KH Achmad Siddiq
Indonesian scholar and one of the leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama . He played a decisive part in the organisation's adoption of Pancasila and in its return to the religious and social line of its founding statute of 1926, and from 1984 until his death he was general chairman of its legislative body. He was born on 24 January 1926 in the town of Jember into an influential family of scholars. His father, Muhammad Siddiq, was the founder of the Siddiqiyya Pesantren, a traditional institution of religious education in Jember. He received his first religious education at his father's pesantren. When his father died suddenly while he was nine, he grew up under the protection of his elder brother Mahfudz Siddiq , one of the leading figures of the Nahdlatul Ulama founded in 1926, who was its general chairman between 1937 and 1942. He then continued his studies at the Tebuireng Pesantren in Jombang, where he studied under Hasyim Asy'ari , one of the founders of the Nahdlatul Ulama, and became a friend of his son Abdul Wahid Hasyim. Besides his formal schooling at secondary level, he was largely self-taught. Three activities stand out in his career: his work as a senior official in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, his political activity, and his teaching at the pesantren founded by his family. He was secretary to Abdul Wahid Hasyim during the latter's term as Minister of Religious Affairs in 1949-1952, and was then appointed head of religious affairs for the ministry's East Java region. In the Nahdlatul Ulama he became first deputy chairman and then chairman of the East Java branch. From 1977 he headed the Siddiqiyya Pesantren founded by his father and contributed significantly to its growth. His interest in politics began at a young age. In 1945 he became coordinator of the Indonesian Islamic Youth Movement for the Jember and Besuki regions and supported the independence movement. From the early 1950s he took an active part in politics; he was elected a member of parliament in the general election of 1955, which the Nahdlatul Ulama contested as a party, and served two terms in parliament, in 1955-1957 and 1971-1979. He concentrated on the country's fundamental political questions and national strategies rather than day-to-day politics; towards the end of the Sukarno era, and particularly in the early 1960s, he was a fervent anti-communist. When the Suharto government announced at the beginning of 1983 that all social and religious organisations must adopt the state philosophy of Pancasila (belief in one God, just and civilised humanity, nationalism, democracy, social justice), many members of the organisation opposed it, but Achmad Siddiq took a positive view. In the same year, at the "Situbondo Munas" national consultation held in the East Javanese town of Situbondo, he argued as a senior scholar that Pancasila does not conflict with Islamic law, citing as evidence the Prophet's conduct towards non-Muslims and the Constitution of Medina , which gave legitimacy to a multi-religious political community. In his view Pancasila should be a final choice for multicultural Indonesian society, accepted for religious rather than political reasons. With the support of the four great scholars of the time — KH As'ad Syamsul Arifin, KH Mahrus Ali, KH Ali Maksum and KH Masykur — the Nahdlatul Ulama declared that it adopted Pancasila as its ideological foundation. The meeting also resolved that the organisation return to the religious and social line of its 1926 statute and withdraw completely from political activity. In December 1984, at the XXVII Congress of the Nahdlatul Ulama, again held in Situbondo, he was elected general chairman of the legislative body and Abdurrahman Wahid chairman of the executive body; the earlier decisions were confirmed, and the congress opened a new period in the organisation's history. At the XXVIII Congress held in Yogyakarta in 1989, opened in the presence of President Suharto, both were re-elected. He held this office until his death. He died in Surabaya on 23 January 1991. In accordance with his will he was buried in the Dukuh Tambak Cemetery in Kediri, where the resting places of many Javanese kiai devoted to Sufism are found. His Circle of Influence — With his conciliatory personality he served as a bridge between the older generation trained in traditional religious education and the new generation of Nahdlatul Ulama members who had also received modern education. Under his leadership the organisation approached other religious groups in a spirit of brotherhood and established close relations above all with the Muhammadiyah, despite their differences in religious understanding. His religious and intellectual formation is said to show the influence of his brother Mahfudz Siddiq, of Hasyim Asy'ari and his son Wahid Hasyim, and of the scholar KH Abdul Hamid of Pasuruan; his political attitudes that of Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta and Sutan Sjahrir. His Poetry and Sufi Line — This slot carries not his poetry but his scholarly and intellectual line. Using the concepts of traditional Islamic thought — "wasat/tawassut, i'tidal, tawazun" — he brought to the fore the principles of moderation, the middle way, balance, calm and gravity. In his view these principles teach acceptance of human diversity, respect for others and the effort to understand them; in politics they require the preservation of the state, respect for the head of state so long as he does not openly contravene God's commands, and the correction of governments' mistakes by proper means. At the same time he urged constant vigilance against ideas and movements that might endanger the spiritual and religious life of Muslim society. The most effective statement of these views is Khitthah Nahdliyah , which he presented in 1980 as the organisation's line of action. His Works — ① Disekitar Soal Idjtihad dan Taqlid (Jakarta 1950): on ijtihad and taqlid. ② Pedoman Perpikir NU (Jakarta 1969): his first work, on the organisation's structure and aims. ③ Khitthah Nahdliyah (Bangil 1980): his most important work, setting out his basic views; first printed in 1979 and compiled from his lectures and speeches, it was, despite its small size, accepted as a guide for a reform movement among the organisation's cadres. ④ Pemulihan Khitthah Nahdlatul Ulama (Jakarta 1983). ⑤ Islam, Pancasila dan Ukhuwah Islamiyah (Jakarta 1985): writings on the compatibility of Islam and Pancasila and on Islamic brotherhood. ⑥ Dhikr al-ghafilin : a short treatise on Sufism. He also wrote Arah Perjuangan NU dan Ahlu Sunnah wal Jamaah , on the organisation's Sunni line.