Who is Habib Rizieq?

Dr. Habib Muhammad Rizieq bin Hussein Shihab, Lc., M.A., DPMSS or more familiarly called Habib Rizieq was born in Jakarta, August 24, 1965, he is an Indonesian Islamic figure known as leader and founder of the Islamic Defenders Front organization. Habib Rizieq was born in Jakarta on August 24, 1965 from the couple Habib Hussein bin Muhammad Shihab and Syarifah Sidah Alatas. Both his parents are Betawi people of Hadhrami descent. His father, Habib Husein bin Muhammad bin Husein bin Abdullah bin Husein bin Muhammad bin Shaikh bin Muhammad Shihab (born around 1920) was one of the founders of the Pandu Arab Movement of Indonesia founded with his friends in 1937. Pandu Arab Indonesia is a scouting association founded by Indonesians of Arab descent residing in Jakarta, later renamed Pandu Islam Indonesia (PII). His father died in 1966 when Rizieq was 11 months old, so since then he was only raised by his mother, Syarifah Sidah, and not educated at the pesantren. Only after the age of four he began to diligently study at the mosques near his home. As a single parent, her mother who works as a dressmaker and bridal make-up is also very concerned about Rizieq's education and guide him with religious education. Rizieq is a Habib or Sayyid with the Shihab clan (referring to Shihabuddin Aal bin Syech) whose genealogies can be traced down to Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib through Imam Ahmad al-Muhajir. Meanwhile, his wife named Syarifah Fadhlun is also the family of Sayyid from Aal bin Yahya clan.

After graduating from elementary school in 1975 at SDN 1 Petamburan, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, in 1976 Rizieq continued his high school to SMP 40 Pejompongan, Central Jakarta. However, because the distance to the school with his house in Petamburan was too far away, he was later transferred to a school relatively close to his home, the Christian Junior High School Bethel Petamburan and graduated in 1979 [3]. He then continued his studies at SMA Negeri 4 Jakarta in Gambir, but graduated from SMA Islamic Village Tangerang in 1982.

In 1983, Rizieq took an Arabic class at the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences (LIPIA). But after a year of study, he was offered a scholarship from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to study in Saudi Arabia. He also continued his bachelor degree program of Islamic Studies (Fiqh and Ushul Fiqh) to King Saud University which he has been taking for four years. In 1990, Habib Rizieq passed, complete with the predicate Cum Laude.

Habib Rizieq took a graduate program at the International Islamic University of Malaysia for one year, after which he returned to Indonesia before his magister was completed for cost reasons. After a few years, he was finally able to continue his education in the field of Shariah and obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 2008 at the University of Malaya with a thesis entitled "The Effect of Pancasila on the Implementation of Islamic Sharia in Indonesia".

In 2012, Habib Rizieq returns to Malaysia and continues his doctoral program in Da'wah and Management program at the Faculty of Leadership and Management of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Currently he is finalizing his dissertation entitled "مناهج التميز بين الأصول والفروع عند أهل السنة والجماعة" (Origin Difference and Ahlussunah Wal Jama'ah Branch) under Prof.'s supervision. Dr. Kamaluddin Nurdin Marjuni and Dr. Ahmed Abdul Malek from Nigeria

In 1992 before returning to Indonesia, Habib Rizieq worked as a high school teacher for about a year in Saudi Arabia after completing his undergraduate studies at King Saud University. In addition to giving religious lectures, on his return to the homeland of Habib Rizieq also became the headmaster of Madrasah Aliyah in Jamiat Kheir Until 1996. When he was no longer headmaster, he was still teaching in school as a Fiqh teacher or Ushul Fiqh. His organizational experience began when he became a member of Jamiat Kheir. He has served as a member of the Sharia Council at the SRB At-Taqwa, Tangerang. He is also the chairman of a number of Majelis Taklim Jabotabek.

Habib Rizieq Shihab declared the establishment of the Islamic Defenders Front on August 17, 1998 at Al-Umm Islamic Boarding School, Tangerang. The Islamic Defenders Front is an Islamic mass organization based in Jakarta. In addition to some internal groups known as the Juang Wings, FPI also has a group of Laskar Pembela Islam, a paramilitary group considered controversial because it is conducting an act of curbing the activities considered immoral or contrary to the Islamic Shari'ah especially during Ramadan.

Habib Rizieq Shihab was married on 11 September 1987 with Syarifah Fadhlun bin Yahya. From his marriage Habib Rizieq was blessed with a son and six daughters: Rufaidah Shihab, Humaira Shihab, Zulfa Shihab, Najwa bint Rizieq Shihab, Mumtaz Shihab, Fairuz Shihab, and Zahra Shihab.