Hamka (1908-1981) was an Indonesian religious leader and Islamic scholar. The name Hamka is short for Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah.
Hamka was born on the island of Sumatra on Feb. 17, 1908. His father was a well-known Islamic scholar. Hamka was educated by his stern father and by other teachers. He also taught himself, especially in the field of Islam. When Hamka was about 16 years old, he was sent to the island of Java to study under various private teachers. His abilities and tastes were developed mainly under the influence of modern Arabic literature.
In 1927, Hamka went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In 1958, he received an honorary doctorate from al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He was chief prayer leader in Indonesia’s national mosque. During the time Sukarno was president of Indonesia, Hamka was imprisoned for almost 10 years for preaching that Islam was in danger from Indonesia’s Communists. While in prison, he worked on a lengthy commentary on the Qur’ān, the Muslim holy book. Along with hundreds of books on Islam, Hamka wrote poetry and a number of novels. He died on July 24, 1981.
