Guru Gembul
{{Short description|Indonesian activist and philosopher}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Guru Gembul
| image =
| imagesize = 220px
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| other_names = Jafar Rohadi
| occupation = {{unbulleted list|Teacher|Content creator|Activist}}
| known_for = Criticism of Bahar bin Smith
| spouse =
| children =
| parents =
| alma mater = Indonesia University of Education
| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality
| embed = yes
| channel_id = UCL_D8_Oqnb_Icr3zRn9pVNw
| channel_display_name = guru gembul
| creator =
| presenter =
| years_active = 2019—present
| subscribers = 1,29 million
| views = 236.5 million
| stats_update = September 2, 2024
| network =
| associated_acts =
| pseudonym =
| website =
| silver_button = y
| gold_button = y
}}
}}
Guru Gembul ({{lit|Fat Teacher}}) is an Indonesian activist, critic, teacher, and content creator, known for his scientific content and social philosophy.
Name
In Javanese, the word gembul is an adjective meaning "overeating", while guru is "teacher" or "coach". According to a number of local publications, he is known to be originally named Jafar Rohadi, but this was immediately denied by him.{{Cite web|first=M. Reza Sulaiman|last=Suara.Com|date=2024-07-15|title=Pendidikan Guru Gembul, Youtuber yang Sering Komentari Dunia Pendidikan|url=https://www.suara.com/news/2024/07/15/122405/pendidikan-guru-gembul-youtuber-yang-sering-komentari-dunia-pendidikan|website=suara.com|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} The word gembul also represents a portmanteau of gemar ngibul, a phrase translated as "enjoying vague discussions" from Indonesian.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
The expression Baraya is frequently recited by him. It is a Sundanese word meaning "sibling", but is used by Guru Gembul at a wide connotation, and so approximating "fellow" in meaning and usage.{{Cite web|last=Almutoif |first=Baehaqi |url=https://www.suara.com/news/2024/07/10/200755/sering-diucapkan-guru-gembul-apa-arti-baraya |title=Sering Diucapkan Guru Gembul, Apa Arti Baraya? |trans-title=Frequently Pronounced by Guru Gembul, What is the Meaning of Baraya? |date=10 July 2024 |publisher=Suara.com |language=Indonesian}}
Life
Guru Gembul's personal life is very secretive and his real identity is still a mystery, Guru Gembul is thought to be named "Johan Riyadi", "Jafar Rohadi", or "Jafar Riyadi", but this was later denied by him directly. He is known to be a graduate of Indonesia University of Education.{{Cite web|title=Pendidikan Guru Gembul, Youtuber yang Sering Komentari Dunia Pendidikan|url=https://www.suara.com/news/2024/07/15/122405/pendidikan-guru-gembul-youtuber-yang-sering-komentari-dunia-pendidikan|website=suara.com|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} Guru Gembul stated that he is a teacher at a school in Bandung, while his monthly income from his YouTube channel is estimated to reach $1,7K to $27,2K or around IDR 26,134,100 to IDR 372,026,600. Thus, his income in a year is around $20,4K to $326,1K or around IDR to IDR 5,013,135,300.{{Cite web|last=Rusdi|first=Febriadi|title=Mengenal YouTuber Guru Gembul dan Hasil Pendapatannya Di YouTube - Info Indonesia - Halaman 2|url=https://www.infoindonesia.id/info-ekonomi/96110204586/mengenal-youtuber-guru-gembul-dan-hasil-pendapatannya-di-youtube?page=2|website=Info Indonesia|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} Autobiographically, Guru Gembul has an experience teaching social science at a high school in Bandung.
Activity
Gembul started his career on YouTube and made videos discussing science, technology, social philosophy, and conspiracy theories. His thoughts on moderate Islam and his criticism of religious communities in Indonesia made his content quite popular in Indonesia.{{cite journal|last=Ardiansyah|first=Muhammad|date=2024|title=Representasi islam moderat dalam kanal youtube Guru Gembul perspektif teori fungsi interpretasi Hermeneutika Jorge J.E Gracia.|journal=UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya}} Guru Gembul emphasized that he was neither a Sunni nor a Shia, and that he did not follow any Islamic sect.{{Cite web|last=Sugianto|first=Enjang|title=Di Podcast Macan Idealis, Guru Gembul: Sunni dan Syiah sama-sama bid'ah, saya tidak bermazhab! - Purwakarta Online|url=https://www.purwakartaonline.com/entertainment/pr-4254777168/di-podcast-macan-idealis-guru-gembul-sunni-dan-syiah-sama-sama-bidah-saya-tidak-bermazhab|website=Purwakarta Online|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} As a result of his criticism of the "kaum Habaib" which is translated as people who respect the habibs, Guru Gembul was accused of being an extremist.{{Cite web|last=Sohib|first=Ben|date=2024-06-04|title=Ekstremitas Guru Gembul, Matinya Kepakaran dan Intoleransi Komunitas Habaib|url=https://islami.co/ekstremitas-guru-gembul-matinya-kepakaran-dan-intoleransi-habaib/|website=Islami[dot]co|language=en-US|access-date=2024-08-19}}
His conflict with Bahar bin Smith, one of Indonesia's habib and ulama, began when Guru Gembul noticed that Bahar could not read the kitab kuning, a set of Arabic-language educational texts in the Islamic curriculum commonly used in boarding schools in Indonesia, correctly.{{Cite web|date=2024-06-21|title=Tak Bisa Baca Kitab Kuning, Guru Gembul Sebut Bahar Bin Smith Habib Palsu!|url=https://bebasbaru.id/tak-bisa-baca-kitab-kuning-guru-gembul-sebut-bahar-bin-smith-habib-palsu/|website=Bebasbaru|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}}{{Cite web|last=Lufaefi|date=June 2024|title=Singgung Kemampuan Baca Kitab Kuning Habib Bahar bin Smith, Guru Gembul Tak Sepenuhnya Percaya Habib Bahar Ulama|url=https://www.akurat.co/hikmah/1304805043/singgung-kemampuan-baca-kitab-kuning-habib-bahar-bin-smith-guru-gembul-tak-sepenuhnya-percaya-habib-bahar-ulama|website=Akurat|access-date=2024-08-19}} Guru Gembul regretted this, and called Bahar bin Smith a "fake cleric", and doubted Bahar's lineage as a respected habib.{{Cite web|date=2024-07-03|title=Berani Blak-blakan Bilang Habib Bahar bin Smith Ulama Gadungan, Terungkap Siapa Sosok Guru Gembul Sebenarnya, Ternyata…|url=https://www.tvonenews.com/lifestyle/trend/224138-berani-blak-blakan-bilang-habib-bahar-bin-smith-ulama-gadungan-terungkap-siapa-sosok-guru-gembul-sebenarnya-ternyata|website=www.tvonenews.com|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} Guru Gembul then highlighted the use of false hadith in Bahar's statement which asserted that he was truly a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.{{Cite web|date=2024-07-02|title=Heboh Habib Bahar dan Hadis Palsu: Guru Gembul Ungkap Fakta Mengejutkan {{!}} 1tulah News|url=https://1tulah.com/2024/07/02/heboh-habib-bahar-dan-hadis-palsu-guru-gembul-ungkap-fakta-mengejutkan/|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}}{{Cite web|last=Pangul|first=R. J.|date=2024-07-02|title=Parah! Demi Bela Silsilah Keturunan Nabinya, Habib Bahar Gunakan Hadis Palsu|url=https://infopertama.com/parah-demi-bela-silsilah-keturunan-nabinya-habib-bahar-gunakan-hadis-palsu/|website=info pertama|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} Rhoma Irama and Zein Assegaf, other public figures who were also in conflict with Bahar at that time, agreed with Guru Gembul's statement, regretting that this had happened to a cleric.{{Cite web|title=Sosok Ini Ikut Tuding Habib Bahar bin Smith Sesat: Mirip Orang-orang Penyembah Pohon|url=https://www.suara.com/news/2024/07/03/162937/sosok-ini-ikut-tuding-habib-bahar-bin-smith-sesat-mirip-orang-orang-penyembah-pohon|website=suara.com|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}} Furthermore, Rhoma and Guru Gembul challenged Bahar to prove the authenticity of his lineage through a DNA test, this offended Bahar, stating that he could agree to it, but with a number of conditions.{{Cite web|date=2024-06-19|title=Persoalan Nasab Rasulullah SAW Dibahas lagi, Rhoma Irama Setuju Habib di Tes DNA, Bahar bin Smith Tegas Ajukan Syarat ini|url=https://www.tvonenews.com/lifestyle/trend/220257-persoalan-nasab-rasulullah-saw-dibahas-lagi-rhoma-irama-setuju-habib-di-tes-dna-bahar-bin-smith-tegas-ajukan-syarat-ini|website=www.tvonenews.com|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}}
In a seminar in Bandung, Guru Gembul criticized the education system in Indonesia, and pushed for changes to the education system.{{Cite news|last=Wijaya|first=Stefani|date=May 2023|editor-last=BW|title=Guru Gembul Dorong Perubahan Dunia Pendidikan|url=https://www.beritasatu.com/nasional/1047316/guru-gembul-dorong-perubahan-dunia-pendidikan|work=BeritaSatu|access-date=2024-08-19}} He also criticized the low salaries given to teachers in Indonesia, which he said was what triggered the decline in the quality of Indonesian education.{{Cite web|last=|date=2023-11-26|title=Guru Gembul: "Saya Gaji Gede dari YouTube, Gaji Ngajar Cuma 200 Ribu per Bulan"|url=https://www.kompasiana.com/www.akhlis-purnomo.com/6562ed71c57afb71b87c6d42/guru-gembul-saya-gaji-gede-dari-youtube-gaji-ngajar-cuma-200-ribu-per-bulan|website=KOMPASIANA|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}}
Controversy
In 2023, as a result of his criticism of teachers and education in Indonesia, five education activists sent an open letter containing a summons to Guru Gembul for his statement in a national education talk show broadcast on BTV on June 1, 2023. Activists considered Guru Gembul's statement about teacher competence to be an insult to the teaching profession. In his clarification, Guru Gembul said that he only criticized the Education and Teacher Training Institution (LPTK) that prepares teachers, further stating that his statement had been misunderstood and should not have resulted in a summons.{{Cite news|date=June 2023|title=Somasi Guru Gembul Berakhir Damai|url=https://www.beritasatu.com/nasional/1053509/somasi-guru-gembul-berakhir-damai|work=BeritaSatu|access-date=2024-08-19}} The issue was later resolved amicably, with all parties agreeing that "only some teachers were incompetent".{{Cite web|last=Putra|first=Ferdy Soegito|title=Guru vs Guru Gembul Berakhir Damai, Sepakat Hanya Sebagian yang Tidak Berkompeten - Koran Gala|url=https://www.koran-gala.id/gala-edu/5879265561/guru-vs-guru-gembul-berakhir-damai-sepakat-hanya-sebagian-yang-tidak-berkompeten|website=Koran Gala|language=id|access-date=2024-08-19}}
Content
Speeches delivered by Guru Gembul takes the summary of typically wielding concrete examples. His popularity is linked with the simplicity of expression used by him to the people. He says that his stance about religious matters and education is not the best and asks his viewers not to take his content "raw". He has featured in podcasts, including Close the Door by Deddy Corbuzier.
=Ba'alawi criticisms=
Guru Gembul is known to question the background authenticity of Ba'alawi members. Al-Habib Bahar bin Smith, a Ba'Alwi, was criticized in a book because he incorrectly translated a number of hadiths. Guru Gembul also describes the hadiths Bahar spread to his followers as "weak" or "faint". In addition, he doubted Bahar bin Smith's ability to perform da'wah while having a pesantren with thousands of santris and called him a "fake ulama" (ulama gadungan).{{cite web|last=Baktora |first=Muhammad Ilham |url=https://www.suara.com/news/2024/09/12/180239/guru-gembul-lulusan-mana-konten-kreator-yang-ramai-kritik-nasab-baalawi |title=Guru Gembul Lulusan Mana?, Konten Kreator yang Ramai Kritik Nasab Ba'alawi |trans-title=Where did Guru Gembul graduate?, Content Creator who is Friendly to Criticize Ba'Alawi Bloodline |publisher=Suara.com |language=Indonesian |date=12 September 2024}}
Bibliography
- Ngomongin Filsafat, Ah! (Eng: Talking about Philosophy) (2025).
- Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (2024).
- 50 Muslim Paling Berpengaruh dalam Sejarah Peradaban Islam: Sejarah yang Terlupakan (Eng: 50 Most Influence of Moslem in Islamic Civilization: The Forgotten History) (2024).