Telegraf – It was 4 pm and religious songs are echoed from the audio device at the meeting hall in the basement of Masjid Raya Pondok Indah on Sunday, April 16 2023. Around 200 worshipers from various society level, had gathered in the center of the hall.
The invited guests arrived one by one. Husnan Bey Fananie came enthusiasticly to the floor and greeted the audiences who are mostly women at their 50th, some wearing their uniform, some just mix-match their Abaya and Veil.
Ahmad Furqon, is the man behind the screen. This 42 years old man, graduated from the faculty of Shariah Islamiyah Al Azhar University in Cairo said to agree when I came with the ideas for conductimg Iftar together with an Ambassador.
He was more than happier when we will conduct Ramadan festival at the Mosque and especially to make the local residents around the Mosque feeling happy and can observe Islamic knowledge during Ramadan.
K.H. Husnan Bey Fananie was the Indonesian Ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2016 to 2020. A low profile man from a religious family background. His late grandfather was the founder of Modern Islamic Boarding School Gontor in East Java. Ambassador Husnan never gets tired to accomodate several gatherings if it is important for the development of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Azerbaijan and especially for Ukuwah Islamiyah.
The bilateral relations between the Indonesia and Azerbaijan developing very fast and dynamically and the high-level political relations are based on the principles of brotherhood and mutual support. Both countries recognize and support their territorial and sovereignty over internationally recognized state borders. Indonesia is one of the countries that strongly condemned Armenia’s acts of terror and military aggression against Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is nicknamed the Land of Fire because this country, which is directly adjacent to Iran and Armenia, has rich natural resources such as oil and gas and is the second largest supplier of crude oil to Indonesia after Saudi Arabia in 2011.
In the context of Islam, there is something special between Indonesia and Azerbaijan where Introductions over six centuries has been found and was revealed explaining that what has been known as Ibrahim Samarkandi, whose full name is Maulana Malik Ibrahim, a Wali or Saint from the lineage of the First Wali Songo, is said to have come from Azerbaijan.
Maulana Malik Ibrahim lived in the 15th century. From his place on the Caspian peninsula, Azerbaijan, Ibrahim traveled to Samarkand in Uzbekistan where he studied Islamic religion. After feeling sufficiently qualified, Ibrahim continued his spiritual journey to Indonesia with his sibling named Maulana Ishak and spread Islam in Java. The affinity of relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia seems to have started a long time ago, even since six centuries ago, to be precise, in this 15th century AD.
Of course this historical news is very interesting and important for Muslims, especially for the people of Azerbaijan and Indonesia, where the majority of the population are Muslims.
Together with Husnan Bey Fananie, the Indonesian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Professor Zaur Aliyev, who is a member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, gave a statement that the facts about Maulana Malik Ibrahim, who is a scholar of religion from Azerbaijan, have a very dominant position in the history of Islam in Indonesia.
Maulana Malik Ibrahim in Indonesia is known as Grandfather Pillow or Sunan Gresik. He is considered the forerunner of the first Wali Songo. The name Maulana Malik Ibrahim was recorded in Indonesian history, immortalized as the name of the mosque and the name of a street in East Java.
The manuscripts of the Koran written by this great scholar are still well preserved in Indonesia. According to several historical sources, from his marriage to Princess Raja Champa (read: Cambodia), Maulana Malik Ibrahim has descendants, namely Raden Rahmat, known as Sunan Ampel and Sayid Ali Murtadho or Raden Santri.
In 1419, Maulana Malik Ibrahim died and the tomb of the great scholar which is located in Gapura Village, Gresik, East Java, is often visited by pilgrims from all over the country and neighboring countries.
Fananie shared his experiences while he was still serving as Ambassador and he is the man with great sense of humour, audiences seem happy to get his words. Amongst the honor guests were attending, Yusuf Djemat and spouse, Chandra Motik, Suriati Uwes and Rita from Corps Mubaligh Mubalighoh of Indonesia, and Ita Junita Puspitadewi from Fishery Academy and Business.
The sound of Azan Maghrib was heard and the gathering with the congregation was closed by Ahmad Furqon by breaking the fast together followed by Maghrib prayer. It was really a peaceful gathering.
*) Nia S. Amira (Indonesian author-international journalist-linguist)
