Habib Usman Bin Yahya
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Usman bin Yahya, Utsman ibn Yahya or Othman bin Yahya (; full name: () 17
Rabi' al-awwal Rabiʽ al-Awwal (, also known as Rabi' al-Ula (), or Rabi' I) is the third month of the Islamic calendar. The name ''Rabī‘ al-awwal'' means "''the first month'' or ''beginning of Spring (season), spring''", referring to its position in the ...
1238 AH – 21
Safar Safar (), also spelt as Safer in Turkish, is the second month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Most of the Islamic months were named according to ancient Sabean/Sabaic weather conditions; however, since the calendar is lunar, the months shift ...
1331 AH; 1822 – 1913) was an Islamic scholar who served as
Grand Mufti A Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is a title for the leading Faqīh, Islamic jurist of a country, typically Sunni, who may oversee other muftis. Not all countries with large Sunni Muslim populations have Gra ...
of Batavia in 19th century of
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 ...
.


History

Habib Habib (; ; also romanized as Habeeb) is an Arabic masculine given name, occasional surname, and honorific, with the meaning "beloved" or "my love", or "darling". It also forms the famous Arabic word ''"Habibi"'' which is used to refer to a friend ...
Uthman bin Yahya was born in
Pekojan Tambora is a district (''kecamatan'') of West Jakarta Administrative City, Indonesia. Tambora District is bounded by a railway to the west and to the north, Kali Krukut - Kali Besar canal to the east, and Duri Selatan Road to the south. The R ...
, Batavia in 1822 (17 Rabi' al-awwal 1238 AH). Uthman came from the
Ba 'Alawi sada The Ba 'Alawi sada (), or the House of Ba 'Alawi (), is a group of Hadhrami Sayyid families and social group originating in Hadhramaut in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula. They trace their lineage to Ahmad al-Muhajir who was born i ...
family from his father,
Sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...
Abdullah bin Aqil bin Umar bin Yahya. His mother was Aminah, a daughter of Shaykh Abdurrahman, who was the cousin to the scholar Abdullah al-Misri. His father, Abdullah, and his grandfather, Aqil, were born 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 ...
, while his great grandfather, Umar, was born in the village of Qarah al-Shaikh in
Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ; ) is a geographic region in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula which includes the Yemeni governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwah and Mahrah, Dhofar in southwestern Oman, and Sharurah in the Najran Province of Saudi A ...
, who later moved and died in
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
.
Snouck Hurgronje Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (; 8 February 185726 June 1936) was a Dutch scholar of Oriental cultures and languages and advisor on native affairs to the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Oosterhout in 1857, he became a theo ...
explained that his grandfather was a respected scholar as Sheikh of Sadah for 50 years and died in Mecca in 1823 (1238 AH). His father moved to Mecca when Uthman was 3 years old, so Uthman was taken care of by his grandfather, Aqil. His grandfather has many other sons, besides the father of Uthman. Many of his sons became scholars in Mecca, such as Sayyid Ishaq, who died in the city of
Ta'if Taif (, ) is a city and governorate in Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarawat Mountains, Sarat Mountains, the city has a population of 563,282 pe ...
, and Sayyid Qasim who continued Agil's leadership as ''Shaikh of Sada'' in Mecca. Uthman had a family relationship with Habib Ali Kwitang through one of his daughters named Sidah, who married Abdul Qadir, the brother of Habib Ali Kwitang. Uthman died in 1913 (precisely on 21 Safar 1331) at more than 90 years of age. He was buried in the Karet public cemetery in
Tanah Abang Tanah Abang () is a districts of Indonesia, district of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The district hosts the biggest textile Market (place), market in Southeast Asia, Tanah Abang Market. It also hosts Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Kelurahan Gelora ...
to fulfil his will. Later on, during relocation of the cemetery, his family moved his grave to Kelurahan Pondok Bambu, where his grave is still well preserved in the south part of the mosque of al-Abidin in Pondok Bambu,
East Jakarta East Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaktim, is the largest of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia, with a land area of 188.03 km2 (72.6 sq.miles). It had a population ...
.


Education

Uthman studied
Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...
,
Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...
and other Islamic sciences such as
Akhlaq Islamic ethics () is the "philosophical reflection upon moral conduct" with a view to defining "good character" and attaining the "pleasure of God" (''raza-e Ilahi''). It is distinguished from " Islamic morality", which pertains to "specific norms ...
,
Tawhid ''Tawhid'' () is the concept of monotheism in Islam, it is the religion's central and single most important concept upon which a Muslim's entire religious adherence rests. It unequivocally holds that God is indivisibly one (''ahad'') and s ...
,
Fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica
''Fiqh'' is of ...
,
Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
, Nahwu Sharaf,
Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
and
Astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...
under the care of his maternal grandfather, Shaykh Abdurrahman bin Ahmad Al-Mishri. After the death of his grandfather when he was 18 years old, Uthman went for
hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...
and met his father and relatives in Mecca. There, for seven years he studied Islamic sciences under his father and
Ahmad Zayni Dahlan Ahmad Zayni Dahlan () (1816–1886) was the Grand Mufti of Mecca between 1871 and his death. He also held the position of Shaykh al-Islam in the Hejaz and Imam al-Haramayn (Imam of the two holy cities, Mecca and Medina). Theologically and juridi ...
, the Mufti of Mecca at the time. Uthman continued his journey in the pursuit of knowledge to
Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ; ) is a geographic region in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula which includes the Yemeni governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwah and Mahrah, Dhofar in southwestern Oman, and Sharurah in the Najran Province of Saudi A ...
in 1848. There, he studied under Habib Abdullah bin Umar and his maternal uncle Habib Husein bin Abdullah (later on, one of his teacher's grandson, Sayyid Muhammad bin Agil which was married to Uthman's daughters). He also went to and studied in Egypt and once married to an Egyptian woman. He continued his journey to Tunisia, where he often exchanged ideas with the Mufti of
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
. From Tunisia he then studied in
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
and later continued on to
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
to study under various Moroccan scholars. He deepened his knowledge in
Shariah Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, intan ...
in those North African countries before going to Syria to meet with scholars there. He continued his journey to present-day Turkey, which was still under the
Ottoman Sultanate The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an 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 Central Euro ...
. Later, he went to
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
in
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
before returning to Mecca.


Career

In 1862 (1279 AH) he went back to Batavia after 22 years of journey to seek knowledge and settled in
Petamburan, Tanah Abang Petamburan is an administrative village in the Tanah Abang district of Indonesia. It has postal code of 10260. The area is 0.90 km2. The population is 32,946 as of 2019. There are 16,900 males and 16,046 females. Origin There are two theo ...
area. Over there, he wrote and compiled books, especially about ''amalil yaum'' (daily remembrances) and books about
sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
s, unbelieving,
polytheism Polytheism is the belief in or worship of more than one god. According to Oxford Reference, it is not easy to count gods, and so not always obvious whether an apparently polytheistic religion, such as Chinese folk religions, is really so, or whet ...
and on subjects that are contrary to
Aqidah ''Aqidah'' (, , pl. , ) is an Islamic term of Arabic origin that means "creed". It is also called Islamic creed or Islamic theology. ''Aqidah'' goes beyond concise statements of faith and may not be part of an ordinary Muslim's religious ins ...
. In his life, he has written about 116 books. One of the books he authored, ''al-Qaw''ā''nin al-Syar'iyyah li ahli al-Maj''ā''lisi al-Hukmiyati wal ‘Iftiayati'', was even used as a reference in the religious courts system in Indonesia at least until the 1950s. To make ends meet for him and his family, Uthman founded his own printing company named ''Pertjetakan Batu''. Moreover, his lithographic printing press is the first in Indonesia and became a pillar of the local spreading of intellectualism within the period. He also opened his ''Majelis Taklim'' (a gathering to seek religious knowledge) which was attended by many people including some other scholars from all over Batavia and surrounding areas, Among his students was Habib Ali Alhabsyi. He also plays an important role in the founding of
Jamiat Kheir Jamiat Kheir ('; ; ; different Latin spellings have also been used in the past, such as ''Djamiat Chair'', ''Djameat Geir, Djamijat Chaer'', ''Jam'iyyat khair'' or ''Jamiatul Khair'') is one of a few early private institutions in Indonesia that ...
, an education foundation in Batavia in 1908. Uthman was appointed as Mufti of Batavia in 1871 (1289 AH). The Dutch government paid him a monthly stipend starting from 1889 until his death to provide advice on Islamic policy, with the title of ''Honorary Adviser for Arab Affairs'' in 1891. As a mufti, many parties criticized Uthman for his closeness with the Dutch orientalist,
Snouck Hurgronje Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (; 8 February 185726 June 1936) was a Dutch scholar of Oriental cultures and languages and advisor on native affairs to the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Oosterhout in 1857, he became a theo ...
. Hamid Algadri in his book wrote that his proximity to Snouck was based on his belief at that time that he (Snouck) was a Muslim. He did not know that Snouck only pretended to convert to Islam. The cooperation between Snouck and Uthman began when Snouck was still in
Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...
as suggested in one of Snouck's letter on 8 July 1888 (28 Shawwal 1305 AH). After his arrival in Batavia in May 1889, Snouck discussed with the newly appointed
Governor General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Cornelis Pijnacker Hordijk Cornelis Pijnacker Hordijk (13 April 1847 – 3 September 1908) was a Dutch jurist and politician. He was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (, ) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East ...
the possibility to employ Uthman in colonial administration. Snouck also nominated Uthman as his assistant with an allowance of 100
guilder Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' (" gold penny"). This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Rom ...
s. Snouck suggested for himself to pay Uthman discreetly to avoid diminishing his authority among Muslims. All of Snouck's requests were granted by the colonial administration Uthman was also active in local politics. Along with Hugronje he interfered with the appointment of a new Kapten Arab in Batavia in 1901 by supporting and pushing 'Umar Manqush instead of Balwael as candidate. On 27 March 1905, he was appointed as a native member of the municipal council of Batavia in 1905, but resigned on 27 July 1905. He most probably accepted the brief position under pressure from Snouck.


Controversies

Habib Uthman's attitudes in politics were sometimes quite controversial, especially in his position on jihad and Holy War, particularly concerning a riot against the Dutch in
Cilegon Cilegon ( Indonesian: ''Kota Cilegon'', ; Sundanese: ) is a major coastal industrial city in Banten province, Indonesia, covering . It is located on the island of Java. The city had a population of 374,464 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, ...
,
Banten Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
. Although Habib Uthman had good reason in his argument, many scholars alleged him as a colonial stooge. Moreover, he was also hard against mystical practices, as he wrote in the book ''Manhaj al-Istiqamah''. In a letter dated March 26, 1891, Snouck wrote about Sayyid Uthman's opinions in regards to
jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...
which was interpreted incorrectly by some Indonesian Muslims:'' "Many people were 'misled' by some law doctrines of jihad, and they thought that a Muslim person is justified in the presence of God to do acts such as to take possessions of the unbelievers, Chinese or dutch people for himself ... "'' Uthman also assisted Hurgronje by issuing fatwa to support the Dutch war against Aceh. Among other incidents which drew the ire of
Batavians The Batavi were an ancient Germanic tribe that lived around the modern Dutch Rhine delta in the area that the Romans called Batavia, from the second half of the first century BC to the third century AD. The name is also applied to several mil ...
and Singaporean Arabs was Habib Uthman's reading of prayer on the occasion of the coronation of Queen Wilhelmina in 1898, at which time the '' Orde van de Nederlandsche Leeuw'' (Order of Netherlands Lion) was conferred on him. Calling him as ''friend of unbelievers'', his opponents condemned Habib Uthman in letters to the Arabic Press and pamphlets printed in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
.


His work

Uthman published religious books in Arabic and Malay (written in Jawi script) on his own
lithographic Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...
press.


References

{{Islam in Indonesia 1822 births 1913 deaths 19th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Grand Muftis Hashemite people Indonesian Islamic religious leaders Indonesian people of Yemeni descent Indonesian Sunni Muslims Sunni Sufis Indonesian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam