Page 7 - Pesantren's Treasures Stories for Video[1]

But Hasyim Asy'ari was not afraid. He answered the sneers of his friends by saying:
“Broadcasting Islam means improving humans. If humans are already good, what do they
want to improve. Jihad means having the courage to face difficulties and being willing to
make sacrifices. These examples have been shown by the Prophet in his struggle," he said,
as quoted in the book Kiai Hasyim Asy'ari, Father of Indonesian Muslims, written by KH
Abdul Karim Hasjim, 1949.
He then bought two booths made of woven bamboo. One room is used for the family, the
other room is for the students. At first this pesantren was only inhabited by 28 students. For
two years Hasyim Asy'ari had to face various terrors, because the people around him did not
like the presence of his pesantren. They did not even hesitate to threaten to kill their
students.
When night falls, the terrorists are ready with their weapons drawn. Because of this, the
students had to take a sleeping position away from the wall, which was only made of tepas,
aka woven bamboo. They slept huddled in the middle, for fear of being penetrated by
machetes. Until a picket has to be held.
Facing the terror K.H. Hasyim Asy'ari was desperate. He then asked for the help of a
number of kiai from Cirebon, West Java. The students were then trained in martial arts.
Pesantren started safe, and gradually continued to grow. Within 10 years, the number of
students reached 200 people. At the same time, the immoral practices that were once fertile
are gradually fading away.
Kiai Hasyim educates students patiently and painstakingly. He focused his attention on
educating students until they perfectly finished their studies, to then establish Islamic
boarding schools in their respective regions.
K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari also actively helped establish Islamic boarding schools founded by his
students, such as the Lasem Islamic Boarding School (Rembang, Central Java), Darul Ulum
(Peterongan, Jombang), Mambaul Ma'arif (Denanyar, Jombang), Lirboyo (Kediri),
Salafiyah-Syafi'iyah (Asembagus, Situbondo), Nurul Jadid (Paiton Probolinggo), and so on.
Thanks to the polish and greatness of KH Hasyim Asy'ari, Tebuireng has transformed into a
religious village, and the name of this pesantren has become well-known throughout the
archipelago. The name Tebuireng became even more popular when Hasjim Asy'ari, together
with a number of kiai, pioneered the establishment of Nahdlatul Ulama in Surabaya, January
31, 1926.
KH Hasyim Asyari was elected as the first grand rais of this organization. It should be
noted, the title "Rais Akbar" is only attached to KH Hasyim Asy'ari. The leadership of the
Syrian Council after that only had the title of Rais Am. History records that it was with this
NU that KH Hasyim Asy'ari played an important role in the period leading up to and after
independence.

(Adapted from https://beritajatim.com/peristiwa/pesantren-tebuireng-jombang-dari-
sarang- maksiat-menjadi-pusat-ilmu-agama/)