GUS DUR STORY
The first time he studied, Abdurrahman studied his grandfather, K.H. Hasyim Ash'ari. While at home with his grandfather, he was taught to recite and read the Qur'an. At the age of five he had read al-Qur'an fluently. By the time the father moved to Jakarta, in addition to formal study at school, Gus Dur entered also took private lessons in Dutch. His tutor was Willem Buhl, a German who converted to Islam, who changed his name to Iskandar. To add to the Dutch language lessons, Buhl always presents classical music commonly enjoyed by adults. This is the first time Gu Dur's contact with the West and from here also Gus Dur began to attract and love classical music.
Ahead of his graduation at Elementary School, Gus Dur won a writing contest (author) throughout the city of Jakarta and received a gift from the government. This experience explains that Gus Dur has been able to put his ideas / ideas into writing. Therefore it is only natural that in the later period Gus Dur's writings adorn various mass media. After graduating from elementary school, Gus Dur sent his parents to study in Yogyakarta. In 1953 he entered SMEP (Secondary School Economy First) Gowongan, while lodge at Krapyak pesantren. This school, although run by the Roman Catholic Church, but fully uses the secular curriculum. In this school also the first time Gus Dur learn English. Feeling constrained to live in the pesantren world, he finally asked to move to the city and stayed at the home of Haji Junaidi, a local Muhammadiyah leader and an influential person in SMEP. His routine activities, after the dawn prayer recite on K.H. Ma'sum Krapyak, during school day at SMEP, and at night he participated in discussion together with Haji Junaidi and other Muhammadiyah members.
As a junior high school student, hobbies to read more getting a place. Gus Dur, for example, was encouraged by his teacher to master English, so within a year or two Abdurrahman spent several books in English. Among the books he had read were Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbach, and William Faulkner. In addition, he also read through the works of Johan Huizinga, Andre Malraux, Ortega Y. Gasset, and several works of Russian writers, such as: Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Mikhail Sholokov. Gus Dur also devoured some of Wiill Durant's work entitled 'The Story of Civilazation'. In addition to studying by reading English books, in order to improve his English proficiency as well as to explore information, Gus Dur actively listened to the broadcast via Voice of America radio and BBC London. When he learned that Gus Dur was good at Inggis, Mr. Sumatri-a SMEP teacher who was also a member of the Communist Party-gave Lenin's book 'What is To Be Done'. At the same time, the child entering this adolescence has known Karl Marx's Capital Das, Plato's philosophy, Thales, and so on. From this description is clearly illustrated the wealth of information and breadth of Gus Dur's insight. After graduating from SMEP Gus Dur continued his study at Pesantren Tegarejo Magelang Central Java. This pesantren is taken care of by K.H. Chudhari, the humanist, pious and beloved kyai figure. It was Kyai Chudhari who introduced Gus Dur with Sufi rites and inculcated mystical ritual practices. Under the guidance of this kyai, Gus Dur began to make pilgrimages to the sacred tombs of the wali in Java. At the time of admission to this pesantren, Gus Dur brought his entire collection of books, which made the other santri astonished. At this time also Gus Dur has been able to demonstrate his ability in the tumor and speech. In connection with the latter there is an interesting story that should be expressed in this exposure is on ceremonial events held before the fasting at the time of separation of students who finish finished studying-by providing food and drink and bring all the entertainment of the people, such as: Gamelan , traditional dance, lumping horse, jathilan, and so on. Obviously, the entertainment as mentioned above is very taboo for the world of boarding schools in general. However it exists and occurs in Pesantren Tegalrejo.
After spending two years at Tegalrejo pesantren, Gus Dur moved back to Jombang, and stayed at Pesantren Tambak Rice. At that time he was approaching 20 years, so in his uncle's pesantren, K.H. Abdul Fatah, he became an ustadz, and became chairman of the security. At the age of 22, Abdurrahman went to the holy land, to perform the pilgrimage, which was then forwarded to Egypt to continue his studies at al-Azhar University. The first time he arrived in Egypt, he was disappointed because he could not directly enter al-Azhar University, but had to enter Aliyah (a kind of preparatory school). At school he was bored, having to repeat the subjects he had taken in Indonesia. To eliminate boredom, Abdurrahman often visited the American library and information service center (USIS) and bookstores where he could get the books he wanted.
There was a favorable condition when Abdurrahman was in Egypt, under the rule of President Gamal Abdul Nasr, a dynamic nasioonalis, Cairo became the golden age of intellectuals. The freedom to express opinions has sufficient protection. In 1966 Abdurrahman moved to Iraq, a modern state with an advanced Islamic civilization. In Iraq he entered the Department of Religion at Baghdad University until 1970. During his stay in Baghdad Abdurrahman had a different life experience than in Egypt. In this thousand-night city Abdurrahman got intellectual stimulation not found in Egypt. At the same time he came back in touch with the great books of Western orientalist scholars. He went back to his hobby intensively by reading almost all the books in the University. Outside the world of the campus, Gus Dur diligently visits the sacred tombs of the saints, including the tomb of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jailani, founder of the Qadiriyah congregation. He also writes the teachings of Imam Junaid al-Baghdadi, a founder of Sufism, followed by NU worshipers. This is where Gus Dur finds the source of his spirituality. The political situation that happened in Iraq influenced the development of Gus Dur's political thinking at the time. His admiration for the power of Arab nationalism, especially to Saddam Husain as one of his characters, became diminished when the shaykh he knew, Azis Badri was killed. After studying in Baghdad Gus Dur intends to continue his studies to Europe. But strict requirements, especially in the language-for example, to enter in the classical study in Kohln, have to master the Hebrew, Greek or Latin languages well in addition to the German language-it can not be fulfilled, the last thing to do is make a visit and become a traveling student, from one university to another. He eventually settled in the Netherlands for six months and founded the Muslim Students Association of Indonesia and Malaysia who live in Europe. For living expenses, he goes to the port twice a month to work as a tanker cleaner. Gus Dur also went to McGill University in Canada to study Islamic studies in depth. However, he finally returned to Indonesia after being inspired by interesting news about the development of the pesantren world. The tour of Gus Dur's study ended in 1971, when he returned to Java and began to enter his new life, as well as his early career journey.
Nevertheless, the spirit of learning Gus Dur did not recede. The proof in 1979 Gus Dur was offered to study at a university in Australia to obtain a doctorate. But the good intentions can not be fulfilled, because all the promoters are incapable, and assume that Gus Dur does not need the title. Indeed, in fact some doctoral dissertations from Australia were sent to Gus Dur for correction, guided, and then maintained in front of an academic session.
FULL NAME
KH. Abdurrahman Wahid
DATE OF BIRTH
Jombang, August 04, 1940
FATHER
KH. A. Wahid Hasyim
MOTHER
Ny. Hj. Sholehah
WIFE
Sinta Nuriyah
CHILD
Alissa Qotrunnada
Zannuba Ariffah Chafsoh
Anita Hayatunnufus
Inayah Wulandari
EDUCATION
1966-1970
University of Baghdad, Iraq, Faculty of Adab Department of Arabic Literature
1964-1966
Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, Faculty of Shari'ah (Kulliyah al-Syari'ah)
1959-1963
Pesantren Tambak Beras, Jombang, East Java, Indonesia
1957-1959
Pesantren Tegalrejo, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia
EXPERIENCE OF POSITION
1999-2001
President of the Republic of Indonesia
1989-1993
Member of the People's Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia
1987-1992
Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council
1984-2000Chairman of the Board of PBNU Tanfidz
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