The Karawang-Bekasi region has a proud historical record. From the heroism of Karawang-Bekasi, the writer Chairil Anwar was inspired to create legendary works of poetry to this day. The Karawang-Bekasi area left a history of an area located in West Java where a cleric and freedom fighter were feared by the invaders.
KH Noer Ali, a charismatic cleric who became a “lion” during the period of seizing Indonesia’s independence from the hands of the Dutch and Japanese colonialists. Born in Babelan, Bekasi, in 1914. KH Noer Ali’s Islamic insight cannot be doubted. He has traveled the world to study Islam to the great scholars in the country and in Mecca.
When he was 8 years old, KH Noer Ali had learned to spell and read Arabic, recited and memorized the suras in the Koran to Guru Maksum in Bulak Village. KH Noer Ali also gained Islamic knowledge about the dates of the Prophets, morality and fiqh there.
As he grew older, KH Noer Ali continued to deepen his knowledge of the Islamic religion. One of them is to Guru Mughni in Ujung Malang. There KH Noer Ali studied Islamic knowledge about monotheism. When deepening Islamic knowledge at Guru Mughni, KH Noer Ali was the smartest student. This was acknowledged directly by the teacher.
During his education period, KH Noer Ali also saw the real conditions of life for the nation and its people. KH Noer Ali saw that there was an imbalance between the Islamic knowledge he obtained and the facts of reality. There was the arbitrariness of the landlord to the natives, the cruelty of the colonial apparatus at that time, injustice, immorality and others. The spirit of Tanag Air’s love was born in the soul and soul of KH Noer Ali.
KH Noer Ali also had a boarding school education to Guru KH Marzuki. At the boarding school, KH Noer Ali still maintains the title as an intelligent student. It was at this boarding school that KH Noer Ali became adept at using a rifle because his hobby was hunting squirrels in his spare time.
In 1934 KH Noer Ali left for Mecca to return to continue the search for Islamic knowledge. His departure to study Islamic religion to Mecca had made Guru KH Marzuki’s heart doubtful. However, KH Noer Ali’s determination was finally able to melt the teacher’s heart. KH Noer Ali went to Makkah with borrowed money.
While studying Islamic knowledge in Mecca, KH Noer Ali studied a lot with the Shaykhs. However, according to the advice of his teacher, KH Marzuki, to prioritize learning from Shaykh Ali Al Maliki. In the end, KH Noer Ali became Shaykh Ali Al Maliki’s favorite student. And vice versa.
Even though he was studying Islamic knowledge in Mecca with the Shaykhs, KH Noer Ali still remembered his people. KH Noer Ali continues to seek information about the condition of Indonesia and the world. Information about Indonesia was obtained by KH Noer Ali from letters from his parents and newspapers in Saudi Arabia. KH Noer Ali’s heart and spirit are turbulent. He wants to contribute to the independence of his homeland.
Then KH Noer Ali together with other colleagues from Indonesia in Makkah formed the Betawi Student Association (PPB). In 1939 KH Noer Ali returned to Indonesia. Then in 1940, KH Noer Ali founded a boarding school.
The arrival of KH Noer Ali back to the country worried the landlords and the colonial government. Because all residents voluntarily gave their land for the construction of road access in Ujung Malang, Teluk Pucung and Pondok Ungu. The thing that makes landlords lose their bad behavior is because so far they have often bought land at prices that are detrimental to residents.
In 1942, the name KH Noer Ali was included in the list of scholars who had to cooperate with the Japanese invaders. In the same year, the Japanese invaders asked him to be willing to cooperate with Japan through his colleague KH Noer Ali from Thailand when he was a student in Mecca. KH Noer Ali flatly refused. He did not want his pesantren to be neglected and his students divided because they were reluctant to compromise with the Japanese invaders.
During the struggle for independence, KH Noer Ali prepared his students to enter military training formed by the Japanese. There are also those that are distributed to the Homeland Defense Forces to join the war on the battlefield.
KH Noer Ali is not just a cleric. He is the “lion” of the battlefield. KH Noer Ali led the people’s army to fight for independence. KH Noer Ali was even a Battalion Commander of the Bekasi Hezbollah Army.
History records, in 1947 KH Noer Ali was involved in a fierce battle in Karawang-Bekasi with the Dutch colonial army. KH Noer Ali at that time ordered the residents and their troops to make small red and white flags and then put them on every tree and pole. The goal is to emphasize that Indonesia still exists and is ready to defend its independence.