The young people who study and live in the surau will become students of the Islamic religious teachers in the surau. Students in a surau with a famous teacher may come from other areas. So students who study religious knowledge also need to be active in trading crops to support their studies. Apart from being active in trading fruits and daily necessities, there are also some students who write books in Arabic. The book contains the correct way to pray and worship. There are also other students who develop crafts such as carpentry. Another important thing that we need to know is that all students have to help my master to cultivate his rice fields. In their daily lives, the students also depend on alms from the community. This creates a deep emotional bond between the master, his students and the community. A number of surau in Kamang show that collectively they were encouraged to organize their lives around an Islamic lifestyle.
Surau as a form of educational facility in Kamang and the Agam region in general is organized in certain teaching patterns. In the order of the education system, surau is organized by placing the existence of
*Tuanku is a title for a religious leader or a prominent scholar in Minangkabau who is considered to have mastered the science of Islam. Typically, this title is followed by the name of the region or surau where the ulama teaches, such as: Tuanku Nan Renceh, Tuanku Imam Bonjol, Tuanku Lintau, Tuanku Rao, and Tuanku Tambusai. The title of tuanku had its heyday in Minangkabau in the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time, dozens of surau were led by tuanku in various fields of religious knowledge.
small surau and big surau. A small surau is a surau established and located in a hamlet. The administrators and congregation here generally have a certain descent or on the basis of the tribe in the hamlet. Students in small surau are given lessons in reading the Quran taught by senior students or assistants of the tuanku/ sheikh. Usually one jorong or korong has three or more small surau.
Basic religious education in the small surau continues into the larger surau. These surau are led by a teacher called Tuanku. In the big surau, the master and his assistants will teach the students the lessons of Islam. The first stage is to learn the science of reading the Quran. After that they learn fiqh or the study of Islamic law, and other Islamic laws in more depth. Students in large surau also receive Arabic lessons, especially grammar. Arabic is seen as the basis of all their further studies.
In large surau, the number of students is larger and they come from different regions. In a large surau, the master is respected and honored by his students. They are truly loyal to their master, because the master helps them to fulfill their daily needs. Surau in that era can be said to be like religious schools today. In exploring the religion of Islam, there are some of its adherents who start by getting closer to their master.
*Jorong or Korong is: division of administrative area under the nagari, a special designation in West Sumatra.
Yurika Tiara Ramanda 24 JD I-E TRANS JM9-10 NKall 21 LM
