Shaykhona Kholil Bangkalan Madura (in English)
Who does not know Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil, a famous cleric from Bangkalan, Madura who is not only popular (popular) in his breadth of knowledge, but also his expertise in processing knowledge to be conveyed into something interesting, even like a joke that can be obtained by everyone. He is also the most influential figure behind the founding of the world's largest organization, Nahdlatul Ulama. With his blessing, Hadlratussykh KH Hasyim Asy'ari and other kiai from the island of Java succeeded in establishing the jam'iyah.
Shaykhona Kholil was a scholar who has many karamah (events outside the human ratio that only happen to people who are chosen by Allah). Even in some records, he has reached the degree of mukasyafah, the opening of the divine curtains given to the chosen people, since childhood before puberty.
In addition, many people do not know, Shaykhona Kholil was a very productive scholar in writing books. The Lajnah Turots Ilmi Syaikhona Kholil team has found dozens of ancient manuscripts of his works. While many more of his manuscripts that have not been found.
Years of Birth and Death of Shaykhona Kholil Discussing the years of birth and death, the chroniclers of Shaykhona Kholil have various opinions. There are at least five books with different explanations about his birth and death that have been published and become public consumption, especially in Bangkalan, Madura.
First, according to Saifur Rachman in the book "Biography and Karomah of Kiai Kholil Bangkalan, Letter to the Black Dog", Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil was born in Bangkalan on Sunday Pahing, 11 Jumadil Akhir 1235 H, coinciding with March 14, 1820 AD.
Second, Muhammad Syaiful Bakhri in the book "Shaykhona Kholil Bangkalan, Legendary Ulama from Madura" wrote that Shaykhona Muhammad Kholil was born in Bangkalan on Tuesday, 11 Jumadits Tsaniyah 1235 H.
Third, the book entitled "KH Muhammad Kholil Bangkalan: A Brief Biography of 1820-1923" by Muhammad Rifai (2010: 21) explains, Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil Bangkalan was born on Tuesday, 11 Jumadil Akhir 1225 H, coinciding with 1835 AD.
Fourth, Abdul Rozaki in his work entitled "The Transformative Asceticism of Kiai Kholil Bangkalan" mentions the numbers 1819-1925 as the year of birth and death of Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil Bangkalan.
Fifth, KH Mahfudz Hadi, Caretaker of Al-Hidayah Islamic Boarding School, Jangkebuan, Bangkalan, in his book entitled "Fighting in the Middle of the Wave, Biography and Struggle of Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil bin KH Abdul Latif, Bangkalan, Madura". He stated that Syaikhona Kholil was born in Langgundih Village (now: Kramat Village), Ujung Piring, Bangkalan, at 10.00 WIB, Tuesday, 11 Jumadil Akhir 1252 H (20 September 1834 AD).
Of the five writings above, the fifth version is the most accurate and valid statement, that Shaykhona Muhammad Kholil was born in 1252 H. This can be proven by several manuscripts.
Shaykhona Kholil. Birth Data Reference
First, in one of the manuscripts of the book Alfiyah Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil found in Mlonggo Jepara, he wrote:
١٢٥٢ تَارِيْخُ وِلَادَةِ الْكَاتِبِ عَفَا اللهُ عَنْهُ آمين
It means, “1252 The year this writer was born. May Allah forgive him. Amen."
On another page, in the same manuscript, Shaykhona Kholil also writes the year of his birth in the Latin alphabet:
تَارِيْخُ وِلَادَةِ الْكَاتِبِ غَفَرَ الله ذُنُوْبَهُ وَسَتَرَ عُيُوْبَهُ 1252
It means, "The calendar of the author's birth, may Allah forgive his sins, and cover his disgrace, is 1252."
In the above manuscript, what is meant by "al-Katib/author" is none other than Shaykhona Kholil himself. This manuscript is currently in the dzurriyah of Kiai Nawawi Mlonggo Jepara, one of his students.
Second, in the manuscript written by Sayyid Salim bin Jindan, one of the students of Syaikhona Kholil Bangkalan, it is explained:
مُحَمَدْ خَلِيلْ بِنْ عَبْدُ اللَّطِيفْ البَنْكَلَانِي وُلِدَ بِسَنَةِ ١٢٥٢ بِبَنْدَرِ بَنْكَلَانْ مَدُوْرَا
It means, "The place of birth and growth, (he) was born the night of Thursday 9 Shofar in 1252 (غرنب) in the city of Bangkalan on the island of Madura."
The word is another word for the number 1252. This numbering is called hisabul jumal (alphabetical number system) which is a number or numbering system that uses the 28 Arabic alphabets to represent numeric values.
Fourth, is the manuscript of Kiai Ahmad Qusyairi bin Siddiq who is also a student of Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil from Pasuruan. Namely in the manuscript of the book as-Silâh fî Bayânin Nikâh by Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil which was confirmed by Kiai Qusyairi. He wrote:
هَذَا كِتَابُ السِّلاَحِ فِي بَيَانِ النِّكَاحِ تَأْلِيْفُ مَنْ هُوَ فِي عِلْمِ النَّحْوِ نَحْوَ سِبَوَيْهِ وَفِي الْفِقْهِ مِثْلُ الْإِمَامِ النَّوَاوِي وَفِي الْوِلَايَةِ وَالْكَشْفِ وَالْكَرَامَاتِ مِثْلُ الْقُطْبِ الجَيْلَانِي بَلْ وَفِي سِنِّهِ أَيْضًا فَإِنَّهُ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ وَعَنْهُمْ وُلِدَ فِي نَرْغَبْ وَمَاتَ فِي كَمَالْ
It means, "This is the book of as-Silâh fî Bayânin Nikâh, written by someone who is in the science of nahwu like Imam Sibawaih, in fiqh like Imam Nawawi and in guardianship, kasyf and karamah like wali qutub al-Jailani, even his age. Verily he was born in and died in Kamal (Bangkalan)." (Muqaddimah book As-Silah fi Bayanin Nikah, page 2).
As is well known in the reckoning of Jumal, the word in the text above, if it is accumulated it will be the number 1252, with the details, Nun = 50, Ra' = 200, Ghain = 1000 and Ba' = 2. If you add up the total it becomes 1252.
From the several manuscripts and notes above, the primary reference in the birth data of Shaykhona Muhammad Kholil, writes the equivalent number, namely 1252 H. To be precise on (Wednesday) night Thursday 9 Shofar. If it is converted into a calculation of AD, then it coincides with Wednesday, May 25, 1835 M. Thus, Shaykhona Muhammad Kholil died on Thursday, 29 Ramadan 1343 H. or coincided with April 23, 1925 AD.
Karamah Shaykhona Kholil
Discussing about his karamah, there is no doubt about this one cleric, the people of the archipelago, especially Madura, all admit that he has many karamahs that other scholars of his time did not have.
Kiai Aziz Masyhuri in his book entitled, "99 Indonesian Charismatic Kiai, History, Struggle, Prayer and Hizib" recounts one of the karamahs that Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil had before he became an adult, even as a child.
In the book it is told that when Shaykhona Kholil was a child, he laughed and laughed during congregational prayers. Of course this made a lot of people there. After the prayer, the priest rebuked him because his laughter disturbed the congregation and even the priest himself.
While apologizing, he replied, "I couldn't help but be amused, seeing on the head of the imam there was a packet of blessing rice during the prayer earlier!"
The priest blushed, it was true that he prayed in a hurry because he was about to come to fulfill the invitation of the residents. Exactly his intention was to get the blessing rice from the event. Apparently little Kholil got the advantage from Allah to be able to see things that are not visible to the ordinary human eye.
This is the biography of Syaikhona Muhammad Kholil Bangkalan, which so far is still unknown to the wider community and his friends who can see the indifference of the prayer priest. An extraordinary karamah that no one else had in his time. Other karamah, God willing, the author will peel in the next article.
Ustadz Sunnatullah, Lecturer at the Al-Hikmah Darussalam Islamic Boarding School Bangkalan.
