Meet the Religious Teacher to Five Sultans of Perak
A figure who deserves to be remembered not only by the people of Perak but by all Malaysians is the individual who served as a religious teacher or advisor to five individuals who were once crowned as the Sultan of Perak.
His full name was Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir, better known as Tuan Haji Che Wi Janggut Merah or Sheikh Nawawi Janggut Merah. Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir often dyed his beard with henna, which is why he was nicknamed Tuan Che Wi Janggut Merah (Red-Bearded Che Wi). Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir was born in Kampung Kuala Kangkong, Kedah, in 1881 and passed away at the age of 88 on July 21, 1969. He migrated to Pantai Remis, Perak, following his family's relocation. Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir received his religious education from his uncle, Haji Mohd Shafie Losong in Terengganu, and Tuan Hussain Al-Banjari in Kedah. What is interesting about his career is that he held the position of religious teacher or advisor to five Sultans of Perak, from the reign of Sultan Idris Murshidul Adzam Shah I (the 28th Sultan of Perak) to the reign of Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah (the 32nd Sultan of Perak). He likely held this position from the middle or end of Sultan Idris Murshidul Adzam Shah I's reign until 1963.
Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir
- 28th Sultan of Perak - Sultan Idris Murshidul Adzam Shah I (1887 - 1916)
- 29th Sultan of Perak - Sultan Abdul Jalil Nasruddin Muhtaram Shah (1916 - 1918)
- 30th Sultan of Perak - Sultan Iskandar Shah (1918 - 1938)
- 31st Sultan of Perak - Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Mutasim Billah Shah (1938 - 1948)
- 32nd Sultan of Perak - Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah (1948 - 1963)
Sultan Idris Murshidul Adzam Shah I
He was one of several renowned scholars, such as Sheikh Hassan Yamani, Sheikh Abdullah Maghribi, and Sheikh Abdullah Fahim, who founded the Madrasah Idrisiah in Bukit Chandan. At that time, Madrasah Idrisiah was one of the most famous madrasas in Southeast Asia, having successfully produced many scholars and Islamic figures after operating for a long time. Returning to the personality of Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir, for the information of loyal orangperak.com readers, he is said to have had 24 children from three wives. He was a very brave and firm person in upholding Islamic laws. He did not compromise if something contradicted Islamic teachings; he was the first individual to defend the sovereignty of the religion. There were also impressive events that proved his steadfastness.
Sultan Abdul Jalil Nasruddin Muhtaram Shah
He issued a prohibition against the mourning practice of wrapping white cloth around the head, which was practiced by the royal family. Some members of the public complained about this prohibition to the Sultan of Perak. Consequently, he was summoned to the palace, and many assumed the Sultan was angry. Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir then came to the palace to meet the Sultan, bringing a burial shroud (kain kafan). When he met the Sultan, the Sultan asked what the cloth was for. Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir replied, "If I am to be sentenced to death today because of that prohibition, then this is the burial shroud." There were also other events that clearly proved his courage and principles in defending Islam. This story occurred when...
Sultan Iskandar Shah
(the 30th Sultan of Perak) called and invited the scholars in Perak to break their fast at the Palace. What happened that day was that, before the time to break the fast had arrived,
Sultan Iskandar Shah
reportedly ordered everyone present to start eating.
Sultan Iskandar Shah
Those invited were all silent and did not dare to object. Suddenly, Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir stood up and said, "If Your Majesty wants to go to hell, go alone." Indeed, the intention of
Sultan Iskandar Shah
at that time was only to test the scholars present. He immediately praised his courage for daring to reprimand the Sultan and scolded the other scholars who had remained silent.
Sultan Iskandar Shah
sighed, "It is fortunate that in the state of Perak, there is still someone who dares to reprimand me." There is another story to be told here briefly regarding his efforts to eradicate the practice of worshipping spirits by offering a buffalo head. Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir was said to wait at the location of the buffalo head offering ceremony every year to forbid the event from being carried out, until one day it was said that the spirit went berserk and killed the shaman who was leading the ceremony.
Sultan Abdul Aziz Al-Mutasim Billah Shah
Many scholars were killed during the arrival of the communists, and Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir was also said to be one of the communists' main targets. An event occurred where the communists forbade villagers from attending religious classes at the mosque or surau. As the story goes, one day, a student of Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir who was heading to the mosque was asked by the communists which mosque he was going to. He replied, "To Haji Janggut Merah's Mosque." For some strange reason, the communists did not stop the student, and when asked why they didn't stop him, the communists replied that they had once captured Haji Janggut Merah and put him in a sack to be thrown into the sea in Pantai Remis. However, he had disappeared, and a stone was found in the sack instead. That event made the communists feel terrified, and they did not dare to disturb him again.
Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah
Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir deserves to be elevated as a personal mentor and remembered as an Islamic scholar in Perak who held firm principles and served as an example and inspiration to the current and future generations. It is unlikely that we will ever find an individual like Haji Nawawi Bin Haji Mohd Tahir or anyone similar in this world again. May we, who are small, be able to emulate his attitude and piety in religion.
