Syekh Muhammad Thahir Barulak (d. 1851) was an influential Mecca-returned scholar who made the village of Barulak in Tanah Datar a major 19th-century center of Islamic learning. He trained leading regional ulama, including Syekh Muhammad Jamil Tungkar. His grave, in the mihrab area of Masjid Taqwa Barulak, continues to be visited annually.