He is KH. Noer Alie, the founder and chairman of Attaqwa (Islamic) Foundation, an Islamic learning complex in the north of Bekasi. He is the most famous Islamic scholar in the region (Bekasi), former top member of Masyumi (popular Muslim political party in 1955-1960) and former chairman of Bekasi Regency Government Board (Ind: Dewan Pemerintahan Bekasi) in 1956. During his chairmanship, the capital of Bekasi regency was moved from Jatinegara to the-then-Bekasi city (nowadays). His involvement in physical struggle against Dutch colonialism brought him to received award from Government of Republic of Indonesia as national a hero in 2007, or 15 years after his demise.
Noer Alie was born in 1934 in Oejoengmalang (now Ujungharapan), District Bekasi, Residency Batavia. His early education was through listening and reading religious books by Islamic teachers in his own village. Having considered to read a higher level books, he was sent to another teacher in Cipinang Muara, a village near eastern of Batavia. He spent more than 8 years in the place before travelling to Makkah, for continuing his study under another teacher. It was his parent who insist that their son should be a learned person so he will be beneficial to the people, especially in his village.
Human Resource Base
After Masyumi failed in convincing Soekarno through Konstituante (old term for Parliament) about the highest benefit of Indonesia by becoming an Islamic States in 1959, Noer Alie returned to his own village, in Oejoengmalang (now Ujungharapan), continuing his primary task; teaching Islamic knowledge to his own villager. He never stops bringing education for his people, starting with some pupils who come to his mosque every morning and evening, establish elementary school, secondary and high learning institution; all what he did is educating people about Islam and its teachings.
Ujungharapan by the time Noer Alie retired from politics is a remote village. It can be reached from either Pondok Ungu or Teluk pucung via Bulan-bulan, Bekasi City, but no asphalt road contruction were made at the time. It is Noer Alie himself made initiative to do it, by asking his colleagues to work together. His experience as chairman of of Bekasi Regency Government Board enable him to cope with planning, executing and supervising public projects. It is not a surprise that public utilities like roads, canals and government buildings are also built under his supervision.
Noer Alie was very concerned with the poeple of his village. His dream of "heavenly village" (kampung syurga) can only be realized if, and if only, they are fully prepared to do so. Therefore they should be empowered in every aspect of their life: religion, economics, education and also politics. But alas, throughout his life, political situation has never been friendly to his stance. Either Soekarno and his communist-backed "revolutionary" government or Soeharto and his "development" regime never suit to his own principle: to develop Indonesian people in their two mental capabilities: bright (pinter) and right (bener). He is, instead, on his own firm theory, that if a man has only brightness, without holding the right principle, he will become culprit. What he can do is to cheat everyone. On the other hand, if man is always good in ethics and moral without having good intellectuals, he will never develop to a better life standard.
This principle is in line with what is developed by BJ. Habibie, the 3rd president of Republic of Indonesia, by his famous jargon, "we need people who has im-tak (iman and taqwa) and also ip-tek (science and technology) qualities to transfrom Indonesia into a developed country. Habibie also believes that Indonesia cannot develop by scientific and economic achievement alone, but also by belief in God and its application in modern life. A nation cannot mantain its development if its people turn bad because put priority only in material profit, leave the spiritual life abandoned.
It is by this principle, Noer Alie started to develop his education method. In his boarding school, students do not only learn religious knowledge but also general knowledge such as maths and sociology. He even goes further by encouraging them to learn practical knowledge so that they may prepare their own life, since graduation from Islamic boarding school, in many cases, are underestimated, (even worse, unrecognized) by many institutions whose people are mostly graduate from government schools.
Economic Stance
Economic independence
Noer Alie is a Ghandi from Northern Bekasi. It is not an exaggeration if one can see this man's countless effort to enable his foundation, and even his kampong (village) independent in every aspect, including economy. His experience as a military commander teaches him to stand on his own power instead of depending to other party that might not be similar in ideals and principles. .
He has ever a dream that his village become village of heaven. Many students who take religious lessons from him, interprete it as a dream to make his village as center for developing Islamic society, where all Islamic teachings implemented fully (kaffah). But for Noer Alie, village of heaven also means that all of its inhabitants live in welfare, physically as well as religiously. it means that the village should be sufficient economically, so that its residents can afford themselves their physical necessity and religiously are in the right track, because they are based on aqidah (theology), sharia (law) and akhlaq (ethics). He exemplifies such a village as "a village which is clean and neat; having ricefield which was watered properly, and with abundant harvest, and the people living there are discipline, diligently pray to God."
. Ia mengumpamakan masyarakat kampung seperti itu memiliki “kampung yang bersih dan teratur; sawah yang airnya cukup dan panen yang berlimpah, dengan penduduk yang rajin beribadah dan berzikir kepada Allah SWT.”
KH. Noer Alie also educate the students to be independent. When the students asked for funding to establish a cooperative building students, he asked them to come cut the rice when the rice fields owned by the foundation into the harvest season. The result was later sold and bought building materials.
KH. Noer Alie and fair competition
Foundation led by KH. Noer Alie manage waqf assets very much. Assets spread across several districts in Bekasi, such Babelan, Tarumajaya, Penggarutan, Kaliabang, Kebalen, Cork, Gulf Pucung, Pekayon and others. Most of these assets in the form of paddy soil. Due to shortage of administrators to manage, KH. Alie allow the farmers to cultivate paddy land owned by the foundation is a sharing system.
In the approaching planting season, farmers who wish to work the fields belonging foundation invited to tender. If the farmers who came to work the fields foundation in certain areas only one person, then do direct bargaining between the board of trustees with the farmers concerned. If the managers of more than one person, then offered to do them together. If not, then the determination will be made with the auction: who can offer higher revenue to the Foundation, then he is entitled to manage.
Although understanding the lack of education among farmers, it seems KH. Noer Alie can not leave leissez faire principle in determining the optimal economic results. He understood very well that he could have intervened by appointing one of the farmers to manage the land endowments mandated him. But the way that it will be corrupt, which determines the power of a peasant farmer on the other. If this happens, then the result is not optimal. The farmer will tend to a monopoly on land it manages and the wider private interests will be dominant.
KH. Noer Alie and Equity
Based on the story that developed in the Council of Mosques, KH. Noer Alie had asked the board to collect data on its mushalla mosque. List of pilgrims from various mushalla was ordered to be coded green or red. Code Green means the congregation was already in the line of "safe" while red means the code needs to be assisted pilgrims.
Based on the list of pilgrims, the zakat, sadaqah infaq and distributed. He set himself how social funds were disbursed. There are indeed directly distributed to mustahiq, but there is a form of loan. Its purpose is to educate the beneficiaries so that it can be trying to support herself by making aid as venture capital.
KH. Noer Alie and bank interest
The debate about bank interest law have occurred in various forums studies Islamic organizations. Muhammadiyah has started the forum Majlis Legal Affairs Committee conference in 1971 in Situbondo. Majlis Legal Affairs Committee concluded that the law of bank interest is "musytabiha". It may be legal to take interest from government banks, but should not be of a commercial bank.
NU through Bahtsul Masail the 1992 Congress in Sydney issued a fatwa that the law of bank interest was 3, which haram, halal and doubtful. Fatwa the same substance that does preceded by MUI silaknas in 1990 in Cisarua, Bogor, on bank interest law. The fatwa was later led to the birth of Bank Muamalat, the first Islamic commercial bank in Indonesia, two years later.
If you trace the history of more backward, the debate on bank interest was already there since 1934. First Session of the Legal Affairs Committee on KH. Mas Mansur stated that Muhammadiyah take the view that bank interest is not allowed, but because there is no other way more beneficiaries save and except payment through bank, the law becomes an emergency.
Although KH. Noer Alie Masyumi elite members, at which time most of its personnel from the moderenis, such as M. Natsir and Syafruddin Prawiranegara, who think interest rates are not against religion, but KH. Noer Alie firm with a different opinion. Bank interest with usury to him and whose name usury forbidden by the Koran. Therefore he asked the board not to take the Foundation of the interest savings accounts Foundation, which used to receive foreign aid.
KH. Noer Alie and Productive Zakah
New phenomenon that emerged with the emergence of Islamic banking in the 1990s were qardhul Hasan which literally means rightous loans. These loans are given to the poor, developed from the "zakat productive", ie give Zakat to make the mustahiq capital.
The scholars differ about the charity that made the loan capital. Some think that it is not permissible to be given zakat Tamlik means giving possession to the orphans and destitute. This means that once a charity is given then it belongs mustahik, it's up to them to use it for any purpose, including for the consumer. In Indonesia, the late Prof. KH. Ibrahim Hosen LML, including embracing the idea. Some others believe it is permissible on the basis of benefit, which is of benefit to tarbiyah. The definition of beneficiaries tarbiyah in this case is to educate the orphans to be independent given the way capital is taken from the zakat fund, so they are no longer a mustahiq, but also muzakki.
Long before KH. Noer Alie did congregational mosque belonging to disadvantaged groups. He ordered officials to record the pilgrims who deserve Zakat and less viable.
KH. Noer Alie and Maintenance Environment
Planting trees is one KH. Noer Alie's hobby during his lifetime. He was very pleased with the guava orchard on the side of the boarding school, a garden that he managed alone with his guard named Inen. Sometimes he just smiled out to hear the news that his santri smile stole several items from the garden pink, just to cover a hunger when they become picket duty the night at the lodge. Besides, he is also seen being hoe the ground beside the boarding ladies mushalla for planting vegetables, watching the santri orderly sitting on the edge of the garden, one of whom was reading the book.
When the government provides assistance in the form of lush plants (acacia) in the 1980s, he was very excited to receive it. Some stem from her in boarding school were ordered planted as a sign that the pesantren son loves the green and beautiful environment. Until now, the plant is still there and transformed into lush plants that adorn the front page of the boarding school son.
He also put priority on water channels which is the source of irrigation for the paddy fields around the village. Not infrequently he invited the villagers to work community service cleaning the drains in the side of the road so as not to become disease and not clogged when the rainy season arrives.
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Reference:
1. Rifyal Ka’bah, “Hukum Islam di Indonesia,” UI Press, 1998
2. Khurshid Ahmed, “Studies in Islamic Economics,” the Islamic Foundation, Leicester, 1980
3. “Economics of Zakah,” seminar paper, International Research and Training Institute-IDB, Jeddah, 1998
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