33 Facts About Fakih Usman

Fakih Usman was an Indonesian Islamic leader and politician of the Masyumi Party.

Fakih Usman twice served as the Minister of Religious Affairs under the cabinets of Abdul Halim and Wilopo from January until September 1950, and again from 1952 until 1953.

Fakih Usman was active in local politics, in 1937, he became the treasurer of the Indonesian Islamic Assembly.

Fakih Usman continued to be involved in politics and Islamic groups during the Japanese occupation and the ensuing national revolution.

Fakih Usman served as deputy chairman of the organization under several different leaders before being chosen as its chairman in late 1968.

Fakih Usman was born on 2 March 1904, in Gresik, East Java, in what was then the Dutch East Indies.

Fakih Usman's father, Usman Iskandar, was a wood merchant, and his mother, a housewife, was the daughter of an ulama.

At the age of ten, Fakih Usman began studying at a pesantren in Gresik, finishing four years later.

Fakih Usman's father helped him become a trader, although Fakih Usman continued to study independently.

Fakih Usman later transferred to the branch in Surabaya, a much larger city where, in 1929, he was chosen to sit on the city council.

Fakih Usman remained active in commerce, running a construction material trade and shipbuilding shop.

From 1932 to 1936 Fakih Usman was a member of the Muhammadiyah's regional council, serving concurrently as the editor of the organisation's official magazine Bintang Islam, and on the Legal Affairs Committee.

Fakih Usman was made a member of the Japanese-sponsored advisory board, or Syu Sangi In, for Surabaya.

Fakih Usman held this position until the end of the occupation, concurrently serving on the Masyumi board.

Fakih Usman, who had begun making contacts within the republican government, participated in the Indonesian Islamic Conference in Yogyakarta from 7 to 8 November 1945.

In Malang, Fakih Usman worked with Masjkur and Zainul Arifin to start an armed resistance to fight in the revolution against the returning Europeans.

Fakih Usman served as deputy chief in command of this resistance, which consisted of the Japanese-trained Islamic units Sabilillah and Hizbullah.

Fakih Usman, serving as deputy chair under Bagus Hadikusumo, frequently commuted between Surakarta and the organization's head office in Yogyakarta.

On 21 January 1950, Fakih Usman replaced Masjkur as the Minister of Religious Affairs in the Halim Cabinet, representing the Republic of Indonesia; at this point, the republic consisted of Yogyakarta, Banten, and much of Sumatra.

Hasyim was kept on as minister of religious affairs, with Fakih Usman appointed director of religious education.

Fakih had been chosen with a majority of five votes, while the next leading candidate, Usman Raliby, received four.

Fakih Usman was made the Minister of Religious Affairs in the Wilopo Cabinet and sworn in on 3 April 1952, which led to him and his family moving to the capital Jakarta.

Fakih Usman began to work on reforming the ministry, including formalising its mission statement: to provide religious teachers, promote interfaith relations, and establish the dates of religious holidays.

Fakih Usman worked on internal structure, including formalising the ministry's leadership hierarchy and opening the provincial and regional branches.

Fakih Usman continued to work with the ministry and the Muhammadiyah, serving as the organisation's First Deputy Chair under Ahmad Rasyid Sutan Mansur.

That year Fakih Usman collaborated with Hamka, Joesoef Poear Abdullah, and Ahmad Joesoef to launch the magazine Pandji Masjarakat.

Sukarno later disbanded Masyumi on 17 August 1960 after leading Masyumi members, such as Mohammad Natsir and Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, were involved with the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia; Fakih Usman had been involved in the negotiations with the Revolutionary Government, working with Mohammad Roem.

From 1962 until 1965 Fakih Usman served as the First Deputy Chair of Muhammadiyah under Ahmad Badawi, guiding young religious leaders.

For Badawi's second term, Fakih Usman served as an advisor to the chairman, often taking management responsibilities.

Fakih Usman was selected as the organisation's chairman at the 37th Muhammadiyah Congress in 1968.

On being chosen as chairman, Fakih Usman began work to ensure there would be a successor, as his health was failing.

Fakih Usman is credited with the formulation of the "Muhammadiyah Personality", Muhammadiyah's institutional identity.

Out of respect towards Fakih Usman, Muhammadiyah continues to record his period as chairman as lasting the full three-year term.