While there, apart from studying with Sayyid Bakri Syatha, other figures included Shaykh Ahmad Khatib, Muhammad Abduh, Rashid Ridha, Ibn Taymiyah, Al-Afghani, Shaykh Abdul Hadi, and several others.

Darwisy also studied under the same teacher as Hasyim Asy’ari, the figure who founded Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

In 1903, Ahmad Dahlan returned to Makkah with his 6-year-old son, Muhammad Siraj. At that time, he stayed for two years.

During this time, he studied with Syeh Ahmad Khatib, who was also the teacher of the founder of NU, KH. Hasyim Asyari.

Muhammadiyah is a recognized form of Ahmad Dahlan’s struggle. The establishment of Muhammadiyah was not only a realization of Ahmad Dahlan’s ideas, but in practical-organizational terms it served as a platform and umbrella for the Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Diniyah Islam that was established in 1911.

Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Diniyah was an educational facility developed informally by Ahmad Dahlan, aiming to teach Islamic religious knowledge and general knowledge simultaneously.

KH Ahmad Dahlan’s thinking came as a response to the separation in the education system at the time, where there were two different tracks: pesantren for religious studies and formal schools for general knowledge.

Although Ahmad Dahlan’s education model was initially rejected by most people, over time, the idea of a more modern education was eventually accepted and even changed the paradigm of education in Indonesia.

Family tree of KH Ahmad Dahlan

KH Ahmad Dahlan is the twelfth descendant of Maulana Malik Ibrahim or known as Sunan Gresik, one of the Walisongo, the pioneers of the spread of Islam in Java.

According to the genealogy, his descendants start from Maulana Malik Ibrahim, Maulana Ishaq, Maulana ‘Ainul Yaqin, Maulana Muhammad Fadlullah (Sunan Prapen), Maulana Sulaiman Ki Ageng Gribig (Djatinom), Demang Djurung Djuru Sapisan, Demang Djurung Djuru Kapindo, kiai Ilyas, kiai Murtadla, KH. Muhammad Sulaiman, K.H. Abu Bakar, and Muhammad Darwis (Ahmad Dahlan).

Quoted from the official Muhammadiyah website, in 1912 or precisely November 18, 1912, Ahmad Dahlan founded Muhammadiyah in Kauman village, a village in the Yogyakarta Palace complex.

Furthermore, when he returned from Makkah, Ahmad Dahlan got married. The name of KH Ahmad Dahlan’s wife was Siti Walidah, his own cousin, the daughter of kiai Penghulu Haji Fadhil, who would later be known as Nyai Ahmad Dahlan, a National Hero and founder of Aisyiyah.

Together with Siti Walidah, KH Ahmad Dahlan had six children, namely Djohanah, Siradj Dahlan, Siti Busyro, Irfan Dahlan, Siti Aisyah, Siti Zaharah.

Ahmad Dahlan also married Nyai Abdullah, the widow of H. Abdullah; his third wife was Nyai Rum, the sister of Kiai Munawwir Krapyak; and was also married to Nyai Yasin Pakualaman Yogyakarta.

From his several marriages, K.H. Ahmad Dahlan also had a son from Nyai Aisyah (sister of Adjengan Penghulu) Cianjur named Dandanah.

KH Ahmad Dahlan died in 1923 and was buried in Karangkajen cemetery, Yogyakarta.

For KH Ahmad Dahlan’s struggle for the country, in 1961, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia designated KH Ahmad Dahlan as one of the national heroes.

Until now, Muhammadiyah, which was founded by Ahmad Dahlan, has contributed a lot to this country, including building modern western-style Islamic schools, building the Oemat Health Center (PKO), establishing the Aisyiyah women’s movement forum, and many others.