Shaikh Ahmad Khatib al-Minangkabawi (26 June 1860 – 9 October 1915) was a
Minangkabau Islamic teacher. He was born in Koto Tuo,
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, and died in
Mecca
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
,
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. He served as the head (''imam'') of the
Shafi'i
The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionis ...
school of law at the mosque of Mecca (''
Masjid al-Haram
Masjid al-Haram (), also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca, is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam. It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the ...
''). He was known for being a teacher of Islamic reformist leader
Ahmad Dahlan
Kyai Hajji, Haji Ahmad Dahlan (born as Muhammad Darwis; ; 1 August 1868 – 23 February 1923), often abbreviated to K.H. Ahmad Dahlan, was an Indonesian Islam in Indonesia, Muslim Kyai, religious leader and Islamic revivalism, revival ...
, who founded
Muhammadiyah Society and
Hasyim Asyari
Kyai Haji Hasyim Asy'ari (also spelled Hashim Ashari; 14 February 1871 or 10 April 1875 – 25 July 1947) was an Indonesian ''ulama'', National Hero of Indonesia, National Hero and founder of Nahdlatul Ulama.
Biography
Hasyim Asy'ari was born M ...
, who founded
Nahdlatul Ulama
Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership numbered over 40 million in 2023, making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU is also a charitable body funding schools and hospitals as well as or ...
in the early 20th century.
[Fred R. Von der Mehden, Two Worlds of Islam: Interaction Between Southeast Asia and the Middle East, 1993]
Although Ahmad Khatib was an orthodox Sunni Muslim, he still hoped to reconcile the
matrilineal system in
Minangkabau with the laws of inheritance prescribed in the Quran. Through his Minangkabau students who studied in Mecca as well as those he taught in Indonesia, he encouraged a modified Minangkabau culture based on al-Quran and the Sunnah.
Biography and family
Khatib was born on 26 June 1860 in Koto Tuo, Ampek Angkek,
Agam Division,
West Sumatra
West Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of ...
in the then
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
.
His parents were Abdullatief Khatib and Limbak Urai. In 1870 he attended a Dutch school and then continued his studies at Kweekschool in
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi (, Jawi script, Jawi: , formerly ) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 121,028 in 2020.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. An official es ...
, Sumatra.
Later, he moved to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
to receive a nominal Islamic education under the guidance of the local jurists and settled in Mecca for the rest of his life.
His eldest son Abdulkareem owned a bookstore in Makkah. While his other son Abdulmalik Alkhatib was an ambassador of the Ashraf to Egypt. Another of his sons, Sheikh Abdulhameed Alkhateeb, was the first
Saudi Arabian ambassador to the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. His grandson,
Fouad Abdulhameed Alkhateeb
Fouad Abdulhameed Ahmad Alkhateeb (; 1925 - October 28, 1995), was a Saudi Arabian ambassador, humanitarian, author, and businessman. In his capacity as a diplomat, he represented his homeland in Pakistan, Iraq, the United States of America, the ...
, was a Saudi Arabian ambassador, humanitarian, author, and businessman. In his capacity as a diplomat, he represented his homeland in Pakistan, Iraq, the United States of America, Nigeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, Nepal, and finally as Saudi ambassador to Malaysia.
Books
Arabic language:
Indonesian language:
See also
*
Islam in Indonesia
Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia, with 87.06% of the Indonesian population identifying themselves as Muslims, based on Civil registration, civil registry data in 2023. In terms of denomination, the overwhelming majority are Sunni ...
*
List of Minangkabaus
*
Overseas Minangkabau
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*Ricklefs, M.C. ''A History of Modern Indonesia Since c. 1300'', 2nd ed. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1994.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmad Khatib
1860 births
1916 deaths
Indonesian Islamic religious leaders
Minangkabau people
Indonesian imams
Imams of Masjid al-Haram
Imams of two holy Mosques