Biography of Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz, Rais ‘Aam Syuriyah PBNU (1999-2014)

Table of Contents

1.    Biography and Family
1.1  Birth
1.2  Family Background
1.3  Passing

2.    Chain of Knowledge and Education
2.1  Education
2.2  Teachers

3.    Successors
3.1  Students

4.    Life Journey and Preaching
4.1  Becoming the Caretaker of the Islamic Boarding School

5.    Career and Organizational Journey
6.    Works
7.    Awards
8.    Exemplary Figures
9.    Reference

1. Biography and Family

1.1 Birth
Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz was born on December 17, 1937, in the village of Kajen, Margoyoso, Pati. He was the third of six siblings, born to KH. Mahfudz Abdussalam Al-Hafidz (d. 1944 CE) and Hj. Badi’ah (d. 1945 CE).

His siblings included:

1. KH. M. Hasyim
2. Nyai Hj. Muzayyanah (wife of KH. Manshur, caretaker of An-Nur Islamic Boarding School in Lasem)
3. Nyai Hj. Salamah (wife of KH. Mawardi, caretaker of Bugel-Jepara Islamic Boarding School, and elder sister of KH. Abdullah Salam's wife)
4. Nyai Hj. Fadhilah (wife of KH. Radhi Shaleh, Jakarta)
5. Nyai Hj. Khadijah (wife of KH. Maddah, caretaker of As-Sunniyyah Islamic Boarding School in Jember, also a descendant of KH. Nawawi, younger brother of KH. Abdussalam, grandfather of KH. Sahal).

1.2 Family Background
In 1968 CE (some sources state 1969), Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz married Dra. Hj. Nafisah, the daughter of KH. Abdul Fattah Hasyim, caretaker of Fathimiyah Islamic Boarding School, Tambak Beras, Jombang. From this marriage, he was blessed with a son named Abdul Ghafar Razin.

1.3 Passing
Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz passed away on Friday, January 24, 2014, at 1:05 a.m. local time at his residence in the Maslakul Huda Islamic Boarding School complex, Kajen, Pati, Central Java, at the age of 78.

2. Chain of Knowledge and Education

2.1 Education
From a young age, Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz began his education under the guidance of his father, a respected kyai with a lineage tracing back to Sheikh Ahmad Mutamakkin. In addition to his father, he also studied under his uncle, KH. Abdullah Salam.

KH. Abdullah Salam was a teacher who never imposed on Kyai Sahal. He was given the freedom to pursue knowledge wherever he chose, to instill a sense of responsibility for his own decisions. This approach, combined with Kyai Sahal's habit of setting learning targets, was key to his academic success.

After completing his initial education, he continued his studies at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (1943-1949) and Madrasah Tsanawiyah (1950-1953) at the Islamic institution of Mathali’ul Falah, Kajen, Pati. Following his time in his hometown, he studied at Pesantren Bendo, Pare, Kediri, East Java, under the care of Kyai Muhajir.

From 1957 to 1960, he studied at Pesantren Sarang, Rembang, focusing on ushul fiqh, qawa’id fiqh, and balaghah under the guidance of Kyai Zubair Dahlan. In the mid-1960s, Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz continued his studies in Mecca, directly under the tutelage of Sheikh Yasin Al-Faddani.

At Pesantren Bendo, Dr. KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudz deepened his knowledge of Sufism and fiqh, studying books such as Ihya 'Ulumiddin, Al-Mahalli, Fath Al-Wahhab, Fath Al-Mu’in, Al-Bajuri, At-Taqrib, Sullam At-Taufiq, Safinat An-Najah, Sullam Al-Munajat, and other smaller texts. He also actively participated in small study circles with senior peers.

He studied Al-Hikam, a book on Sufism, under Kyai Ahmad. During his time at Pesantren Sarang, he studied texts such a

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