Ahmad Dahlan

Life & Legacy

Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan (born as Muhammad Darwis;‎ Arabic: أحمد دحلان;‎ 1 August 1868 – 23 February 1923), often abbreviated to K. H. Ahmad Dahlan, was an Indonesian Muslim religious leader and revivalist, who established the Muhammadiyah organization, which would become one of the largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, second only to the Nahdlatul Ulama. Born in Kauman, Yogyakarta, he was the son of an imam of a local mosque and traced his origins from the lineage of Muhammad. Ahmad Dahlan performed the Hajj pilgrimage when he was 15 years old, and he lived in Mecca for another five years.
There, he became involved with reformist thoughts within Islam. He returned to Indonesia in 1888. In 1903, he went to Mecca again to deepen his religious knowledge. He returned to Indonesia in 1905, and two years later, he joined the Budi Utomo organization. However, his supporters urged him to create his organization. In 1912, he created the Muhammadiyah organization, as a means of realising his reformist ideals. The organization was quickly joined by merchants and craftsmen. In 1917, he added a women's section named Aisyiyah, which played a significant role in modernising the life of Indonesian women. Spreading to the Outer Islands, Muhammadiyah established a strong base in Sulawesi only a decade later after it was founded.
It was one of several indigenous Indonesian organisations founded in the first three decades of the twentieth century; a time known as the Indonesian National Awakening; that were key in establishing a sense of Indonesian nationalism, and ultimately independence. Throughout the last year of his life, Ahmad Dahlan suffered from several health issues. In 1923, following the advice of his doctor, he took some time to rest at Mount Tretes, Malang, East Java, before finally returning to Yogyakarta, to attend an annual Muhammadiyah meeting. His health continued to deteriorate until he died on 23 February 1923. His body was buried at Karangkajen's grave. For his services, Ahmad Dahlan was inaugurated as a National Hero, according to Presidential Decree No. 657 of 1961.