Abdul Fatah Hasan

Hasan was born in the village of Beji, Bojonegara as the eldest son of the Bantenese couple, Hasan Adam and Zainab.[3] His three younger siblings among others are Syadeli Hasan, Abdul Kohar Hasan, dan Hadijah binti Hasan Adam.[4] No one knows exactly when the date of birth,[5] but a lecturer from the University of Indonesia, M. P. B. Manus writes that Hasan was born in 1912.[6]

Hasan married a girl named Sufiah and had two children, Sutomo A.F. Hasan and Rifki A.F. Hasan.[6]

Hasan started his education in 1924 at a Volkschool (people's school). In 1932 he entered the Madrasa Al-Khairiyah Citangkil.[6] Hasan was a student of Brigadier general Kyai Hajji Syam'un, the founder of Pondok Pesantren Al-Khairiyah, where he studied.[7]

In 1933, Kyai Hajji Syam'un sent Hasan to study at the Faculty of Islamic Law Al-Azhar University. Since in Cairo, Hasan was involved in the political movement at Perhimpoenan Indonesia, which was based in Leiden, Netherlands, under the leadership of Mohammad Hatta.[8]

Hasan was known as one of the active figures in opposing Dutch colonists, even he has been observed by Dutch accomplices deliberately sent from Batavia to investigate Indonesian students who are active in the Perhimpoenan Indonesia in Cairo. But he continues to do political activities and political communication through mass media such as radio broadcasts, bulletins, news Ichwanul Muslim (Muslim Brotherhood), and others.[8]

In 1939, Abdul Fatah Hasan and his younger brother, Syadeli Hasan, were forced to return from Cairo because their parents were no longer able to fund those who would initially continue their education to Sorbonne University, France.[3] After completing his studies in Cairo, Hasan returned to Cilegon to practice his knowledge at Pesantren Al-Khairiyah Citangkil.[7]

During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Syam'un and his disciples fought for Indonesian independence. At that time Hasan, as the main disciple of Syam'un, and who was considered to have a great intellect and insight, was sent appointed to the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK) representing the Bantenese people.[4]

Abdul Fatah Hasan began to work as a member of the BPUPK on 10 July 1945, at the second official session.[2] Hasan belonged to the committee in charge of discussing finance and economy with chairman Mohammad Hatta.[3] According to Saafroedin Bahar's 1992 book, Hasan was among those who participated in discussing the formation of the state and formulating the basis of the state in 1945, especially in Article 29 (2) of the 1945 Constitution on religious freedom at a meeting of the BPUPK on 15 July 1945.[2]

After the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945, Hasan went back to his Pesantren and helped Kyai Hajji Syam'un, who became Regent of Serang Regency.[4]

However, when the Dutch launcher their Operation Kraai, Syam'un and Hasan (who then become Deputy Regent of Serang) intensively conducted guerrilla warfare in the mountains in order to defend the Banten region from the Dutch.[5] It was during these guerrilla actions that many Banten fighters were killed in hiding places, including Kyai Hajji Syam'un, who died in the hills of Kamasan-Anyer. Hasan did not return home, and it is unknown whether he was captured by the Dutch or died on the battlefield.[7]