THE HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CENTERS IN TERENGGANU

THE HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CENTERS IN TERENGGANU

BY

HANAFI RAHMAN EL FESFANJI

In general decriptive, Abdullah Munshi noted in his travelog that the only subject provided by any Islamic center in Nusantara  during the first era of Islamic dawning until his time was limited on study of reciting Quran. This illustration was not describing a true fact in many places especially in some Islamic centers such as Terengganu,Kelantan,Kedah and Patani.

. Most probably, his poor descriptive of lower level of Islamic educational environment fingered to his own seperated village.

As a prominent Malay author who received big proud from British at that time, most of his negative color of descreptive about Malay educational environment that had been written by him was influenced by his British minded that proposed to an interest of importanity for Malay to seek British guidences and advicement for ruling their states. There were a number of other authors pictured muslims communities in any land under British colonial as uneducated and lower educational achievement.

Despite of Abdullah Munshi, there were some other pro British authors who defended him interpreted  his citing of Malay communities studying only on Quran to a little bit more wider contact which to diciplines related directly to the Quran such as tajwid.

In fact, if we trace on detail about the scholars in his time in Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah whom  mostly familiar with titled al fatani  , we can see that the educational environment  at that time crossed a numbers of Islamic disciplines.

. Abdullah Munshi`s negative illustrations about the reality of Islamic school in the history of malay islamic educational was one of the factors made some traditional historians claimed Abdullah Munshi as a puppet of British instead of he was a first Malay who interpreted Bible into Malay.

Actually, there are many proofs show that long before  17th century,  pondoks institutions played a big role in empowering the undertsanding of Islam to Malay. Furthermore, it could be accepted if someone say that the pondok system had already took place since the era of Pasai, and kept continuously on recently.

From history perspective,  studying  Islamic sciences  began from the home of preacher Instead of that, some times ,  the ruler invited scholars / preacher to come to their home palace  alternately to delivering the teaching for all his royal family. 

Then the preachers established  nearby their house a  centre of teaching . During 19^th century, it was a common custom that  when year of a pupis / sons and daughters achieved between five to seven years old, their parents  send them to the house of tok lebai kampung  to  receive the basic lesson of quran and farhu ain also include skill of reading and writing. For student  who want to advance their study into higher level , they jointed general studies engaged by common crowd delivered  in masjid, sarau, balai, langgar, or rumah tok guru. Here they studied some specific disciplines utilizing certain syllabus such as fiqh, usuluddin, hadis and tafsir and Arabic grammar.  The knowledge gathered at this level known as basic level(fardhu kifaya) .

For more conviniences, masters built small houses  surrounding their centers named pondok of which later had been considered as the most familiar approach in mastering the Islamic sciences.  Pondok literally means hotel which refer to a small house where student who came from far spend some nights to run deepen discussion with teacher about Islamic manner. After a number of years, abroad student settled that houses for years in order to enhancing their study of Islam.

For student who want to mastering  their studies in advance level, they travel to some certain centre to receive personal guidences from scholar –the climax of traditional system, student travel to mecca and spent a number of years to mastering several sciences / disciplines. Some of them , such as Sheikh Dawud Fatani, sheikh Abdus Samad Al falembani, Sheikh Mohamad Nawawi Al bantawi Al jawi, Sheikh Mohamad nafis Al Banjari, Sheikh Ali Kutan etc , despite of became grand   masters and prominent writers in  producing  local scholars, they  received  big post in mecca aimed to delivery serves to all students there.

PONDOKS IN TERENGGANU

 The system of pondok became more familiar to crowd especially in late 19 and 20 century.  Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah inherited this practical system from Patani. The main purpose of the efforts of produce man power by pondok system was to create a group of Ulama who can contribute for the progressing  of Islam in their locality.

 in Terengganu. They were educated with high level of attribute , and knowledgeable on responding any enquires that raised by their communities.  The cococulum of these centers were included the major sciences of Islam such as Tawhid, Al  Quran, Fiqh, Hadith, Nahwu, sarf, Tasawwuf and akhlaq.

During second half of 18 centuty until late 19 century, the increasing numbers of pondok can be witnessed  in Terengganu,  This help for producing the increased  number of scholar  the important factors caused to the number of pondok and scholars became increased in Terengganu was the migration of mujahidin of Fatani after they been defeated by Sakhothai in 1840.

In Terengganu, the established pondok in 19 was in Pulau Manis , Paloh, Kampung Tok ku , Bukit Bayas and Pasir Panjang. Most of pioneers were those who migrated from Patani and other by sayids. 

SCHOOLS OF PULAU MANIS

Pondok of Pulau manis which was established by Tok Pulau Manis(.Sheikh Abdul malik bin Abdullah) succesed his son Sheikh badruddin.He was the syeikh of Satariyyah order.

It branched up pondok of Beladau( from 19^th century) which set up by Haji Abdul Hamid. Later ,his son Abdul Rahman Limbung played a duty in revolutionary  confronting against British in region.

From pondok of Beladau, his students established a number of pondoks like the pondok of Serengas, pondok of Sheikh Mat Buruk and Pondok of Padang Midin the pondok of Kg Lampu Besut. Pondok of Ser

engas was governed by  Sheikh Abdul Malik bin Isa, one of great grand son of Tok Pulau manis  draw big support from crowd and played good task for community. From pondok of Serengas,one of his student established pondok of Tuan Guru Hj Mat lapok. Then  the pondok of Sheikh Haji Mat Lapok branched up the pondok of Faqih Abdullah Kuala Berang and survived until nineteen sixties.

Pondok of Padang Midin had survived until late 1980.  Another was pondok of Haji Abdul Hamid Tebauk Nerus .

Pondok of Kg Lampu Besut established by  its native, Sheikh Mohamad Hussein whon spent 13 years in Mecca.He then established another huger pondok in Kuala Besut (1913). his major was in Arabic nahu and sarof grammatical and feqh and usul feqh

SCHOOLS  OF PALOH

Pondok of Paloh was established by the family of Tok Ku Paloh. Among the prominent scholars was Tok Ku Tuan Dalam, his young brother .Here the order of Naqshabandiyyah was taught for students.

  Haji Ali Pulau babi who had established masjid Kg Pulau Babi was among the committed students in Pondok of Paloh. . Haji Abdul Hamid the headmaster of Pondok Beladau sent his son Haji Abdul Rahman Limbung to pondok of Paloh.

One of those who graduated from pondok of Paloh was Sheikh Abdul Kadir bin Abdullah of Pasir panjang  (d 1930). After receiving study from Tok Ku Tuan dalam, he futhered his study in Mecca for 7 years. He established pondok in pasir Panjang and draw students from different background . Sultan Omar, the ruler of Terengganu  granted his remaining burned palace for him to  install for a mosque(1886). It was the first mosque surrounding the area of Bukit Besar .

PONDOK OF RUSILA

Haji Mohamad  arrived from Patani to recover the task of his realative, Haji Abdul Rahman who moved up to Gong Balai. In late 19^th century, Abdul Rahman, came back from his study in Patani established a mosque namely now as masjid Rhu Sila. He was a hard supporter to Haji Abdul Rahman Limbung. Later his son Haji Awang carried on the task. Recently, this school named as madrasah darul Quran and principled by Sheikh Abdul Hadi. He spent fourty years for finishing the weekly speech on commenter of Quran.  

PONDOK OF BUKIT BAYAS

Pondok of Bukit Bayas was established by Patani origin, Sheikh Abdul Kadir Paya Bunga. He was an advisor of some rulers of Terengganu. Among his students were Tok Ku Paloh, Sultan zainal Abidin III ect 

PONDOK OF LOSONG

Tok Ku Tuan Dalam invited Haji Mohamad Shafie Kedah to preach people in Losong. Then Haji Ahmad Tersat proceed the task of managing pondok. 

PONDOKS IN BESUT

Sheikh hassan bin Ishaq al patani (d1873=1893.) well known through his traditional medical work Tajul Muluk opened pondok of Kg Gong Surau . at the same time, sheikh Said opened separate institution in kampung Lama Kg raja tahun 1873= 1893.other were like Sheikh Daud Kg Salim tahun 1873=1923. Sheikh  Hassan Alur Lintah (1909=1914), Sheikh Abbas bin Mohamad of Bukit Puteri (193=410 and then in tOK jIRING TAHUN 1948=1961. Sheikh Wan Abdul Latif bin Wan Kadir Pondok Jertih, Pondok Alur KEladi of Sheikh Abdul Latef Awang, 1947 1973. Pondok of Sheikh  Hussein bin Ibrahim Kg Amer 1973=81, Pondok of Sheikh Najmuddin  Makki in Kerandang Besaut late 80 to late 90.

All these centers were set up later on as mosque. Other centers which established in second wave were set up as madrasah(Arab secondary school)

Sekolah menengah agama Tok Jiring was a  traditional Islamic center established by Tok Guru Haji Abbas.