KyaiHajiAbdul Halim, known asKH Abdul Halim Majalengka (1887–1962) was an Indonesian Islamic scholar and nationalist figure. He founded a number of Islamic organizations in theDutch East Indies, including theHayatul Qulub and thePersyarikatan Ulama and was a member of several national consultative councils during the transition to Indonesian independence in the 1940s. He was declared aNational Hero of Indonesia in 2008 by then-presidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono.[1]
Abdul Halim was born in the village of Ciborelang inMajalengka Regency,West Java,Dutch East Indies on June 26, 1887. His name at birth was Otong Syatori; his father was Haji Muhammad Iskandar and his mother Haji Siti Mutmainah.[1] Aside from getting Islamic education from his father, he studied in variousPesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in his early years, including thepesantren Bobos inCirebon,pesantren Ciwedus inKuningan, and one inPekalongan.[2] In 1908, he married Siti Murbiyah, daughter of Kyai Haji Muhammad Ilyas.[2]
In 1909 he spent time inMecca where he was exposed to ideas of Islamic reform being espoused byRashid Rida,Mohammed 'Abduh, and others. He studied underAhmad Khatib al-Minangkabawi, an influentialMinangkabau Islamic teacher who was then resident in Mecca.[3] During his time there he also befriended other students of his generation, such asMas Mansoer, who would also later return to the Indies and play an important role in Islamic educational reform.
During the 1910s, after returning to Java, Abdoel Halim founded a number of Islamic organizations, includingMadjisul 'Ilmi (1911),Hayatul Qulub (1912) andPersyarikatan Ulama (1916).[2]
During theJapanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, he was a member of theCentral Advisory Council set up by the occupation administration in Java, as well as theInvestigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence. Of the 62 members of the committee, he was in a group of eleven representing an Islamic faction, which also includedHaji Agus Salim,Sukiman,Abdurrahman Baswedan.[1][4][5]
In the following year, he was also appointed to theCentral Indonesian National Committee, a consultative body set up to advise the president of Indonesia as the country was gaining its independence.[1] During theIndonesian National Revolution in 1946–7, he was also involved in leading guerilla forces against the Dutch in his home region ofMajalengka.[2]
In 1952, Abdul Halim was a founding member of thePersatuan Ummat Islam.[2]
Abdul Halim was received Mahaputra Star Class III on 1992 and he was declared aNational Hero of Indonesia by presidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 2008. His name is immortalized as mainstreet name inMajalengka, and together withAhmad Sanusi, his name also used as name a privat university inBandung, Halim Sanusi University.[1][6][7]
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