محمد يوسف بن أحمد الكلنتاني
Tok Kenali (RH)
Muhammad Yusuf ibn Ahmad (Tok Kenali)
Also known as: Muhammad Yusuf Kenali, Haji Muhammad Yusuf bin Ahmad, Tok Kenali Kelantan
1285–1352 AH · 1868–1933 CE
Fiqh Shafi'i
The great pondok teacher of Kelantan, whose students taught across the peninsula.
Tok Kenali was born in Kampung Kenali near Kota Bharu and lost his father as a child. As a young man he went to Makkah, where he studied for about twenty years, above all with Ahmad al-Fatani, and was known for his mastery of Arabic grammar.
After returning to Kelantan in 1908 he taught at his pondok in Kenali, which drew students from across the Malay peninsula, southern Thailand and beyond. He helped the newly founded Majlis Agama Islam Kelantan establish its school and guided its magazine, Pengasuh. He wrote little; his legacy lies in his students, many of whom founded pondok and became muftis and teachers in their turn. He is remembered for his learning, simplicity and humility.
Life journey
- 1868 CE Kota Bharu كوتا بهاروBorn in Kampung Kenali, Kubang Kerian, near Kota Bharu.
- 1887 CE Makkah مكةStudied in Makkah for about twenty years; the year he left is approximate.
- 1908 CE Kota Bharu كوتا بهاروDied 1933 CE · 1352 AHTaught at his pondok in Kenali until his death.
Teachers
- Ahmad al-Fatani (RH) 1856–1908 CETok Kenali studied with Ahmad al-Fatani in Makkah for many years and was among his closest students.
Places in their life
Photo: Adli Wahid (minor modifications by Basile Morin), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
- Abdullah al-Qari Haji Salleh, Detik-Detik Sejarah Hidup Tok Kenali
- William R. Roff (ed.), Kelantan: Religion, Society and Politics in a Malay State (1974)