The first name mentioned by Hamka in relation to al-Imam was the Singapore-based Arab philanthropist  by the name of Syeikh Muhammad bin Salim Alkalili (also described as Syed Mohamad Salim al-Khalali) He was earlier influenced by the organization  “Jami at Khair” in Java; and this in turn was induced by the journalism of the reformist periodicals  Al-Urwatul Wutsqa and Al-Manar, published respectively in Paris and Cairo.  Al-Imam (1906-08) was  conceived partly under those conditions.

A close friend of Alkalili was the Minangkabau Cairo-trained ulama Syeikh Muhammad Taher bin Muhammad Jalaluddin Al-Azhari (variably described in related sources as Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin and Sheikh Tahir Jalauddin al-Azhari).  Together, they produced the monthly magazine al-Imam. Its maiden issue appeared in July of 1906 led by Alkalili who was said to the pubkisher and financier.  The monthly’s second issue published in August, was edited by Sheikh Taher Jalaluddin (Sheikh Tahir is the father Kuala Kangsar-born Tun Hamdan, the sixth Yang di Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang (1989-2001), and former vice chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia).

Al-Imam has correspondents in parts of the Malay Archipelago. According to Hamka, the second issue stated clearly that they were led by Sayid Muhammad bin Abdurrahman bin Syahab in Betawi (Jakarta), and Haji Abdul Karim bin Tuanku Kisai in Danau, Sumatera.  In the biography of his father, Ayahku, Hamka’s accounts on al-Imam mainly highlighted on questions and queries on religious   practice and rituals by Malays.  One question was on riba (interest), which was raised in its 11^th issue.  

In Hamka’s view, the dominant figure in al-imam was Sheikh Taher Jalaluddin. He was very much a follower of Muhammad Abduh and had been subscribing to al-Manar until the journal ceased publication in 1936.  Syeikh Taher was said to be travelling back and forth to Mekah and Eqypt. He was a close friend of Sayid Muhammad Rashid Ridha.  In his absence, he would delegate his editorial to his student, Haji Abbas Taha.  At certain times, al-Imam’s Leader and commentaries were penned by Sayyid Syeikh al-Hadi, and assisted by Sayyid Muhamad bin Agil. It would be instructive to recall that in the discourse on al-Imam encountered, al-Hadi was the dominant figure. Some have argued that the representation of al-Hadi in driving al-Imam was that he was a more brilliant writer compared to Syeikh Taher.

In its June 1908 issue, “Al-Imam firmly expressed that “Al-Imam is the fierce enemy of all innovation and superstition (karut-karut),  blind following and custom introduced in religion” (“Al-Imam adalah musuh yang amat bengis bagi sekalaian bid’ah dan khurafat [karut-karut] dan ikutan-ikutan dan adat yang dimasukkan orang pada agama”]

Hamka  in revealing  Syeikh Muhammad Al-Kalali as al-Imam’s financier,  also acknowledges  Sayid Muhammad bin Agil and Sayid Syeikh al-Hadi as responsible for facilitating a capital of 20,000 ringgit. But al-Imam subsequently suffered from competition.  The expressive and radical nature of al-Imam spurred a new excitement in journalism among the Malay-Muslims in Singapura and in other parts of the Peninsula. Al-Imam had to contend with competition. According to Hamka, the magazine ceased publication in 1909 (to be exact 1908). Hence that ended of the beginning of a series of periodicals on reform and Islam that were to thrive through the decades before World War II.  

To Hamka, the end of al-Imam spelt the disruption in the voice of reform and renewal. He expresses concerns on the continuing vibrancy of debates in the reform press in the “Alam Minangkbau sendiri” (Minangkabau world) as well as in other areas under colonial conditions (referring to the English and the Dutch).  

But the demise of al-Imam saw the emergence of al-Munir in Padang. The periodical, published between 1911 and 1915 was the outcome of intiatives by Syeikh Taher and Syekh Ahmad Khatib in Mekah.  Al-Munir was supported by some well-known Minangkabau ulamas, namely Syeikh Muhammad Jamil Jambek, Syeikh Muhammad Thaib bin Haji Umar Batu Sangkar, Hamka’s father Haji Abdul Karim bin Syeikh Muhamad Amrullah Danau and Haji Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad at Padang Panjang.

Haji Abdullah was a skilful writer who conceived al-Munir as the continuation of al-Imam. From Padang Panjang on the Minangkabau highlands on the road to Bukittinggi where he lived, he moved to the coastal town of Padang, now the capital of West Sumatra. There he published the first issue of al-Munir. This was on 1 April 1911.  Hamka lists the staff of al-Munir as comprising Haji Abdullah himself as director and Haji  Marah Muhammad bin Abdulhamid.  The others are Haji Sutan Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, editorially assisted by Haji Abdul Karim Amrulah Danau, Muhammad Dahlan Sultan Lemak Tuah, Haji Muhammad Thaib Umar Batu Sangkar, and Sultan Muhammad Salim Hoofdjaksa.

In its first issue, al-Munir explained that the name means torch, or that brings light of enlightenment.  Al-Munir also brings the meaning of leading and advancing the children of Malays and Islam towards the religion. The name also means peace and prosperity among men toward life and loyalty toward the ruler. Al-Munir described itself as the light leading to certainty of knowledge toward truth and reality.

The maiden issue carried the slogan “Usaha Orang Alam Minangkabau” (The Enterprise of the people of Minangkabau).  Al-Munir was seen a portent vehicle that has “menggoncangkan fikiran yang selama ini tertidur” (jolt thinking that has so far been in slumber).  Hamka considers Haji Abdullah Ahmad as the first “Jurnalis Islam”  (Islamic journalist) in Sumatra who was willing to introduce new vocabularies and meanings in not being influence by the Bahasa Melayu translation from Arabic, according to “kita-kitab lama karangan Arsyad Banjar atau yang lain” (religious books authored by Arsyad Banjar or by others). Hamka commended the prose of Haji Abdullah which was “enak dibaca kerana bahasanya yang bersih” (nice to read because the language is clean).  But in religion, Hamka says Haji Abdullah was not as learned as his father, Haji Abdul Karim.

When Al-Munir ended, its organizers had already formed Percetakan “Al-Munir” (Al-Munir printing). The printing press was then used to publish books, especially the works of Haji Abdul Karim Amrullah with the titles Aiqazun Nijam, Usul Fikah and others. The men behind the periodical had not given up. And  in 1916, due to popular sentiments, with the hope of reviving al-Munir Haji Abdul Karim visited Malaya, and Java the year after. The support however was not forthcoming.

The attempt to revive a periodical also under the same name “Al-Munir” happened subsequent to the formation of the Sumatera Thawalib society in Padang Panjang in 1918. That name was joined by the name “Al-Manar” to be “Almunirul Manar.” under the leadership of Zainuddin Labai Leyunusi, with Tahrir bin Abdulhamid Hakim  Tuanku Mudo as editor assisted by A.R. Sultan Mansur, H. Datuk Batuah and others. The magazine managed to survive for four years, through 1922.

[Part 3: Hamka’s father in al-Munir]