Tok KenALI

1. Tok KenALI Presented by MadihahSamsudin NajwaHusnaRazali NurWaheedaMdSalleh Nor FadzilaAdenan Edited by Dr. Md. MahmudulHasan International Islamic University Malaysia 2010

3. Introduction • TokKenali was an Islamic intellectual and spiritual figure of Malaysia. • He was very enthusiastic about leading people to positive changes in life. • This spirit led him to pursue an intensive life of Islamic education and social reforms. • There are quite a number of institutions with the the stamp of his direct and indirect influence.

4. His life and intellectual development • Name: Muhammad Yusof • Place of birth: Kampung Kenali, Kubang Krian (Kelantan) • Year of birth: 1868 • Father’s name: Ahmad bin ‘Abd al-Samad • Mother’s name: Fatimah binti Muhammad Salih • He was born into a poor family, and his father was a peasant farmer. • Tok is a nickname used to honor someone who is old or knowledgeable.

5. Childhood • His father passed away when he was 5. • His grandfather taught him the Qur’an, writing and Tajwid. • Later on, he learned sufficient religious knowledge to serve as a guide in life such as the imperatives of existence, obedience to the rules of Islam and how to take pleasure in the performance of religious obligation as a means of earning God’s grace. • Tok Kenali was a very gifted person and a capable writer. • He managed to complete reading the Qur’an in a short time.

6. At the age of 7 or 8, he was appointed a clerk by Tok Kweng to help with account, keeping tally for paddy, coconut and durian crops. • At the age of 9, he went to pursue Islamic studies at Kota Bharu Masjid.

7. Teenage life in Mecca • Tok Kenali spent most of his teenage life in Mecca. • He continued his study when he went to Mecca in 1886 after he performed Hajj. • Mecca is a place of worship as well as a centre of knowledge. • His method of learning was listening. • This was due to his poverty, as he could not afford to buy books.

8. When he wanted to read books he had to go to the bookshops and asked for permission of the owners to borrow those they had on sale. • When he returned to his homeland, he only took two books with him: Mughni al-Labib and Ashmuni. • Productive reading and hard work were the major factors in his educational development. • He stayed in Mecca for about 22 years. • He learned a lot about Islam from a great scholar named Shaykh Muhammad Zain Pattani.

9. Shaykh Muhammad Zain al-Pattani • He was a pious scholar, an excellent writer who had command of 47 fields, such as: history, medicine, Usulluddin, Fiqh, and many more. • He helped to shape Tok Kenali’s political view on the importance of establishing a country based on Islam. • He also trained his students to be reformers for the future and to fight against British and Dutch colonization of Malaysia and Indonesia.

10. Shaykh Muhammad Zain al-Pattani encouraged TokKenali to become a reformer. • Tok Kenali went to Egypt with his teacher for educational purposes. • Later on, he taught in Mecca for 5 years. • It gave him an inspiration to revive Islamic teachings among Muslims. • He spread Islamic education and culture to the people by establishing a school called Pondok Kenali.

11. His notable contributions to the people of Kelantan were: • Majlis Agama Islam (1915) • Masjid of al-Muhammadi (1917-1919) • Madrasah al-Muhammadiah (1917-1925) • Pengasuh (24/2/1918-19/10/1919)

12. Majlis Agama Islam Negeri • In 1915, Tok Kenali, Haji Nik Mahmud Isma’il and Haji Muhammad Said suggested to the King of Kelantan that he should establish a council of Islamic Religion. • It was built near Masjid Muhammadi. • TokKenali was one of the members of the council. • He worked to maintain the position of Islam as the official religion and to manage affairs related to education and culture.

13. The Masjid of al-Muhammadi • In 1915, Nik Mahmud became an assistant to the chief Minister of the state and asked TokKenali to teach at the Masjid Muhammadi once a week. • On 5 August 1917, he was appointed the principal of the Masjid al-Muhammadi.

14. Madrasah al-Muhammadiah (1917) • It had three language divisions: Malay, Arabic and English • The system was adapted to suit the need of the state in order to produce public servants. • The subjects taught at the Muhammadi school were chosen in order to satisfy contemporary demands. Important subjects were: Arabic syntax, Arabic morphology, geography, logic, theology, business, Islamic laws. • Tok Kenali played a great role in the expansion of Islamic education and Malaysian cultural development in Kelantan.

15. Pengasuh Magazine • His first magazine Pengasuh was published by Majlis Agama Islam Kelantan. • It played a major role in teaching the true meaning of Islam. • The magazine influenced the thoughts of the people of that time not only among the Kelantanase but also among the people of other states and neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.

16. PondokInstitution • After the death of his teacher Shaykh Muhammad ZainPattani, TokKenali returned to Kelantan. • During that time, there were debates going on between Kelantan Government and Representative of Siamese Government to place Kelantan under British rule. • In such a critical juncture, TokKenali was a symbol of hope to society. • He worked together with Dato’ PerdanaHajiNik Mahmud (who was the Chief Minister) to disseminate knowledge of faith to the community.

17. PondokKenali was established in 1910. (Kenali is the name of his birth place.) • Students began to come to him from different places. They set up small pondok (small learning institutions) around him, so that they could be near him. • PondokKenali was flourishing under his leadership and his fame started to spread far and wide. • Later, he started teaching once a week at MasjidMuhammadi in Kota Bharu for 5 years. He also taught at PondokKubangPasu.

18. His contributions  a founder member of the State Religious Council  Editor of the PengasuhMagazine • The community in the pondok no less than 300 students, from Indonesia (Sumatera), Patani, Cambodia. • As a teacher, he prepared graduated text books in a number of subjects like Arabic and Islamic subjects. He wrote both in Arabic and Jawi. Some of the texts he taught are: i) Faridatul-Fara’id by Shaikh Ahmad Al-Fatani ii) Aqidatul-Najin by ShaikhZain al-’Abidin al-Fatani iii) Munyatul-Musalli by ShaikhDaud al-Fatani

19. Apart from reading the text, he told his students moral tales, often delivered in a humorous way. • Characteristics of his instructions  he did not use text book while teaching even though his students used text books. • He had amazing memory. This reflected the severe training that he had undergone in Mecca during his difficult times and poverty.

20. Writing career • In Arabic  Tuhfah al-SibyanliMa’rifatiSahih al-Lisanand Luqlatul ‘AjlanliMuhtaj al Bayan • In Malay  al-Qaul al-Mufidli – IfadatilMustafid • In Jawi  AdabPergaulan(Conduct in Relationship). It discusses ‘adabin relation to : • husbands and wives • children and their parents, teachers and their students • rulers and their subjects • servants of Allah with their Lord.

21. Contribution to Education • He contributed greatly to the promotion of Arabic and Islamic education in the traditional pondok system. • He devised a system of graduation in Arabic grammar and syntax, which helped the students master the language better. • A famous scholar in Kelantan, Haji ‘Ali Salahuddin bin Awang compiled these lessons of TokKenali in a book titled ad-Durus al-Kenaliyyah al-Ibtida’iyyah. • Besides, his influence in Islamic education led to the emergence of a number of religious schools, such as: • i) The PondokAhmadiah • ii) The MadrasahManabi al-UlumwaMatali’ al-Nujum • iii) Madrasah al-Falah • iv) Pondok of Haji Mat Pauh

22. He devised plans for the establishment of Ma’hadMuhammadiah School. • He formulated its curriculum to suit with the modern system. • He introduced a number of new subjects  history, geography, English, logic, literature, business and elocution. • His vision was futuristic in nature. He foresaw the problems the Malays would encounter in traditional education.

23. Thus, he reformed the religious system of education by integrating curricula of religious and general subjects. • He followed the Western Model to inculcate Islamic education. • He established Ma’hadMuhammadi to narrow the gap between education along Western line and that along Islamic line.

24. Islamic Elements in Tok Kenali’s Short Stories • There are two views on TokKenali’s short stories : i) by Al-Qari Written by him personally. ii) by Manasikana Written by one of his students.

25. Purpose: to reinforce his teaching to his students and other audiences. Aim: to convey the message of Islam. • His short stories follow the deductive approach which is based on the popular style of writing of that particular period. • His short stories are based on the Islamic teaching and contain verses from the Qur’an, traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and Arabic poetry.

26. A Critical Analysis of Tok Kenali’s Short Stories • We discuss two short stories: i) KuasaiIlmuPolitikdan Agama (Mastering Both Religion and Political Knowledge) ii) Lari Dari Kematian (Fleeing from Death)

27. Kuasai Ilmu Politik dan Agama (Mastering Both Religion and Political Knowledge) It talks about the importance of political knowledge in order to implement Islamic law or values in society. It argues that one should teach people without humiliating anyone. It stresses the need for wisdom when preaching the teachings of Islam.

28. Lari Dari Kematian (Running Away from Death) The significance of this tale is that nobody can escape from death. • Major characters: i. The Rich Man ii. The Fortune Teller • He uses the contemporary belief and setting to invoke the readers of death. • It delivers Islamic teachings in an understandable, precise way.

29. Ii is influenced by the traditional literary style of that time. • TokKenali tried to Islamize the literature by using an alternative approach.

30. Plots and Settings of his Short Stories • Both plot and setting were influenced by Arabian and Persian elements. • Therefore, we find the use of desert setting and Bedouin’s life in his stories. • Literary genres of the Arab world gave a great inspiration to Malaysian writers at that period.

31. Sadi vs Tok Kenali

32. More of Tok Kenali’s Short Stories • Honor Thy Father, but Fear God • Knowledge without Practice • Strengthen Both Religion and Political Knowledge • Let Custom Die, but Not Religion and many more..

33. Honour Thy Father, but Fear God • A story about a poor boy who was sent to a Pondok Institution (a learning place) by his father to learn religion. • Because of poverty, it was difficult for him to buy food and necessary things for study. • The boy started to think to follow his father’s foot-step and to become a thief. • His teacher taught him: Honor your father, but fear God.

34. One night, he went into a rich man’s house to steal. • The boy did not steal the rich man’s things but places them at the corner of the house as he feared Allah. • The rich man, who was awake, felt weird as he saw the thief did not steal his things but placed them at the corner of his house.

35. He caught the boy and asked him why he acted like that. • The boy answered he wanted to be like his father, a thief, but at the same time he feared Allah. • The rich man was surprised by his truthful answer and pitied him. • The rich man asked him if he could read and understand the Qur’an; and he answered yes.

36. Then, the rich man offered him to teach religion and Al-Qur’an to his children as punishment. • He taught the son and the daughter of the rich man until he became an adult. • In the end, he got married to the daughter of the rich man.

37. Analysis of “Honour Thy Father, but Fear God” Themes: • The importance of  Honoring one’s father  Fearing God Setting: • Contemporary setting

38. Characters • The boy is a student of Pondok Institution. He is in a dilemma with what he has learned from his master. He tries to be a thief like his father but fears God. • The rich man catches the boy when he breaks into his house, and finally offers the boy to teach religion to his daughter.

39. Style of writing • The short story is written in Kelantanese dialect. • It is inspired by Islamic teachings. • It stresses the message or the moral rather than the events in the story.

40. Messages from the short story • Students must honor their father in order to get blessing from God. • God will reward those who fear Him. • It emphasizes the importance of education for both man and woman.

41. Conclusion • TokKenali was a great teacher and educator. • His spirit actually has awakened Muslims to step forward for development. • He wanted the Malays to be active to uplift the status of their nation. • This can be achieved by searching knowledge in a holistic manner. • Mardhatillah (seeking the bless from Allah).

42. That’s All … Thank You ^_^